The portion of an aquatic environment that light cannot penetrate
What is the aphotic zone?
ferns, thimbleberry bush, spruce, fir, pine, moose, reindeer, squirrels, beetles, lynx and wolves
What are plants and animals of the Coniferous Forest?
usually flat and fertile land, often turned into farmland
What is the Grassland?
includes bogs, swamps and marshes
What are wetlands?
sage, evening primrose, aloe plant, organ-pipe cactus, mesquite, scorpions, Gila monster, jack rabbit, and kangaroo rat
What are plants and animals of the desert?
cover less than 3% of Earth's area, yet they are home to more than half our planet's terrestrial animal species
What is the Tropical Rain Forest?
The name given to the areas that are north and south at 90 degrees on the globe
What is Polar?
area where fresh and salt water mix
What is an estuary?
acacia trees, bluegrass, foxtail, small shrubs, buffalo, coyotes, snakes, spiders and mole rats
What are plants and animals of the grasslands?
This aquatic area is home to creatures that must be well adapted to the extremes, like being submerged sometimes, but not all the time, and crashing waves
What is the intertidal zone?
The type of trees which lose their leaves in the autumn to save water and keep from freezing.
What is a deciduous tree?
free floating algae or small animals
What is plankton?
mosses, lichen, birches, cotton grass, artic fox, snowshoe hares, wolves, mountain goats and falcons
What are plants and animals of the Tundra?
Another name for the Boreal Forest - means pure or untouched in Russian language. It is the largest biome in the world. It has spread over Eurasia and North America.
What is the Taiga?
a savanna, plain, prairie or a steepe
What is another name for a grassland?
The headwaters usually come from underwater sources in mountains
What are rivers or streams?
oak, maple, and hickory trees; wild flowers; grasses; ferns, shrubs, chipmunks, black bears, kangaroos, beavers, koala, rabbits, and porcupines
What are plants and animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest?
This aquatic biome is an important spawning and breeding ground for many shellfish and fish
What is an estuary?
The type of tree which produces cones and keeps its leaves (needles) in the cold weather.
What is a coniferous tree or a conifer?