Biomes Flashcards
What is the biosphere?
The living layer of Earth, a thin smear of life on its surface between rocks (lithosphere) and air (atmosphere)
All plants and animals are found in the biosphere.
How many major terrestrial biomes are there?
Nine major terrestrial biomes
Each biome has its own climate, plant species, and animal species.
What are tropical rainforests characterized by?
Similar vegetation but different individual species and ecosystems
Found in Brazil, Cameroon, and Indonesia.
Where are tropical rainforests primarily located?
Between the tropics in South America, Africa, and Asia
They are one of the major biomes.
What is a biome?
A large-scale ecosystem, e.g., tropical rainforest
Each biome has distinct climate and biodiversity.
What does latitude measure?
How far north or south a location on the Earth’s surface is from the Equator.
What determines the location and characteristics of each biome?
Climate
Climate affects plant growth.
What is the most important factor affecting plant growth?
Temperature
Most plants need temperatures over 5°C to grow.
What are the effects of precipitation on plant growth?
Plants grow if precipitation is spread across all seasons; dry seasons hinder growth
Water availability is crucial for plant survival.
What influences the number of sunshine hours and intensity?
Photosynthesis and therefore plant growth.
In areas with high precipitation and warm temperatures, what biomes are found?
Forest biomes.
What happens in areas with very dry and/or very cold seasons?
Other types of biomes replace forest biomes, e.g., grasslands.
How does latitude influence biome type?
Temperature and sunshine intensity are controlled by latitude.
What is the climate like near the Equator?
Warmer with more intense sunlight.
What occurs as latitude increases towards the Poles?
Winter becomes longer and colder, and the climate more seasonal.
What limits plant growth in polar areas?
Low sunshine intensity, lack of heat, and light.
What are the three major convection cells in the atmosphere?
Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar cells.
Where is precipitation high in the atmospheric convection cells?
At the rising parts of these cells because air pressure is low.
What biomes are found in areas of low pressure and high rainfall?
Forest biomes.
What replaces tree growth in high pressure areas?
Grasslands or deserts in very dry areas.
Explain the difference between biosphere and biome.
Biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems; biome is a large region characterized by specific climate and plant/animal communities.
Fill in the blank: The _______ measures how far north or south a location is from the Equator.
Latitude.
True or False: Temperature and precipitation are unrelated to biome type.
False.
