Exam 30: Earths Diverse Ecosystems

The destruction of the ozone layer is caused by a chemical reaction between UV light and

What factors determine the patterns of ocean currents?

Explain why there are enormous deserts in the area of the United States known as the Great Basin, which is east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and west of the Rockies.

are large areas that have similar environmental conditions and characteristic plant communities.

In the tropical deciduous forest, the amount of defines the seasons.

Why are most of the trees in temperate rain forests evergreens?

Native Americans were able to prevent the encroachment of trees and maintain the tallgrass prairies by

As air travels over a mountain range, it warms on the far side and absorbs water from the land, creating a local dry area called a .

The profundal zone is home to organisms that are

Describe the climate in the northern coniferous forest, and explain how that climate favors the type of forest found there.

The thick, green stems and spike- like leaves of cacti and other drought- resistant bushes are adaptations to

A region that has grasses as the dominant vegetation form, widely spaced trees, a short wet season, and a pronounced dry season is a .

Maintaining the ozone layer is crucial for life because ozone

In temperate deciduous forests, trees drop their leaves in response to reduced sunlight.

are large- scale communities in which the vegetation is determined by long- term patterns of temperature and precipitation.

The major concentrations of life in the oceans are found in

Oligotrophic lakes are characterized by

trees drop their leaves in response to decreased water availability.

Plants in this biome have small leaves coated with protective waxes to reduce evaporation, and they can survive a fire.

Eutrophic lakes have high nutrient levels and dense plant communities.