chapter 5

33877639	biomes	a broad, regional type of ecosystem characterized by distinctive climate and soil conditions and a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions.
33877640	deserts	Occur where precipitation is uncommon and slight, usually with less than 30 cm of rain per year
33877641	grasslands	an enviroment where there is enough rain to suppourt grass but not enough for forests
33878281	tundra	a vast treeless plain in the arctic regions between the ice cap and the tree line
33879984	conifer	Needle-bearing tree that produce seeds in cones
33880560	southern pine forests	United States coniferous forest ecosystem characterized by a warm, moist climate
33880561	boreal forest	a broad band of mixed coniferous and deciduous trees that stretches across northern North America
33883684	taiga	The northernmost edge of the boreal forest, including species-poor woodland and peat deposits; intergrading with the arctic tundra
33883685	temperate rain forest	forest that are characterized by a large amount of rain fall, high humidity and moderate temperature
33883686	deciduous	trees that shed their leaves in the winter
33886214	chaparral	Thick, dense, thorny evergreen shrub found in Mediterranean climates
33886215	thorn scrub	a dry, semi-desert dominated by acacias and other spiny shrubs
33886216	cloud forests	Found high in the mountains where fog and mist keep vegetation wet all the time
33886217	tropical rainforests	terrestrial biome characterized by high levels of rain fall and high temperature year round
33886218	tropical seasonal forests	semievergreen or partly deciduous forests tending toward open woodlands and grassy savannas dotted with scattered, drought-resistant tree species; distinct wet and dry seasons, hot year-round
33886219	phytoplankton	tiny, free floating, photosynthetic plants that support a marine food web
33886220	benthic	The bottom surfaces of aquatic environments
33886221	pelagic	Zones in the vertical water column of a water body
33886964	coral reefs	Prominent oceanic features composed of hard, limy skeletons produced by coral animals; usually formed along edges of shallow, submerged ocean banks or along shelves in warm, shallow, tropical seas
33886965	reefs	Consist of colonies of minute, colonial animals that live symbiotically with photosynthetic algae
33886966	mangroves	Trees from a number of genera that live in salt water
33886967	estuaries	The lower end of a river, where it meets ocean. Saltwater and freshwater mix here.
33887578	barrier islands	low, narrow, sandy islands that form offshore from a coastline
33887579	thermocline	Sharp temperature boundary
33887955	wetlands	Ecosystems of several types in which vegetation is surrounded by stand water during part of the year
33887956	swamps	wetland with trees
33887957	marshes	wetlands without trees
33888091	bogs	an area of waterlogged soil that tends to be peaty; fed mainly by precipitation; low productivity; some bogs are acidic
33888512	frens	areas of waterlogged soil that tend to be peaty; fed mainly by upwelling water; low productivity