Vocabulary Review Ch 21 Ecosystems

A large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities Biome

A treeless plain that is located in the Arctic or Antarctic and that is characterized by very low winter temperatures; short, cool summers; and vegetation that consists of grasses, lichens, and perennial herbs Tundra

In arctic regions, the permanently frozen layer of soil or subsoil Permafrost

A region of forest or jungle that is located near the equator and that is characterized by large amounts of rain and little variation in temperature Tropical Forest

The layers of treetops that shade the forest floor Canopy

A plant that uses another plant for support, but not for nourishment Epiphyte

A tree belonging to a group of tree species that bear their seeds in cones and tend to be evergreen Coniferous Tree

A tree that sheds and regrows its leaves in response to seasonal changes Deciduous Tree

A region of forest that has pronounced seasons, moderate temperatures, and moderate precipitation; characterized by trees that shed their leaves in the fall Temperate deciduous forest

A plain full of grasses and scattered trees and shrubs; found in tropical and subtropical habitats and mainly in regions with a dry climate, such as East Africa Savanna

A type of vegetation that includes broad-leafed evergreen shrubs and that is located in areas with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters Chaparral

A region that has little or no vegetation, long periods without rain, and extreme temperatures; usually found in warm climates Desert

The deeper parts of the ocean, where there is so little light that plants cannot carry out photosynthesis Aphotic zone

The area of an aquatic system that receives enough light for photosynthesis to occur Photic zone

An area along ocean shorelines that lies between low and high water lines Intertidal zone

A shallow marine environment that is near the shore or over the continental shelf and that is rich in minerals and nutrients produced by biotic activity Neritic zone

The regions of the open sea that lie beyond and between the continental shelves Oceanic zone

The upper, central, or open region of a body of water Pelagic zone

The bottom region of oceans and bodies of fresh water Benthic zone

The mass of mostly microscopic organisms that float or drift freely in the waters of aquatic (freshwater and marine) environments Plankton

An area where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean; the part of a river where the tides meet the river current Estuary

A lake that contains a large amount of decaying organic matter and lacks oxygen as a result Eutrophic lake

A lake that lacks organic nutrients and, as a result, contains high levels of dissolved oxygen in its lower layer Oligotrophic lake

An area of land that is covered in fresh water for at least part of each year Freshwater wetland