Terrestrial Biomes

Question 1

Biogeographic realm

Answer 1

A geographic region where a group of plants and animals are involved

Oceans = geographical barriers
Continental drift: evidence = rhea in South America, ostrich in Africa

Question 2

Eight biogeographical realms

Answer 2

Nearctic (north new world)
Palearctic (north old world)
Neotropical
Afrotropical
Indo-Malay
Australasian 
Oceanic
Antarctic

Question 3

Ecotone

Answer 3

Transition zone between two different ecosystems

Gradual transition
Overlap of species from two ecosystems, high species diversity

Question 4

Terrestrial ecosystems

Answer 4

Self-sustaining associations of land-based plants, animals, and other organisms

Question 5

Biome

Answer 5

A large and stable terrestrial ecosystem, with a dominant vegetation type and structure

Question 6

Invasive species

Answer 6

Any species that is not native to a specific location, often introduced by human activities

Can disrupt natural ecosystems, like Cheatgrass or rabbits in Australia (use myxomatosis to kill)

Question 7

Tropical climate

Answer 7

High insolation, average temperatures, and precipitation

50% of Earth’s remaining forests

Question 8

Levels of rainforest

Answer 8

Overstory with emergent treas
Middle-canopy with interlocking treetops
Understory with almost no direct sunlight (seedlings, ferns, bamboo)

Question 9

Rainforest soil

Answer 9

Oxisol
Reddish color (iron)
Nutrient poor soil
-shallow roots
-self-sustaining organic matter cycle
-requires high investments for agriculture

Question 10

Conservation in tropical rainforests

Answer 10

Better ways to do things: sustainable agriculture and resource extraction
Biodiversity as a national treasure: water resources, medicines, tourism

Question 11

Tropical seasonal forest and scrub

Answer 11

Seasonal rainfall
Semideciduous forest: some of the species lose their leaves during the winter
Lower biomass

Question 12

Tropical savanna

Answer 12

Grasslands + patches of trees/shrubs
Transition between tropical forests and semiarid steppes (like an ecotone, but a biome itself)
Dry season: fires (natural cycle to maintain balance between forest/savanna - more important that rainfall/soil) + most of precipitation during

Question 13

South American Savanna

Answer 13

Cerrado: dense vegetation
Threatened wildlife (like maned wolf)

Question 14

African Savanna

Answer 14

(like Serengeti Plains)

• grazing animals
• top predators
• mass migrations

Question 15

Midlatitude Broadleaf and Mixed forest

Answer 15

Moist climates
Warm summers, cool/cold winters
Evergreen species in lower latitudes, deciduous species in higher latitudes

North America, Europe, and Asia

Question 16

Needleleaf Forest and Montane Forest

Answer 16

Boreal forest or taiga
Microthermal climate: cold winters

Florida, some in CO, Washington

Question 17

Temperate rainforest

Answer 17

True seasonality
High precipitation
Unlike tropical rain forests, low species diversity

NW Pacific coast in Canada/Japan

Question 18

Mediterranean shrubland

Answer 18

Mild wet winters and dry/hot summers
Frequent natural fires

Wine areas, California

Question 19

Midlatitude Grasslands

Answer 19

Dominated by grasses, usually human-modified
Continental climates with low precipitation

US Midwest

Question 20

Deserts

Answer 20

Cover more than 1/3 of Earth’s land masses
Warm and cold deserts

Plant adaptations for dry/hot climates

• small/no leaves (less transpiration)
• succulence and wax (retain water)
• shallow roots
• quick/annual bloom

Question 21

Arctic and alpine tundra

Answer 21

Extremely cold winters
No trees
Global warming –> melting permafrost