E.s. Chapter 4 Vocab

Front 1

the bottom of a body of water, which is inhabited by decomposers, insect larvae, and clams

Back 1

Benthic Zone

Front 2

areas that have distinctive climates and organisms.

Back 2

Biome

Front 3

in a forest, the covering of tall trees whose intertwining branches absorb a great amount of sunlight and shade the area beneath.

Back 3

Canopy

Front 4

a biome that occurs in the mid-latitudes, about 30 N and 30 S of the equator.

Back 4

Chaparral

Front 5

limestone islands in the sea that are built by coral animals called polyps.

Back 5

Coral Reef

Front 6

areas that recieve less than 10 inches of precipitation a year.

Back 6

Desert

Front 7

characteristics of a plant that allow it to survive in areas of light or sporatic rainfall.

Back 7

Drought Resistance

Front 8

when animals bury themselves in the ground and sleep through the dry season.

Back 8

Estivating

Front 9

an ecosystem in which fresh water from riversmixes with salt water from the ocean.

Back 9

estuary

Front 10

the shallow-water area near the shores of lakes and ponds where sunlight reaches the bottom.

Back 10

littoral zone

Front 11

permanently frozen soil

Back 11

permafrost

Front 12

the northern coniferous forest, which stretches in a broad band across the northern hemispherejust below the arctic circle.

Back 12

taiga

Front 13

cool, humid biome where tree branches are draped with mosses, tree trunks are covered with lichen, and the floor is covered with ferns.

Back 13

temperate rain forest

Front 14

biome occuring in semi-arid interiors of continents. (no trees)

Back 14

temperate grasslands

Front 15

humid, warm areas around the equator that recieve about 100 inches of rainfall per year

Back 15

tropical rain forest

Front 16

tropical grassland biome with a short rainy season

Back 16

savanna

Front 17

biome without trees, where grasses and tough shrubs grow in the frozen soil; extends from the Arctic Circle to the North Pole

Back 17

tundra

Front 18

area of land covered by water for at least psrt of the year

Back 18

wetland