Skip to main content
Back

Terrestrial Biomes: Northern Regions definitions

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/15
  • Boreal Forest
    Earth's largest land biome, dominated by conifer trees with adaptations for cold, dry climates and low biodiversity.
  • Conifer
    Tree type with needle-like leaves and cone-shaped structure, adapted to minimize water loss and shed snow.
  • Needle-like Leaf
    Leaf structure that reduces water loss, common in trees adapted to cold, dry environments.
  • Taiga
    Another name for northern coniferous forests, spanning vast northern regions with low temperatures.
  • Biomass
    Total mass of living organisms in a given area, typically low in cold, northern biomes.
  • Precipitation
    Amount of water, in any form, falling from the atmosphere, often limited in northern biomes.
  • Tundra
    Biome with treeless landscapes, extreme cold, and vegetation limited to mosses, grasses, and forbs.
  • Arctic Tundra
    Treeless region found in Earth's far north, marked by permafrost and minimal plant diversity.
  • Alpine Tundra
    High-elevation biome with tundra-like conditions, found on mountain tops at various latitudes.
  • Permafrost
    Permanently frozen soil layer that restricts tree growth and shapes tundra ecosystems.
  • Productivity
    Rate at which plants produce biomass, typically low in cold, northern biomes due to harsh conditions.
  • Moss
    Small, non-vascular plant commonly found in tundra regions, adapted to survive in cold, wet soils.
  • Forb
    Herbaceous flowering plant, distinct from grasses, often present in tundra vegetation.
  • Ecological Balance
    State of equilibrium among organisms and their environment, crucial for sustaining life in harsh biomes.
  • Biodiversity
    Variety of living species in an ecosystem, generally limited in northern biomes due to extreme climates.