Chapter 3 communities and biomes
About this set
Created by:
bobandtessie on September 17, 2011
Subjects:
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
12 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 aphotic zone | Deep water that never receives sunlight. |
| Biome | Group of ecosystems with the same climax communities; biomes on what are called terrestrial biomes, those and water are called aquatic biomes. |
| Desert | Arid region with sparse to almost non-existent plant life; the driest biome, usually receives less than 25 cm of precipitation annually. |
| Estuary | Coastal body of water, partially surrounded by land, and in which freshwater and saltwater mix. |
| Grassland | biome composed of large communities covered with rich soil, grasses, similar small plants; receives 25 - 75 cm precipitation annually. |
| intertidal zone | portion of the shoreline that lies between high tide and low tide lines. |
| photic zone | portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate. |
| plankton | small organisms that drift and float in the water of the photic zone; includes both autotrophic and hetertrophic organisms, their eggs, and juvenile stages of many marine animals. |
| taiga | biome just south of the tundra; characterized by a boreal or north coniferous forest composed of larch, fir, hemlock, and spruce trees and acidic mineralpoor top soils. |
| temperate/diciduous forest | biome composed of forests of broad-leaved hardwood trees that lose their foilage annually; receives 70-150 cm of precipitation annually. |
| tropic rain forest | biome near the equator with warm temperatures, wet weather, and lush plant growth; receives at least 200 cm of rain annually; contains more species of organisms than other biomes. |
| tundra | biome that surrounds the north and south poles; treeless land with long summer days and short periods of winter sunlight; characterized by permafrost. |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.