Cengage Environmental Science U2C6L2
tropical rain forest
Biome near the equator with warm temperatures, wet weather, and lush plant growth
Temperate desert
Daytime temps are high in summer and low in winter, Vegetation is sparse
edge effect
Tendency for a transition zone between two different ecosystems to have greater species diversity and a higher density of organisms than are found in either of the individual ecosystems.
permafrost
Underground soil where captured water can stay frozen for more than two consecutive years.
cold grassland
also called "arctic tundra"; treeless plains, bitterly cold, swept by frigid winds and covered by ice and snow most of the year. thick spongy mat of low growing plants (grass, moss, lichens) under snow
tropical grassland
also called "savannas"; warm year round with wet and dry seasons; mixed grasses and short shrubs and clumps of small trees
temperate forest
forest in a temperate region, characterized by numerous types of trees; typically has 4 distinct seasons
tropical desert
hot and dry most of the year, few plants, hard/windblown surface covered with rocks and sand
temperate grassland
hot and dry summers, cold winters; fertile soils used for farmland
boreal forest
made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons
cold desert
vegetation is sparse, winters are cold. summers are warm or hot, and precipitation is low.