Your Name ______________________________Period ______ Date __________
Environmental Science Chapter 6 Word Study - Biomes
Directions: Study the following words by reading and rereading them each
evening so you will be prepared for the word study test each week. You may use
one index card to write as many words and definitions on as possible to use for
the test. The card must written in ink, be in your handwriting, and have your
name, your class period, and the chapter recorded in the top, right corner with
no obvious erasures or mark outs. ALL WORDS MUST BE NUMBERED. If all
the criteria are met, you may use your index card during the test. It will then be
stapled to your test.
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)
8.)
9.)
10.)
11.)
12.)
13.)
biome – a large region characterized by a specific type of climate
and certain types of plant and animal communities / example:
tundra
climate – the average weather conditions in an area over a long
period of time
latitude – the distance north or south from the equator; expressed
in degrees
longitude – the distance east or west from the equator; expressed
in degrees
altitude – the height of an object above a reference point, such as
sea level or the Earth’s surface
tundra – a treeless plain that is located in the Arctic or Antarctic
and that is characterized by very low winter temperatures;
short, cool summers; and vegetation that consists of grasses,
lichens, and perennial
taiga – a region of evergreen, coniferous forest below the arctic
and subarctic tundra regions
temperate deciduous forest – a forest (or biome) that is
characterized by trees that shed their leaves in the fall
tropical rain forest – a forest or jungle near the equator that is
characterized by large amounts of rain and little variation in
temperature and that contains the greatest known diversity
of organisms on Earth
emergent layer – the top foliage layer in a forest where the trees
extend above surrounding trees
canopy – the layers of treetops that shade the forest floor
epiphyte – a plant that uses another plant for support, but not for
nourishment / examples: orchids, mosses, lichens
understory – a foliage layer that is beneath and shaded by the
main canopy of a forest
14.) temperate rain forest – a forest community (biome), characterized
by cool, humid weather and abundant rainfall, where tree
branches are draped with mosses, tree trunks are covered
with lichens, and the forest floor is covered with ferns
15.) taiga – a region of evergreen, coniferous forest below the arctic
and subarctic tundra regions
16.) savanna – a plain full of grasses and scattered trees and shrubs;
found in tropical and subtropical habitats and mainly in
regions with a dry climate, such as East Africa
17.) temperate grassland – a community (or biome) that is dominated
by grasses, has few trees, and is characterized by cold winters
and rainfall that is intermediate between that of a forest and
a desert
18.) chaparral – a type of vegetation that includes broad-leafed
evergreen shrubs and that is located in areas with hot, dry
summers and mild, wet winters
19.) desert – a region that has little or no vegetation, long periods
without rain, and extreme temperatures
20.) tundra – a treeless plain that is located in the Arctic or Antarctic
and that is characterized by very low winter temperatures;
short, cool summers; and vegetation that consists of grasses,
lichens, and perennial herbs
21.) permafrost – in arctic regions, the permanently frozen layer of soil
or subsoil
22.) migration – in general, any movement of individuals or populations
from one location to another; specifically, a periodic group
movement that is characteristic of a given population or
species
23.) perennial – a plant that usually lives and reproduces more than
one year
24.) annual – a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a
year or a season