Terrestrial Biomes

Question 1

what does a biome contain? why does it contain those things?

Answer 1

a biome contains characteristic communities of plants and animals that result from, and are adapted to, its climate

Question 2

what are the major terrestrial biomes?

Answer 2

taiga, temperate rainforests, temperate seasonal forests, tropical rainforests, shrubland, temperate grassland, savanna, desert, and tundra

Question 3

what varies among terrestrial biomes?

Answer 3

the global distribution of nonmineral terrestrial natural resources such as water and trees for lumber

Question 4

why does the global distribution of nonmineral terrestrial resources vary?

Answer 4

because of some combination of climate, geography, latitude and altitude, nutrient availability, and soil

Question 5

the worldwide distribution of biomes is:

Answer 5

dynamic

Question 6

what does it mean that the worldwide distribution of biomes is dynamic?

Answer 6

the distribution has changed in the past and may again shift as a result of global climate changes

Question 7

what is an example of the community of organisms in a biome being uniquely adapted to live in that biome?

Answer 7

camels and cacti have water preserving traits for the desert
shrubs and wildflowers store lots of energy in their roots to recover quickly from fire in grasslands

Question 8

what can predict where biomes are found on earth?

Answer 8

a biome chart

Question 9

why can a biome chart predict where biomes can be found?

Answer 9

because biomes are defined by annual temperature and precipitation averages

Question 10

where are tundra and boreal biomes found and why?

Answer 10

at higher latitudes (over 60°) because they have low temperatures and little precipitation

Question 11

• rainforests have _______ precipitation and _______ temperature
• deserts have _______ precipitation and _______ temperature
• taigas (aka boreal forests) have _______ precipitation and _______ temperature

Answer 11

• high, high
• low, high
• low, low

Question 12

where are temperate biomes found and why?

Answer 12

at mid-range latitudes (30° to 60°) because of they have moderate temperatures and levels of precipitation

Question 13

where are tropical biomes found and why?

Answer 13

near the equator because they have high temperatures and lots of precipitation

Question 14

why do biomes exist in predictable patterns on earth?

Answer 14

latitude (distance from the equator) determines temperature and precipitation levels

Question 15

what determines which plants can survive in a biome? why?

Answer 15

plants need soil nutrients to grow, so availability determines which plants can survive in a biome

Question 16

what is an example of nutrient availability determining plant life in a biome?

Answer 16

the frozen soils of the tundra don’t allow nutrients in dead organic matter to be broken down by decomposers leading to low soil nutrients, low water availability, and few plants surviving there

Question 17

what is nutrient availability like in tropical rainforests?

Answer 17

little nutrients in the soil because there is so much competition from many different plant species

Question 18

what is nutrient availability like in taigas/boreal forests?

Answer 18

little nutrients in the soil because of the low temperatures and low decomposition rate of dead organic matter

Question 19

what is nutrient availability like in temperate forests?

Answer 19

soil is rich in nutrients because there is lots of dead organic matter (leaves) and warm temperatures/moisture lead to a higher rate of decomposition

Question 20

what effect does climate change have on biomes?

Answer 20

biomes shift in location on earth as the climate changes

Question 21

what is an example of climate change shifting the location of biomes?

Answer 21

the warming climate will shift boreal forests further north as tundra permafrost soil melts and lower latitudes become too warm for aspen and spruce