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Terrestrial Biomes
21.1
Question | Answer |
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biome | very large climatic regions that contain a number of smaller but related ecosystems within them Each location has a similar climate and inhabitants with similar adaptions |
tundra | a cold and largely treeless biome that forms a continuous belt across northern North America, Europe, and Asia. It is the largest and northernmost biome, covering about one-fifth of the world's land surface. |
permafrost | a permanently frozen layer of soil under the surface, characterizes the tundra. |
tropical forests | occur near the equator, in the region between 23.5 degrees N and 23.5 degrees S, known as the tropics. this region includes parts of Asia. |
canopy | the treetoops form a continuos layer which shades the forest floor |
epiphytes | small plants living on the branches of tall trees. Includes mosses, orchids and bromeliads. |
coniferous trees | bear seeds in cones and tend to be evergreen |
deciduous trees | shed their leaves each year |
temperate deciduous forests | trees that lose all of their leaves in the fall and regrow them each spring |
taiga | South of the tundra and north of the temperate regions. A forested biome dominated by coniferous trees, such as pines, firs, and spruces. |
temperate grasslands | usually form in the interior of continents, at about the same latitude as temperate diciduous forsts |
savannas | tropical or temperate grasslands that have scattered decdiduous trees and shrubs. Recieve more rainfall than deserts do but less rainfall than tropical or temperate forests do. |
chaparral | a biome that is dominated by dense, spiny shrubs and has scattered clumps of coniferous trees. Is characterized by mild, rainy winters an dhot, dry summers with peiodic fires. |
Deserts | areas that recive an average of less than 25 cm of rainfall per year. |