Global Forest Biomes

Question 1

What defines and shapes Terrestrial Biomes?

Answer 1

Geography, biota and climate, conditions

Question 2

How many Biomes and how many are forested?

Answer 2

14 Biomes, 8 forested

Question 3

What shapes biomes on a finer scale?

Answer 3

Geography, geology soils
Location
Historical Disturbance
Human Disturbance

Question 3

What shapes climate?

Answer 3

Latitude
Elevation
Continentality (distance to seashore)
Ocean currents

Question 4

What shapes vegetation?

Answer 4

Climate:
-Temp
-Precip

Question 5

What are Historical Disturbances?

Answer 5

glaciation
Volcanic activity
Flood
Fire
Disease

Question 6

Where does it rain the most?

Answer 6

Equator

Question 7

How does the Latitude affect Climate?

Answer 7

Gradients of abiotic and biotic factors conditions,
-Seasonality

Question 8

How does Continentality affect climate?

Answer 8

Costal vs inland

Question 8

How does Elevation affect climate?

Answer 8

Changes in growing season with increasing altitude reflected in biota

Temperature regimes and seasons differ

Question 9

Features of a Tropical Dry forest?

Answer 9

-5-25 equator
- Seasonality of precipitation
-Wet and dry seasons
- disturbance adapted
-

Question 10

How does Ocean currents affect Climate?

Answer 10

Overall weather patterns, precipitation, temps
El niño and La nina phenomena

Question 11

Features of a Tropical Rainforest?

Answer 11

-23.5 north or south of equator
- Rain forests within 5
- 5C variation temps
- Little seasonality
-Soils nutrient poor/ acidic
- Fast litter decay
- High Biodiversity
-Endemic species

Question 12

Features of Arid lands?

Answer 12

-25-35 latitude
-Less organic soils
-Biota adapted to hot temp and low precipitation
-

Question 13

Features of Mediterranean?

Answer 13

• 35-45 latitude
  -Hot dry summers; wet cool winters
• High species richness
  -Fire adapted

Question 14

Features of Temperate Grasslands?

Answer 14

• Extremes: hot summer, cold winters
• Snow melt= moisture
• fire adapted

Question 15

Features of Broadleaf Forest?

Answer 15

• Deciduous and conifers
• 40-50 latitude
• Seasonal temps
• Lots of human disturbance

Question 16

Features of Tundra?

Answer 16

• Above 70 N latitude
• Slow growth
• Low precipitation
• ## Slow decomposition

Question 16

Features of Coniferous Forests?

Answer 16

• 50-70 latitude
• huge seasonality
• High precipitation
• Permafrost
• Low biodiversity

Question 17

Features of Alpine?

Answer 17

• Highly variable temp and precip
• Slow decomposition rates/low nutrients
• High rates of endemism
• 2 kinds: Northern, equator

Question 18

What are the trends in specie richness?

Answer 18

as you move farther from the equator less rich

Question 19

Relationship between seasonality and species richness?

Answer 19

An increase in seasonality sees a decrease in species richness

Question 20

Whats the relationship of Net primary productivity and latitude?

Answer 20

NPP is highest near the equator and decreases when going N and S

Question 21

What is Net primary productivity?

Answer 21

= The photosynthesis rate - Plant respiration rate (CO2 fixed- CO2)