Column 1
A group of land ecosystems with similar climates and organisms.
biome
An area populated by grasses and other non-woody plants. Grasslands receive between 25 and 75 centimeters of rain each year.
grassland
A biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces and larches.
taiga
The typical weather pattern in an area over a long period of time.
climate
All of the world’s connected salt and brackish waters, including the oceans, seas, coral reefs and estuaries.
marine
A woodland of a usually rather mild climatic area within the temperate zone that receives heavy rainfall, usually includes numerous kinds of trees, and is distinguished from a tropical rain forest especially by the presence of a dominant tree.
temperate forest
A habitat in which the freshwater of a river meets the salt water of the ocean.
estuary
Soil that is frozen all year.
permafrost
A biome which there is no dry season-all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm.
tropical rain forest
Large communities of plants and animals centered around waters with less than 1% salt concentration.
fresh water
A grassland close to the equator that receives as much as 120 centimeters of rain per year.
savana
An extremely cold, dry biome.
tundra