Natural Vegetation and Habitats

A forest is defined as a large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth. Prairies are dominated by grasses, and woodlands have more open canopies than forests.

Endemic species are those that are native to a single, defined geographic location and are not found naturally anywhere else.

An ecosystem includes all living organisms (plants, animals, microbes) in a particular area interacting with the physical environment.

The Sahara is a hyper-arid desert with very little rainfall, which results in extremely sparse vegetation.

Pine trees are typically found in temperate or mountainous regions, not in the arid, hot environment of the Sahara.

Nonvascular plants lack true roots and vascular tissue, so they require moist environments to absorb water directly through their surfaces.

Hot and dry deserts are typically found in tropical and subtropical regions, where high pressure and low rainfall prevail.

Various species of ground squirrels are adapted to desert environments in North America and parts of Africa.

Grasslands are typically found in regions with moderate rainfall, which is sufficient for grass but insufficient for large forests.

Tundra vegetation is characteristic of the polar regions, including the northern parts of Eurasia and North America.

Shrubs are adapted to survive in harsh conditions, including extreme heat (deserts) and extreme cold (tundra), where trees struggle to grow.

Tropical deciduous forests are found in large parts of India, Northern Australia, and Central America/Brazil.

Coniferous forests (Taiga) are found in the high-latitude regions, typically between 50 degrees and 70 degrees north latitude.

Tropical grasslands are commonly known as Savanna, while Steppe refers to temperate grasslands.