Biomes and Ecosystems

Biome

Large areas with similar climates, plants, and animals, like a tundra, taiga or desert. Biome. A biome is a large region with distinct climate, plants, and animals adapted to that environment.

Carrying capacity

The largest population that an environment can support. Carrying capacity. It is the maximum number of individuals an environment can sustain without being degraded.

Condensation

The process of a gas changing into a liquid. Condensation. Condensation is when water vapor in the air cools down and turns back into tiny droplets of liquid water, like how dew forms on grass.

Deciduous

A tree that sheds its leaves each year, like an oak or maple tree. Deciduous. Deciduous refers to trees that lose their leaves annually to conserve resources during unfavorable seasons.

Desert

A biome with very little rainfall or plant life. desert. A desert is a dry area where very few plants grow due to lack of water.

Ecology

How organisms interact with their environment. Ecology. Ecology is the study of how living things relate to each other and their surroundings.

Ecosystem

All the living and nonliving things interacting in an area. Ecosystem. An ecosystem is a community where plants, animals, and the environment work together to support life.

Estuary

An area where fresh river water mixes with salty ocean water. Estuary. An estuary is a coastal body of water where freshwater from rivers and streams meets and mixes with saltwater from the ocean, creating a unique and diverse ecosystem.

Evaporation

The top of liquid changing into a gas. Evaporation. Evaporation is the process where liquid becomes a gas, usually at the surface, due to heat or pressure changes.

Grassland

A biome covered by grasses and fertile soil. Grassland. Grasslands are large, open areas where the main plants are grasses, which support many animals and help maintain the ecosystem.

Habitat

The place where an organism lives. Habitat. It's the natural environment where a plant or animal lives and grows.

Intertidal zone

The shoreline between high and low tide. Intertidal zone. The intertidal zone is the area where the ocean meets the land, and it's covered with water at high tide and exposed at low tide.

Limiting factor

An environmental factor that limits population growth, for example, a drought. Limiting factor. In Science, a limiting factor is anything that restricts the size or growth of a population.

Pioneer species

The first species to populate an area. Pioneer species. Pioneer species are the initial organisms that start living and growing in a new or disturbed environment, preparing it for other species.

Precipitation

Water that falls to Earth in any form, like rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Precipitation. Precipitation is when water in the atmosphere falls to the ground in various forms.

Tundra

A treeless biome with long cold winters and short cool summers. Tundra. The tundra is a cold, dry area where the ground is permanently frozen and only small plants like mosses can grow.

Wetland

An area of land that is periodically underwater. Wetland. A wetland is a natural environment where water covers the soil, supporting plants and animals adapted to life in saturated conditions.