Term
| Climate of regions containing Artic and Alpine Tundra |
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Definition
| Low temps, low precipitation, short growing seasons, shaped by frost action |
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Term
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Definition
| the modification of landscape by frost action. The main factor in wearing down artic landscape |
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Term
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Definition
| Permanently frozen layer of ground beneath the surface of soil layers. It is a barrier to plant roots and drainage |
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Term
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Definition
| when wet soil drifts down slope over permafrost leaving terraces |
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Term
| why is the artic tundra a fragile biome that is slow to heal from human-caused damage? |
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Definition
| because if the permafrost is melted due to disturbances to the tundra and slow rate of plant growth and decomposition |
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Term
| Herbivores and carnivores found in the artic tundra biome |
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Definition
| Musrox, eariba, lemmings, artic hares, snowy owls, aritc foxes |
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Term
| 3 ways in which alpine tundra differs from artic tundra |
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Definition
1)rarely permafrost
2)plants required shorter periods of daylight
3)plants propagate by seed |
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Term
| some mammals found in alpine tundra areas of the Western U.S |
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Definition
| marmots, pikas, mountain goats.. sometimes big hornsheep and elk |
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Term
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Definition
| transition zone between forest and tundra, edge of tree line with stunted and gnarled trees. |
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Term
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Definition
| Grassy flooded bogs that interrupt the taiga biomes in N. America |
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Term
| Plants of the boreal Forest |
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Definition
| coniferous trees with heavy bark and needle-like leaves |
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Term
| Mammals found in the boreal forest |
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Definition
| Elk, moose, wolverine, timber wolves, lynx |
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Term
| Trees found in the higher elevations of the montane coniferous forests |
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Definition
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Term
| Trees found in the lower elevations of the mountain coniferous forests |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the temperate rain forest and where is it found in the N. America? |
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Definition
| rainforest of coniferous and broadleaf forests in temperate zones, parallel to the pacific ocean in N. America |
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Term
| Pinon-juniper woodlands of western n. America |
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Definition
| characterized by open growth of small trees with a well developed understory of grasses and shrubs |
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Term
| Where are the southern pine forests of the U.S and what are they used for? |
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Definition
| costal plains of the south Atlantic and gulf states, used for paper products |
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Term
| Temperate deciduous forests of the U.S and climate conditions under which they form |
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Definition
| fairly high rainfall, loose leaves for protection against cold and water loss. Found in the places of warm moist summers and mild winters |
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Term
| 3 reasons why tropical rainforests are being cleared |
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Definition
-Lumber
-Mining
-raise cattle |
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Term
| Why are tropical rainforest soils so poor |
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Definition
| leeching from high rainfall, and organic matter rapidly broken down and returned to existing trees. |
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Term
| slash and burn agriculture and its consequences for tropical rainforests |
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Definition
| when trees are cut down and burned to release their nutrients causes open soil to get baked and hard... can't support life |
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Term
| 3 important reasons for preserving tropical rainforests |
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Definition
-save biodiversity
-help stop global warming
-keep plants that could have valuable medical products |
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Term
| Why are tropical trees so often buttressed./ |
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Definition
| provides support in shallow poorly developed soils |
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Term
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Definition
| vines that hang from trees |
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Term
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Definition
| vines that grow on the trunks and limbs |
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Term
| Where are tropical rainforests found today |
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Definition
| South America, Equatorial Africa, Indonesia, New guinea, central America, Australia |
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Term
| Environmental problems experiences by tropical dry forests and their consequences |
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Definition
| many of them have been converted to agricultural or grazing land...which have led to to regress back to savannahs or grasslands |
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Term
| Names used to describe grassland communities around the world? |
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Definition
| prairie, steppe, pampas, veldt |
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Term
| Grassland biomes in terms of climate and where they are found |
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Definition
| Interiors of continents- areas with high rates of evaporation and periodic severe droughts |
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Term
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Definition
| develop a solid mat of grass |
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Term
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Definition
| grow in bunches with space between them |
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Term
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Definition
| extends from forest-grassland ecotone found in the midwest |
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Term
| Mixed grass and short grass prairie |
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Definition
| occur west of the tall grass region which gives way to shallow rooted short grasses that eventually grade into desert or forest at higher elevations |
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Term
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Definition
| grasslands with varying degrees of tree and shrub cover in soil, low in nutrients and moisture.... Found in Africa south America and Australia |
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Term
| mammals found in African savanna |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| plants with woody persistent stems, no central trunk and a max height of 6 meters... good for periodic fires and low nutrient levels |
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Term
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Definition
| - mild rainy winters, and long dry summers... supports sm. broadleaf shrubs and trees with heavily waxed leaves |
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Term
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Definition
| found in southern California, dry shrublands with much ground litter that is highly flammable |
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Term
| How is Fire important to the Chaparral biome? |
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Definition
| causes clearing of old growth for newer growth, recycles resources |
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Term
| Characterize the northern desert shrub community and where it is found |
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Definition
| continental climate with hot summers and prolonged winters, dominated by extensive stands of sagebrush and saltbrush found in the Great Basin of N.A |
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Term
| Why are most desserts found in high pressure areas? |
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Definition
| because descending air is heated and dried there. also air losses its moisture as it reaches downpoint |
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Term
| Under what conditions do temperature inversions occurs? |
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Definition
when warm air flows over cold atmosphere as the atmosphere is heated from below
-when winds blow over cool ocean waters they become colder than the air above |
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Term
| How do rain shadow deserts form |
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Definition
| found on the leeward side of mountain ranges , as air rises it cools according to the adiabatic lapse rates |
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Term
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Definition
| low rainfall, high evaporation, and wide daily fluctuations in temp. When it rains it is heavy |
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Term
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Definition
| Dry river beds carved by rainfall |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| Types of organisms that form a crust on the surface of desert soils |
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Definition
| lichens, algea, cyanobacteria...add to the productivity of desert soils with high rates of nitrogen fixation |
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Term
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Definition
| when grasslands are converted to deserts that become dry wastelands |
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