| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Desert | Has dry soil, and is very rock/sandy. Has cacti and snakes, small rodents, lizards, and some birds. Animals have large ears. Very little rainfall. |
| Grasslands | Only grass and shrubs, no trees. Wildfires are common. Plants have long, extended root systems. There is a rich soil, and moderate precipitation. Animals include bison, large cats, grazing animals like zebra, and rodents like prairie dogs. |
| Tundra | Know to be the coldest of all land biomes. It has terrible soil, and little precipitation. Plants have darker shades of color, and grow close to the ground. Include lichens, cottongrass, and small shrubs. Animals include bears, rodents, some birds, and fox. They either have thick fur or blubber, can blend in, or hibernate. |
| Taiga | Known for snow, and evergreen (coniferous) trees. It is the largest biome. The colors of plants and animals are darker. The tree's leaves are needle-like, and never stop doing photosynthesis. Animals and adaptations are relatively the same to the Tundra. |
| Tropical Rain forest | It is the wettest biome, and gets the most rainfall. There is much diversity of orgamisms, and is near the equator. The soil quality is poor, so plants get energy from decomposing animals and plants. Most animals, such as monkeys, snakes, and insects live on trees. |
| Deciduous (Temperate) Forest | Trees' leaves fall off in autumn, when they stop doing photosynthesis. Good soil quality, good rainfall, and four seasons. Plants are mainly trees, and they have adapted by growing broad leaves. Animals are the usual forest animals: moose, fox, wolves, raccoon, etc. Birds migrate in winter, and and other animals hibernate. |
| Freshwater | Includes ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, and estuaries. |
| Marine | Includes open ocean, seashore, and it covers 75% of the planet. There is a very high salinity level, and a wide variety of animals. |
| Permafrost | Frozen soil just below regular soil in the tundra. Stops trees from growing, by preventing them from plantng their roots deep enough. |
| Phytoplankton | Minute microorganisms that can do photosynthesis. They are at the base of the food chain. |
| Four factors that affect Climate | Precipitation, elevation, temperature, latitude |
| Climate | The overall weather pattern over a particular area |
| Temperature | Sunlight heats the ground and air, warming it or making it cooler when not present |
| Latitude | The sun's rays strike the earth at different angles, so a wider or smaller range and intensity vary on the latitude. The poles have a wider range, but less intensity. It is the opposite as you come near the equator. |
| Elevation | Gravity affects air molecules as well. Molecules that are closer to the ocean give off more thermal energy than at the top of a mountain. Hence, it is warmer at the base of the mountain than at it's peak, where it is much colder. |
| Precipitation | The amount of rain, snow, fog, hail, sleet, etc. an area receives. Depends on the other three factors. |
| Estuaries | The lower end of a river, where it meets ocean. Saltwater and freshwater mix here. Estuaries are known to be very productive. |
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