Terrestrial biomes

Question 1

What are the 10 biomes

Answer 1

Tropical rainforest
Tropical deciduous forest
Tropical grassland (savanna)
Temperate rainforest
Temperate deciduous forest
Temperate grasslands (prairie)
Temperate coniferous forest (taiga)
Hot desert
Cold desert
Tundra

Question 2

Tropical rainforest temp

Answer 2

Warm moist belt along the equator
High temperature year round
23°N and 23°C

Question 3

Tropical rainforests animals

Answer 3

Ferns, mosses orchids
Little light: birds, bats, monkeys
Only 6% of land surface, but >50% of all species
A 10 km^2 area of tropical rainforest may contain 1500 species of flowering plants and up to 750 species of trees

Question 4

Tropical rainforests plants

Answer 4

Drip tips so water can drain easily
Dense growing, broadleaf trees
Vertically layered
Epiphytes→ as little light penetrates we find epiphytes attached to other plant

Question 5

Hot Desert temp

Answer 5

20- 30 N or S of the equator
Less than 30 cm of rain per year and occurs in short periods of winter and summer

Question 6

Hot Desert animals

Answer 6

kangaroos
camel

Question 7

Hot Desert animal adaptations

Answer 7

Waxy coats for nocturnal
Humps for storing fat
Nocturnal lifestyle
Life in a burrow
Modified body shape
Eyes protected from the sun
Adaptations for reducing water loss
Specialized snouts, waxy body coatings and efficient kidneys
Reptiles excrete toxins in the form of uric acid
Wastes very little water in the process
Dry excretion

Question 8

Hot Desert plants

Answer 8

Succulents
Cactus
Shrubs

Question 9

Hot Desert plants adaptations

Answer 9

The reduction of leaves
Extensive underground root systems
Thick waxy cuticle to reduce water loss
A dense coating of hairs (trichomes)
Development of defense structure (spines and chemicals)
–>To protect against water seeking herbivores

Question 10

Explain desert plant adaptations

Answer 10

The reduction of leaves= few stomata lie deep within leaves to protect from water loss
thick waxy cuticle to reduce water loss

Extensive underground root systems= extend deep, great seeds which stay dormant

Question 11

Savanna (tropical grassland) temp

Answer 11

Are hot, tropical areas with low or season a rainfall
More variation than tropical rain forest
30-50 cm of rain
Fires are common

Question 12

Savanna animals

Answer 12

Zebras, vultures, lions

Question 13

Savanna plants

Answer 13

Grasses
Some shrubs

Question 14

Savanna plant adaptations

Answer 14

The plants have deep and widespread roots that allow them to absorb water from large areas and survive the dry season.
The plants have long, narrow leaves to decrease the amount of water loss through transpiration.

Question 15

Savanna Soils

Answer 15

Soils are poor in nutrients due to leaching and prone to fires
Micro environments of higher soil nutrients and moisture are found under tree canopies

Question 16

Temperate Rainforest temp

Answer 16

Mild winters but abundant rainfall
Thin strip in northwest coast of North America and Canada and southwest South America
Dense coastal fog

Question 17

Temperate Rainforest plants

Answer 17

evergreens
coniferous
sprunces
redwoods

Question 18

Temperate Rainforest soil

Answer 18

Litter layer is thick and spongy
DECOMPOSITION IS SLOW because of the cold weather

Question 19

Northern Coniferous Forest animals

Answer 19

Moose
Porcupines
Mice
Deer

Question 20

Northern Coniferous Forest plants

Answer 20

Cone bearing trees
Spruce
Pine Hemlock

Question 21

Northern Coniferous Forest plant adaptations

Answer 21

Needles help reduce the water loss and survive very cold weathers

Question 22

Temperate Broadleaf Forest temp

Answer 22

Precipitation all season
Summers are humid

Question 23

Temperate Broadleaf Forest animals

Answer 23

Insects
Spiders
Slugs
Frogs

Question 24

Temperate Broadleaf Forest plants

Answer 24

Vertically layered plants
Evergreens
Oak
Maple

Question 25

Temperate Broadleaf Forest plant adaptations

Answer 25

thin, broad, light-weight leaves that can capture a lot of sunlight to make a lot of food for the tree in warm weather

Question 26

Tundra temp

Answer 26

0-100cm of rain per year
Tundra winters are long, dark, and cold, with mean temperatures below 0°C for six to 10 months of the year
permafrost

Question 27

Tundra animals

Answer 27

Caribou,
lemmings
Arctic hares
musk oxen
Wolf, Arctic fox, snowy owls, and other birds

Question 28

Tundra plants

Answer 28

“treeless”
Mosses
Lichen

Question 29

Tundra plants adaptations

Answer 29

developing the ability to grow under a layer of snow
to carry out photosynthesis in extremely cold temperatures
Short roots to retain moisture

Question 30

Tundra Plants Adaptations continued

Answer 30

Tundra plants are photosynthetically active about three months out of the year
they maximize use of the growing season and light by photosynthesizing during the 24-hour daylight period
Erect leaves allow for almost complete interception of solar radiation

Question 31

Tropical Rainforest soils

Answer 31

Soils are shallow and nutrient poor because many nutrients leached by heavy rainfall

Question 32

Tropical Rainforest nutrients

Answer 32

Most available nutrients are rapidly absorbed by growing plants
Little litter accumulates because decomposers consume the dead organic matter almost as rapidly as it falls to the forest floor
high rates of Net Primary Production and rates of litter input to forest floor

Question 33

Tropical Deforestation

Answer 33

Once tropical forests covered 14% ELS, now only 7%
Rising deforestation threats
Because of the low nutrient content in the soil→ does not support agriculture for extended periods of time
In addition to conserving biodiversity, the Amazon rainforest also produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen and many important crops
Some sites are cleared to create grasslands for cattle

Question 34

Savanna soils

Answer 34

Soils are poor in nutrients due to leaching and prone to fires
Micro environments of higher soil nutrients and moisture are found under tree canopies

Question 35

Tropical Deciduous Forest temp

Answer 35

Closer to the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer
2-3 months of the year for dry season