The names of the four climate regions in the text book - Tropical rain forests , Arctic Tundra , Desert regions and Deciduous forest . EMERGENTS : one of the four layers of the rain forest where the trees are the tallest ( near 60 m ) Which is the most bio - diverse climate region we studied ? - The tropical rain forests are the most bio - diverse ecosystem : they have the biggest variety of living things . They cover less than 7 % of the Earth ' s land , but hold over half the known species of plants and animals . What is the canopy layer ? - It ' s one of the 4 layers of the rain forest recognized by the fact that it ' s the thickest layer where most of the animals live . What is an ecosystem ? - An ecosystem is a natural unit made up of living things and the surroundings of the environment they live in . In other words the term refers to ' all living things in an area . ( FOR EXAMPLE : A pond is a small ecosystem while a tropical rain forest is a large one . ) First of all the climate , which is considered to be the ' driving force ' in an ecosystem affects : the soil ( which thickness and fertility depends on climate - rock breaks down into soil in a hot and damp climate ) , the vegetation ( which adapts to suit the climate and soil , grows fast in a hot damp climate and slowly vice versa ) , and the animals ( which adapt to cope with the climate , and to feed on the plants or each other ) Which animals often live in rain forests ? - ( From the textbook ) such animals may include millions of species where simply 3 would be the emerald tree boa ( an animal that can grow over 2 m long . At night in hangs from a tree branch to catch prey including rodents , lizards and small birds . ) , the sloth ( its strong claws allow it to hang from branches and hair full of green algae to help it hide among leaves . ) , and the toucan ( this bird lives high in the canopy where its beak help it feed on fruit , seeds and berries . It has a loud call , that scares enemies . ). Why do farmers destroy the rain forest ? - Large areas are being burned , to clear land for farming . Some by poor farmers , to grow food and some by big companies to set up cattle ranches , or oil palm plantations , to make money . What color are many tundra animals during winter ? Why ? - They are usually white for camouflaging purposes . For example an Arctic fox ' s thick coat goes white in winter to help it hide . How many indigenous people live in the Arctic Tundra regions ? - 400 , 000 people ( which is just about a tenth of the total amount of people who live in the tundra ) live in the Arctic tundra region . Even within these people are different groups with different languages . Where do the Inuits live ? - They live in the Arctic Tundra regions . ( Mainly spread through countries such as Canada , the USA , and Greenland . ) What is permafrost ? - The permafrost represents the majority of the aspects of the Arctic Tundra : hard frozen soil that stays in that condition all year , and whose top layer thaws for 2 or 3 months every summer . This phenomenon stimulates the growth of plants in the contemporary season , making a green carpet . Where do camels live ? - In the desert regions where lead and taken care of by nomads who travel from place to place where rain comes in order to find fresh plants to feed their camels . Where are deserts found ( latitude ) - They are found between latitudes 15 ~ 30 degrees north and south of the equator . What word describes the climate of the desert ? - " Arid ", meaning ' without moisture '. Who are nomads and where do they live ? - they are people who have lived in the desert for thousands of years who moved around with herds of animals such as goats , camels and cattle and didn ' t live in one place . However now in the 21 st century they have now been forced to settle in towns and villages . What is Desertification ? - It ' s the worldwide phenomenon in which the desert is expanding , and the reason why is because the land around deserts are becoming more and more infertile , thus the soil being low in nutrients and the scarcity in water to support plants , animals and people . Such places experiencing desertification would include the Sahel on the southern edge of the Sahara desert . What do Nocturnal animals do ? - They are a selected group of animal species that are active at night . Such species woul include the emerald tree boa from the tropical rain forest . ( OPP : diurnal ) What are Succulents and Ephemerals ? - Succulents are known to be the majority of desert plants that store water in their leaves and stems . Their leaves and stems are waxy and have sharp spines . Ephemerals , on the other hand are plants that only grow and flower when it rains . These seeds remain dormant or sleeping until rain comes . PERMAFROST : soil that stays hard and frozen in all year , whose top layer thaws for 2 or 3 months every summer which then stimulates the growth of plants in the contemporary season , making a green carpet . POLAR BEAR : a species of bears that have a thick and white coat , and live in arctic tundra regions . RUNNERS : stems that are sent underground by plants in the arctic tundra regions to sprout new plants . NUTRIENTS : They are substances that we need in growth and surviving . BIODIVERSITY : The variety of living things . THAWING : a synonym for ' melting '. OXYGEN : a gas we need essentially for everyday respiration . MINING : the act of extracting natural resources from the earth . OASIS : a natural spring from the desert . SHRUB LAYER : the lowest layer of the rain forest where plants that grow close to the ground such as ferns can be found . * Many leaves have drip tips : so that rain can drip off .