Biomes

Question 1

How do we characterize dominant plants in relation to biome?

Answer 1

Plant growth form and characteristics of the leaves

Tell us why these plants are adapted to environment

Question 1

We can classify biomes by their

Answer 1

dominant plants

Question 2

Plant growth forms from increasing to decreasing investment in woody biomass

Answer 2

1. Deciduous trees
2. Shrubs
3. Grasses/sedges and Forbs (wild flowers)

Question 3

Other plant growth forms for water limiting areas

Answer 3

Cacti and succulents
Sclerophyllous shrubs and leaves

Question 4

Deciduous trees say about plant growth

Answer 4

Most woody biomass
invest a lot of carbon into main woody stem to gain access to light and store lots of carbon and energy in woody structure

Question 5

Shrub say about plant growth

Answer 5

Medium woody biomass
woody stem to access some light and store some carbon and energy

Question 6

2 categories with no woody biomass

Answer 6

Grasses/sedges
Forbs

Question 7

How do cacti and succulents adapt to live in water limited areas?

Answer 7

Succulent structure found in stems or leaves stores water

Question 8

How do sclerophyllous shrubs and leaves adapt to live in water limited areas?

Answer 8

tough leathery leaves that is adaption to water limited conditions, minimize water loss to conserve

Question 9

What are the variation in leaf characteristics?

Answer 9

1. Deciduous trees
   - Broadleaf decidous
2. Evergreen trees
   - Needle evergreen
   Broadleaf evergreen

Question 10

Deciduous trees

Answer 10

Broadleaf
Trees flush new set of leaves in spring
Drop leaves every year

Question 11

Evergreen trees

Answer 11

keep leaves for more than one year or growing season

Question 12

Needle evergreen trees

Answer 12

Needle shape conserves water during summer for winter seasons

Question 13

Why characterize biomes by plants?

Answer 13

Plants are immobile so must cope with full environment (yearly variation and extremes) and biotic conditions
More visible than animals

Question 13

Broad leaved evergreen trees

Answer 13

Often found in tropical areas where there is no winter
Broad leaf shaped
Photosynthesize year round

Question 14

Plants coping with environment reflects

Answer 14

Climate

Question 15

Biome

Answer 15

climatically and geographically defined areas of ecologically similar climatic conditions

Question 16

What predicts a biome?

Answer 16

Precipitation and temperature

Question 17

Whittaker 1975 plot

Answer 17

x axis is average annual precipitation and y axis is average annual temperature

Question 18

Climate diagram

Answer 18

temperature on right y axis and precipitation on left y axis

Question 19

If temperature line exceeds precipitation line,

Answer 19

insufficient precipitation and climate for plant growth

Question 20

Tropical rainforest

Answer 20

Precipitation never falls under temperature
No variation in temperature
ITCZ causes wet and dry seasons
Super diverse species
Broad leaved evergreen
Canopy trees
Tall trees as competition for light

Question 21

Tropical Seasonal forest and Savannah

Answer 21

Little variation in temperature
Wet season and dry season
Trees less dense and often deciduous
Savanna have intermixed species with trees (need water) and grasses (no water)

Question 22

Disturbances in Savannah

Answer 22

Determine structure of vegetation
Fire helps grasses grow
Elephants knock down trees to reduce tree density

Question 23

Deserts

Answer 23

Low precipitation and under temperature line
Variation in temperature cold winter, hot summertime
Never enough rainfall to support plant growth
Plants adapt use succulents, cacti, short lived annuals

Question 24

What causes low water availability to deserts?

Answer 24

Descending air from Hadley cells

Question 25

Temperate Grasslands

Answer 25

Warm wet summer and cold dry winters
Mid precipitation
Winter have freezing temperatures –> deciduous trees
Excellent for agriculture
Fires, herbivores, mowing can maintain grasslands

Question 26

Temperate Shrublands and Woodlands

Answer 26

Mediterranean climate: asynchrony between precipitation and warm temps (winter rain)
Small Region where precipitation falls under temperature
Wet season during cooler times
Grass, shrubs, tough vegetation
Sclerophyllous leaves: tough and leathery which help low water availability
Fire common
Hyperdiverse, interesting plants (olives, wine, avocados)

Question 27

Temperate Deciduous Forests

Answer 27

Synchrony between temperature and variation
Cold dry winters and warm wet summers
Soils fertile enough for deciduousness
Canopy, understory, shrubs, forbs

Question 28

Temperate evergreen forests

Answer 28

Flipped: winter in june and july, sumer in january and december
Still have synchrony between temperature and precipitation
Precipitation varies
Nutrient poor soils: evergreen
Fire
Not as diverse as other forests

Question 29

Boreal forests (Taiga)

Answer 29

Some deciduous and evergreen
Often contain permafrost: subsurface soil layer that stays frozen year to year which keeps water from draining
Conifers: needle leaved evergreen trees
Resist freezing
Long lived, nutrient efficient

Question 30

Tundra

Answer 30

Majority: Below freezing temperatures
No more trees
Grasses, forbs, growing shrubs
Lichen, moss
Short growing season and long days

Question 31

Biome you would see needle leaves

Answer 31

Boreal forests (taiga)

Question 32

Biome you would see sclerophyllous leaves

Answer 32

temperate grassland/ woodland

Question 33

Biome you would see broad leaved deciduous leaves

Answer 33

Temperate deciduous forest

Question 34

Biome you would see broad leaved evergreen

Answer 34

Tropical rainforest