Biomes
a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g., forest or tundra.
Climate
the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
Weather
the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
Deciduous
(of a tree or shrub) shedding its leaves annually.
Estivation
prolonged torpor or dormancy of an animal during a hot or dry period.
Coniferous
mostly evergreen trees and shrubs having usually needle-shaped or scalelike leaves and including forms (such as pines) with true cones
Hibernation
the condition or period of an animal or plant spending the winter in a dormant state.
Permafrost
a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year, occurring chiefly in polar regions.
salinity
the measure of all the salts dissolved in water.
Brackish(water)
the mixture of river water and seawater in estuaries.
Photic Zone
the upper layer of a body of water which enough sunlight can penetrate to permit photosynthesis.
Aphotic Zone
the portion of a lake or ocean where there is little or no sunlight.
Benthic Zone
the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean or a lake, including the sediment surface, bottom
littoral zone (lake)
the near shore area where sunlight penetrates all the way to the sediment and allows aquatic plants (macrophytes) to grow.
limnetic zone (lake)
open surface waters in a lake away from the shore.
Wetlands
land consisting of marshes or swamps; land covered in water at least part of the year.
Estuaries
the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream.
source (river)
the start of the river
mouth (river)
where the river opens up to a larger body of water, like the ocean
tributary
smaller rivers and streams that flow into larger ones
watershed
the land area around a river