Biome Vocabulary

Front 1

Leaching

Back 1

A process in which rainwater moving through soil carries minerals deeper into the soil.

Front 2

Pavement

Back 2

The desert floor, made up of baked sand, bare rock particles, or both

Front 3

Succulents

Back 3

A plant such as a cactus that has thick-water filled tissues.

Front 4

Nocturnal

Back 4

Describes animals that sleep during the day and are active at night.

Front 5

Flora

Back 5

Plant life occurring in a particular region or time.

Front 6

Fauna

Back 6

All of the animal life of any particular region.

Front 7

Desertification

Back 7

The process of changing semi-arid land into desert as a result of human activity.

Front 8

Permafrost

Back 8

The frozen soil below the active zone in tundra regions.

Front 9

Migration

Back 9

Long distance seasonal travel by animal population.

Front 10

Grassland

Back 10

An ecosystem in which there is too much water to form a desert, but not enough water to support a desert.

Front 11

Desert-grassland boundary

Back 11

An area between a desert and a grassland where increased rainfall enables some grasses to grow.

Front 12

Steppes

Back 12

A grassland area that gets less an 50cm of rain per year.

Front 13

Prairies

Back 13

A grassland area characterized by rolling hills,plains and sod forming grasses.

Front 14

Sod-forming grasses

Back 14

A grass that forms a mat of soil and roots.

Front 15

Humus

Back 15

A layer of organic matter formed from decaying plant matter.

Front 16

Bunchgrasses

Back 16

A short, fine-bladed grass that grows in a clump.

Front 17

Savannas

Back 17

Tropical grassland ranging from dry scrubland to wet, open woodland.

Front 18

Runners

Back 18

The long, horizontal stem of many plants that runs below the ground, making the plant resistant to drought, fire and grazing animals.

Front 19

Tuft

Back 19

A large clump of tall, coarse grass

Front 20

Vertical feeding pattern

Back 20

The pattern in which different species eat vegetation at different heights.

Front 21

Conifers

Back 21

A tree that produces seed cones

Front 22

Deciduous

Back 22

A tree that sheds its layers during a particular season each year.

Front 23

rain forest

Back 23

A biome with a dense canopy of evergreen, that receives 200cm of rain each year.

Front 24

Deforestation

Back 24

The destruction of forest lands as a result of human activity.