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Chapter 6Biomes A large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plants and animal communities.BiomeWhy are biomes described by their vegetation?Plants that grow in an area determine the organisms that can live there.Weather conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, and winds, in an area over a long period of time is called what? ClimateWhat determines the climate of a biome?Average temperature and precipitation

How do temperature and precipitation affect which plants grow in an area?Most organisms are adapted to live within a particular range of temperatures and will not survive at temperatures too far above or below their range. Also All organisms need water, and the larger an organism is, the more water it needs.What is the distance north or south of the equator and is measured in degrees?LatitudeWhat is the height of an object above sea level?AltitudeWhich biome is characterized by humid and warm climate with about 200 to 450 cm of rain per year?Tropical rain forests

What are the three layers of the rain forest?Emergent layer (top layer); Canopy (Primary layer); Understory (below the canopy, small trees and shrubs)Which Biome has the greatest biodiversity?Tropical rain forestLocated in tropical and subtropical areas near the equator and between tropical rain forest and desert biomes.SavannasBiome that is dominated by grasses and that has very few treesTemperate grassland

a type of temperate woodland biome that is dominated by more broad-leafed evergreen shrubs than by evergreen treesChaparralAreas that receive less than 25 cm of precipitation a year and have little or no vegetationDesertsBiome that is dominated by grasses, lichens, and herbs and that is located primarily north of the Arctic CircleTundra Permanently frozen soilPermafrostAreas of land periodically underwaterWetlandThe organisms that float near the surface of the water.PlanktonFree-swimming organisms, such as fish, turtles, and whalesNektonBottom-dwelling organisms, such as mussels, worms, and barnacles.BenthosAn increase in the amount of nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem.EutrophicationCompare the littoral zone of a lake with the benthic zone of a lake.In the nutrient-rich littoral zone near the shore aquatic life is diverse and abundant. The benthic zone is the bottom of a pond or lake, which is inhabited by decomposers, insect larvae, and clamsAn area in which fresh water from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean.EstuarySwamps located along coastal areas of tropical and subtropical zones Mangrove swamps