Chapter 7: Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity

Grasslands

This happens in areas that are too moist for deserts and too dry for forests.

Permafrost

Underground soil that stays frozen.

Ocean Currents

Prevailing winds and earth rotation.

Major biomes

Large land regions with certain types of climate and dominant plant life.

Alpine Tundra

Above the tree line in the mountains.

Temperate

Cold winters and hot and dry summers, with tall and short grass prairies.

Climate

Areas general pattern of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

Cold (Artic tundra)

Fragile biome that has plants close to the ground.

Weather

Local areas short- term temperature, precipitation, humidity, windspeed cloud cover, and other conditions.

El Niño Southern Oscillation

It happens every few years.

Greenhouse effect

________: Gases keep the earth warm and habitable.

Rain Shadow Effect

Most precipitation falls on the windward side of mountain ranges.

Tropical deserts

Hot and dry most of the year.

Weather

Local areas short-term temperature, precipitation, humidity, windspeed cloud cover, and other conditions

Climate

Areas general pattern of the atmosphere over a long period of time

Ocean Currents

Prevailing winds and earth rotation

Tropical

Equator, intense sunlight

Polar

Poles, little sunlight

Temperate

In-between tropical and polar

El Niño-Southern Oscillation

It happens every few years

Greenhouse gases

H20, CO2, CH4, N2O

Greenhouse effect

Gases keep the earth warm and habitable

Rain Shadow Effect

Most precipitation falls on the windward side of mountain ranges

Major biomes

Large land regions with certain types of climate and dominant plant life

Tropical deserts

Hot and dry most of the year

Temperate deserts

Temperatures are high in the summer and low in winter and they have more precipitation

Cold deserts

Winters are cold and summers are hot

Grasslands

This happens in areas that are too moist for deserts and too dry for forests

Savanna

Brazing and browsing animals

Temperate

Cold winters and hot and dry summers, with tall and short grass prairies

Cold (Artic tundra)

Fragile biome that has plants close to the ground

Permafrost

Underground soil that stays frozen

Alpine Tundra

Above the tree line in the mountains