Terrestrial Biomes

Question 1

Tropical Forest

Answer 1

• Rainfall is constant (rain forests), precipitation is highly seasonal (dry forests)
• Temperature of 25 - 29C
• Vertically layered and strong competition for light
• home to 5 -30 million undescribe species of insects, spiders and other arthropods
• Rapid human population growth is now destroying many tropical rain forests

Question 2

Desert

Answer 2

• Occur near 30C north and south of the Equator and in the continents
• Low precipitation and highly variable, less than 30 cm/ year
• May be hot or cold
• Plants are adapted for heat and desiccation (drought) tolerance, water storage, and reduced leaf surface area
• Animals include snakes, lizards, scorpions, ants, beetles, birds, seed eating rodents and many are nocturnal

Question 3

Savanna

Answer 3

• Equatorial and subequatorial regions
• Seasonal precipitation
• Temperature is warm all year at 24 - 29C but more seasonally variable than the tropics
• Grasses and forbs make up most of the ground cover
• The dominant plant species are fire-adapted and tolerant of seasonal drought
• Common inhabitants include insects, mammals like wildebeests, zebras, lions and hyenas
• Fires set by humans may help maintain this biome

Question 4

Chaparral

Answer 4

• Occurs in midlatitude coastal regions on several continents
• Highly seasonal precipitation with rainy winters and dry summers
• Summer temp (30C+) and cool springs and winters ( 10 - 12C)
• Dominated by shrubs, small trees, grasses and herbs, many plants are adapted to fire and drought
• Animals include amphibians birds and other reptiles, insects, small mammals and browsing mammals
• Humans have reduced chaparral areas through agriculture and urbanization

Question 5

Temperate Grassland

Answer 5

• Found on many continents
• Highly seasonal precipitation
• Dry and cold winters ( -10C) and hot summers (30C)
• Dominant plants, grasses and forbs are adapted to droughts and fire
• Native mammals inlude large grazers such as bison and wild horses and small burrowers like prairie dogs
• Most grasslands have been converted to farmland

Question 6

Northern Coniferous Forest

Answer 6

• Spans northern North America and Eurasia and is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth
• Precipitation varies
• Cold and long winters and summers may be hot
• Conifers such as pine, spruce, fir and hemlock dominate
• Conical shape of conifers prevents too much snow from accumulating and breaking their branches
• Animals include migratory and resident birds, and large mammals like moose, brown bears, and siberian tigers
• Some forests are bing logged at an alarming rate

Question 7

Temperate Broadleaf Forest

Answer 7

• Found at midlatitudes in the Northern Hemisphere with smaller areas in chile, south africa, australia and new zealand
• Winters average 0C while hot and humid summers are near 35C
• Vertical layers are dominated by deciduous trees in the Northern Hemisphere and evergreen eucalyptus in australia
• Mammals, birds and insects make use of all vertical layers in the forest
• In the Northern Hempishere, many mammals hibernate in the winter
• Forests have been heavily settled on all continents but are recovering places

Question 8

Tundra

Answer 8

• Covers expansve areas of the Arctic: alpine tundra exists on high mountaintops at all latitudes
• Low precipitation in arctic tundra and higher in alpine tundra
• Long and cold winters ( below -30C) and cool summers (less than 10C)
• Permafrost prevents water infiltration
• Vegetation is herbaceous and supports birds, grazers and their predators
• Mammals include musk oxen, caribou, reindeer, bears, wolves and foxes and migratory birds in the summer
• Settlement is sparse, but tundra has become the focus of oil and mineral extraction