Biodiversity 2 - Biomes

Question 1

Where is Taiga located

Answer 1

• AKA boreal / forest, is located south of the tundra in the Northern Hemisphere
• Just below tundra
• No landmasses at similar latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere
• Found in Eurasia and North America
• 11% of land

Question 2

What influences where biomes are found

Answer 2

• Latitude
• Global circulation
• Altitude
• Temperature
  -Rainfall

Question 3

Where is scrublands biome found

Answer 3

• Coastal regions

Question 4

Explain shrubland weather

Answer 4

• Dry summers and winter rainfall
• Winters rainy and mild; summers hot and dry
• Periodic, seasonal fires (some plants produce seeds that will germinate only after they’ve been through a fire)

Question 5

What is the name for shrubland in South West Africa

Answer 5

Fybos

Question 6

Explain the adaptations of Fynbos

Answer 6

• Plants with a woody stem, small, thick evergreen leaves, and thick underground roots
• No trees
• Fragrent waxy layer to deter herbivores

Question 7

Explain fynbos fully

Answer 7

• Nutrient poor soil
• High diversity for such a small area
• Fauna = Typical vertebrates include deer, rodents, lizards, snakes, migratory birds

Question 8

Explain desert weather

Answer 8

• Usually found at latitudes of about 30° in both North and South hemispheres
• Extremely arid – Annual rainfall <25 cm
• Can be hot or cold
• Large temperature differential between day and night, due to lack of cloud cover
• 30% of land

Question 9

Explain desert plant life

Answer 9

• Vegetation is typically sparse
• Plants are xeriphytic – evolved
  adaptations to store and retain water
• Plants include succulents and shrubs with small leaves
• Nutrient poor soil
• Low species diversity

Question 10

Explain desert fauna

Answer 10

• Animals living in deserts have adaptations for water conservation

eg ) behaviour - feeding at night, burrowing

physiology - very efficient kidneys

Question 11

Explain the Taiga fuana

Answer 11

• More animals than Tundra bc its warmer
• Higher species diversity than tundra

-Typical fauna include:
deer, moose, beavers,
rabbits, squirrels, birds wolves, bears

• More species in one trophic structure.
• More species with similar ecological roles

Question 12

Explain Taiga plant life

Answer 12

• Soils are acidic, with a thick humus layer due to slow decomposition of
  pine needles
• Moderate precipitation; many lakes and streams
• Summers are short, but with long days

Question 13

Eplain coniferous trees and Taiga

Answer 13

• Dominated by coniferous (evergreen) trees, such as fir, pine and spruce
• Trees well adapted to the cold by having

1. Leaves and bark have a thick covering
2. Needle-like leaves can withstand the weight of heavy snowfall

• Mosses, lichens and ferns on forest floor

Question 14

Explain Grassland location

Answer 14

• Temperate grasslands occur where annual rainfall is greater than 25 cm, but still insufficient to support trees
• Cover about 30% of the land
• Occur in North America (prairie), South America (pampas), Russia (steppes), South Africa (veld), Hungary (puszta) and Australia

Question 15

Explain Grassland seasons

Answer 15

• Distinct seasonal changes
  (hot summers, cold winters)
• Moderate rainfall, which occurs during the summer months,
• Extremely fertile soil
• Dominated by annual grasses, but also have many non-grass plant species

Question 16

Explain Grassland and fires

Answer 16

• Fire is an important element of grasslands
• Combination of fire and moderate rainfall prevents trees from establishing
• Many grasslands have been converted to farmland because of their fertile soil

Question 16

Explain Savanna locations

Answer 16

• Savannas are large expanses of grass interspersed with widely scattered trees
• Typically found in tropical and subtropical areas, where there is a cool, dry season followed by a hot, rainy season
• Largest are in Africa

Question 17

Explain Savanna characteristics

Answer 17

• Share many of the same characteristics as grasslands:

1. Distinct seasonal changes
2. Summer rainfall
3. Extremely fertile soil
4. Prone to fire

Question 18

Explain Savanna plant life

Answer 18

• Adapted to withstand drought and fire
• Trees have high canopies due to herbivory by large animals such as elephants and giraffes
• Lush grass and shrubbery growth in the rainy season provides ample food for large animals, but most animals migrate away during the harsh dry season

Question 19

Explain African Savannas

Answer 19

• Herbivores support large numbers of big carnivores
• Greatest number and diversity of large herbivores

Question 20

Explain Tropical Rain Forest location

Answer 20

• Occur at or near the equator
• Found in Africa, Central and South America, southeast Asia and Australia
• Warm temperatures and plenty of rain
• Annual temperatures do not vary much, but
  there are distinct wet and dry seasons
• In the dry season trees may lose their leaves

Question 21

Explain Tropical Rain Forest fauna

Answer 21

• The most diverse biome
• One of the richest biomes in terms of both species diversity and abundance
• More than 50% of all the Earth’s terrestrial animal species are found here
• Most animals live in the trees
• Huge abundance of insects

Question 22

Explain Tropical Rain Forest plant life

Answer 22

• Soils are nutrient-poor due to rapid recycling of nutrients and heavy rains
• Large trees have shallow root systems evolved to quickly absorb nutrients as soon as they become available,
  before the rains wash
  them away
• Dense plant growth and a high level of productivity
• Epiphytes are plants that live on trees, but obtain their own water and nutrients
  • Lianas are woody vines that climb trees

Question 23

Explain Temperature Deciduous Forests

Answer 23

• Occur south of the taiga in the Northern Hemisphere (North America, Europe, Asia)
• Climate is moderate, with fairly high precipitation year round
• Four seasons are well defined; summers are hot and winters cold
• Soils nutrient-rich

Question 24

Explain Temperature Deciduous Forests trees and fauna

Answer 24

• Broad-leaved deciduous trees :

1. Deciduous = Trees lose their leaves in autumn to reduce water loss during winter
2. Tree species include oak, maple, beech, ash, and sycamore
3. Lush layer of herbaceous plants on forest floor that flower in spring before the trees have their new leaves

Question 25

Explain Temperature Deciduous Forests fauna

Answer 25

• Amphibians and reptiles
  are present
• The forest is also home to many mammals, birds and insects

Question 26

What are the biomes

Answer 26

• Grasslands
• Savannas
• Tropical Rain Forest
• Shrublands / Fynbos
• Forests : Evergreen ; Deciduous; Confierous
• Taiga
• Tundra