Geo2: Chapter 6

- large ecosystems on the Earth's surface that are definedby the types of animals and plants living there

a group of species that live in a particular habitat

the overlap or zone of transition between two plant or animal communities 

a change in species composition at the boundary between two ecosystems

• -trees growing closed together
• -generally continuous (closed canopy)

• -tree-dominated 
• -trees are spaced widely apart (open canopy)

-dominated by grasses and herbs

• -dry vegetation with bare ground
• -26-35% of the Earth's land surface

• -Mean temperature no less than 18C
• -minimum monthly precipitation 60mm

• -starts to grow as epiphyte and then reaches the ground and forms roots
• -Ex. Strangler fig

• -support trees and occur in tropics
• -Ex. Mangroves at Florida Bay

• -regions with very high natural biodiversity 
• -Ex. California

highly leached tropical soils

• -Monsoon forests
• -semievergreen
• -partly deciduous forests
• -heavy rainfall during summer and a distinct dry season during winter

• -tropical grasslands and woodlands
• -hot, seasonally dry 
• -scattered trees

• 1. Xlopodia
• -woody underground organs
• 2. Thick bark
• 3. Sclerophylls
• -tough leathery leaves

• land degradation in arid regions
• -Ex. Mali

• -asia
• -two humps
• -grows a thick coat of hair each winter. That coat of hair falls off every spring.

• -Arab peninsula
• -single hump
• -double row of eyelashes and close nostrils, prevent sand from getting in

the precipitation of soluble salts within the soil

• -dry summer
• -subtropical climate
• -the coldest month temperature is between 0 and 18C

• -non-photosynthetic plant that gets everything from a host plant 
• -Ex. Hyobanche sanguinea

dominated by grasses and forbs

-characterized by tall grasses

• characterized by short grasses and bunchgrasses
• -no trees

• -a period when a region lacks its water supply
• -a characteristic feature of temperate grassland climates

• -four seasons, there is winter
• -precipitation all year round(no dry season)

• -when chlorophyll is destroyed, leaves turn yellow or red
• -plants harden for winter
• -plant growth is slowed 

• -coast redwoods:tallest tree
• -the largest 
• -high amount of rainfall 

• -trees that grow cones
• -leaves are needle-shaped
• -most are evergreen
• -Ex. Sugar pine

-the oldest living tree species

• -high latitude/altitude treeless biome
• -coldest of all biomes
• -no trees

• permanently frozen ground
• -occurs in high mountain regions