Terrestrial Biomes

Question 1

What is a Biome

Answer 1

• characterized as large geographic regions on our planets with a similar climate and with similar vegetation
  -e.g., tropical rain/dry forests, deserts, temperate grasslands, etc.

Question 2

Terrestrial Biomes

Answer 2

-largely follows the latitudinal arrangement of climate cells
- sometimes distorted due to tall mountain ranges or uneven distribution of water/land mass

Question 3

How are Terrestrial Biomes usually differentiated?

Answer 3

• predominant plants, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation

Question 4

Tropical rainforest

Answer 4

-associated with the Hadley cell - precipitation rich and warm
- solar angle of incidence
- seasonal variation usually restricted to dry/wet and not hot/cold
- high mean annual T, high monthly mean T
- high mean annual precipitation sum
- low seasonality
- biomass-rich, evergreen forest vegetation

Question 5

Deserts

Answer 5

-very low mean annual precipitation
- strong/moderate seasonality in T
- sparse, short-stature, mostly tree-less vegetation

Question 6

4 Types of Desert

Answer 6

• Arid (hot and dry - ex. sahara)
• Semi-Arid (bit cooler than arid, long, dry summers, followed by winters with some rain - ex. North America, Greenland, Europe, Asia)
• Coastal ( a bit more humid , even though fog may come in from sea it rarely rains - ex. Atacama Desert, Chile)
• Cold (also dry, but extremely cold - ex. the Antarctic )

Question 7

Tropical Grasslands

Answer 7

• typically lie nearer the tropics (in-between forest and desert)
• substantial amount of rain during very specific periods of the year, followed by extreme droughts
• ex. savannahs, are typically low in tree cover due to scarcity of rainfall

Question 8

Temperate Grasslands

Answer 8

-found further away from the tropics
- this is where Ferris cells should overlap
- low mean annual T and annual precipitation sum
- strong seasonality in temperature
- tree-less vegetation dominated by grasses and shrubs
- very fertile soils, biome with highest land loss

Question 9

Temperate Forest

Answer 9

-moderate mean annual T
- high mean annual precipitation
- experience all 4 seasons in a year
- trees are mostly broadleaf, deciduous trees

Question 10

Tundra

Answer 10

-very low mean annual
-moderate mean annual precipitation sum
- moderate seasonality in temperature and precipitation
- lichens, grasses, mosses and sedges are common plant species found here
- tundra is tree-less and contains permafrost

Question 11

Boreal Forest (Taiga)

Answer 11

• very low mean annual T
• moderate mean annual precipitation sum
• strong seasonality in temp
• conifer forest vegetation
• extensive wetland and peatland vegetation

Question 12

Whittaker Diagram

Answer 12

is a useful depiction of the climate-biome relationship, boundaries are subjective

Question 13

Soil

Answer 13

a complex mixture of organic and non-living inorganic material upon which terrestrial life depends

Question 14

What are the Two Types of Weathering?

Answer 14

mechanical weathering and chemical weathering

Question 15

What is mechanical weathering?

Answer 15

breakdown of rock into smaller particles from the combined action of water wind and plants

Question 16

What is chemical weathering?

Answer 16

action of chemical processes such as solution, hydrolysis and oxidation

Question 17

Why do we have Different soil horizons?

Answer 17

• influence of depth, water permeation, weathering, parent materials and vegetation
• the deeper the soil, the deeper roots can penetrate
• deeper soils also can hold more water an minerals

Question 18

Why are Soil Organisms Important?

Answer 18

form soil structure, regulate soil moisture, perform gas exchange and carbon sequestration, vital in nutrient cycle, decompose dead matter, control plant growth