Chapter 22- The Earth's Terrestrial Biomes

Front 1

Natural vegetation

Back 1

a plant cover that develops with little or no human interference

Front 2

Life form

Back 2

emphasizes plant's physical structure, size and shape

Front 3

Woodland

Back 3

the trees are widely spaced so that their crown are separated by open areas that usually support grasses, low herbs and a shrub layer

Front 4

Terrestrial ecosystems

Back 4

directly influenced by climate and interact with the soil

Front 5

Biome

Back 5

largest recognizable subdivision of terrestrial ecosystems, including the total assemblage of plant and animal life interacting within the life layer

Front 6

Forest biome

Back 6

dominated by trees which form a closed or nearly closed canopy

Front 7

Savana biome

Back 7

transitional between forest and grassland

Front 8

Grassland biome

Back 8

develops in regions with moderate shortages of soil water

Front 9

Desert biome

Back 9

dry climate, usually consisting of widely dispersed plants that may be shrubs, grasses or perennial herbs but few if any trees

Front 10

Tundra biome

Back 10

cold regions, of arctic tundra and alpine tundra, consisting of grasses sedges flowering herbs, dwarf shrubs mosses and lichens

Front 11

Steppe

Back 11

also called short- grass prairie, is a vegetation type dominated by sparse clumps or bunches of grasses

Front 12

Life zones

Back 12

series of vegetation zones describing vegetation types that are encountered with increasing elevation especially in the southwestern US