Global Forest Biomes Flashcards
What defines and shapes Terrestrial Biomes?
Geography, biota and climate, conditions
How many Biomes and how many are forested?
14 Biomes, 8 forested
What shapes biomes on a finer scale?
Geography, geology soils
Location
Historical Disturbance
Human Disturbance
What shapes climate?
Latitude
Elevation
Continentality (distance to seashore)
Ocean currents
What shapes vegetation?
Climate:
-Temp
-Precip
What are Historical Disturbances?
glaciation
Volcanic activity
Flood
Fire
Disease
Where does it rain the most?
Equator
How does the Latitude affect Climate?
Gradients of abiotic and biotic factors conditions,
-Seasonality
How does Continentality affect climate?
Costal vs inland
How does Elevation affect climate?
Changes in growing season with increasing altitude reflected in biota
Temperature regimes and seasons differ
Features of a Tropical Dry forest?
-5-25 equator
- Seasonality of precipitation
-Wet and dry seasons
- disturbance adapted
-
How does Ocean currents affect Climate?
Overall weather patterns, precipitation, temps
El niño and La nina phenomena
Features of a Tropical Rainforest?
-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
Features of Arid lands?
-25-35 latitude
-Less organic soils
-Biota adapted to hot temp and low precipitation
-
Features of Mediterranean?
- 35-45 latitude
-Hot dry summers; wet cool winters - High species richness
-Fire adapted
Features of Temperate Grasslands?
- Extremes: hot summer, cold winters
- Snow melt= moisture
- fire adapted
Features of Broadleaf Forest?
- Deciduous and conifers
- 40-50 latitude
- Seasonal temps
- Lots of human disturbance
Features of Tundra?
- Above 70 N latitude
- Slow growth
- Low precipitation
- ## Slow decomposition
Features of Coniferous Forests?
- 50-70 latitude
- huge seasonality
- High precipitation
- Permafrost
- Low biodiversity
Features of Alpine?
- Highly variable temp and precip
- Slow decomposition rates/low nutrients
- High rates of endemism
- 2 kinds: Northern, equator
What are the trends in specie richness?
as you move farther from the equator less rich
Relationship between seasonality and species richness?
An increase in seasonality sees a decrease in species richness
Whats the relationship of Net primary productivity and latitude?
NPP is highest near the equator and decreases when going N and S
What is Net primary productivity?
= The photosynthesis rate - Plant respiration rate (CO2 fixed- CO2)
