Don't be fooled into associating moisture retention with rainforests: Those plants don't require such an adaptation since rainfall is plentiful. A subtropical desert, however, is characterized by high temperatures, very low precipitation and warm soils, and thus plants must adapt to prevent water loss.

There are many different biomes, but the main terrestrial biomes are:

1. Temperate grassland

2. Temperate forest

3. Alpine

4. Rainforest

5. Taiga

6. Savanna

7. Tundra

8. Desert

9. Chaparral

The correct response is deciduous forest.The unique characteristic of the deciduous forest is that the trees shed their leaves each year. Maple and Oak trees are common in this biome. Prairie grasslands do not contain trees, rather they contain fields of grasses. The desert biome does not receive as much rainfall as the deciduous forest, nor does it contain many hardwood trees that shed their leaves. While the coniferous forest contains lots of hardwood trees, they very rarely shed their leaves. The coastal chaparral biome does not receive as much rainfall, and is dominated by small trees and shrubbery.

Humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind are all aspects of climate but not the determining factors. In the higher latitudes, temperature is the more important factor. In the lower latitudes, precipitation is the more important factor. 

The correct response is desert. The desert environment is characterized by low rainfalls (less than 25 cm per year). They are one of the most dry biomes on the planet. The desert biome also has highly variable temperature swings, with high temperatures during the day and low temperatures at night. 

Polar forests are also known as "taiga"

There is no arid forest, as most arid regions are home to mostly shrub and brush-like plants. Arid areas with trees are not dense like true forests.

Brazil, Indonesia, Peru, and Zaire contain over half of the world's tropical rainforest biome. Mexico does contain some rainforest that extends into Guatemala, but not as large an area as the other countries listed.

Boreal forest, also known as "taiga," is a biome spread across the northernmost latitudes, including Canada, Alaska, Russia, and parts of northern Europe. It is characterized by coniferous forests and generally low temperatures.

A secondary consumer is a step above the primary consumer (herbivore) on the food chain, consisting of omnivores and carnivores. A mouse that lives off plant matter and is thus a primary consumer. When a snake eats the mouse, it is the secondary consumer in the food web.

With every advancement in the trophic level, energy converts on a ten-to-one scale. For example, ten kilograms of grain fed to a steer produces roughly one kilogram of beef. This is true for every step up the tropic food pyramid.