chapter 8 section 3

What are biomes?

Biomes are very large terrestrial ecosystems that contain a number of smaller but related ecosystems within them.

Can a biome exist in more than one location?

A certain biome may exist in more than one location on Earth, but similar biomes have similar climates and tend to have inhabitants with similar adaptations.

Biomes are distinguished by the presence of?

Charastristic plants and animals

How are biomes commonly identified?

Biomes are commonly identified by their dominant plant life.

What are hardwood trees an example of? Are the? In the?

Hardwood trees, such as beeches and maples, are the dominant form of plant life in the deciduous forest biome.

How many major biomes do most ecologists recognize?

Most ecologists recognize seven major biomes, and several minor biomes.

What are the seven major biomes?

The seven major biomes are tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, temperate grassland, desert, savanna, and tropical rain forest.

Why don't mountains belong to any one biome? Mountains contain?

Because climate varies with elevation, mountains contain a variety of communities and do not belong to any one biome.

What is the tundra biome?

The tundra is a cold and largely treeless biome.

What characterizes the tundra biome?

Permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of soil under the surface, characterizes the tundra.

How long does the surface soil above the permafrost remain frozen?

The surface soil above the permafrost remains frozen for all but about eight weeks of the year.

How much precipitation does the tundra receive?

The tundra receives little precipitation.

How long is the tundra's growing season?

The tundra has a very short growing season of about two months.

Why is tundra soil low in nutrients?

Cold temperatures retard decay, so the soil is often low in nutrients.

So the plants are usually small and grow slowly

What are common tundra plants?

Grasses, sedges, and mosses are common tundra plants.

What animals inhabit the tundra?

Animals that inhabit the tundra include caribou, musk oxen, snowy owls, arctic foxes, lemmings, and snowshoe hares.

There may be bright patches of color in?

state the charastristics or climate i should say

Summer season its 8 weeks

a charastristic is perma frost low precipitation short growing season cold tempratures retard decay so very littile nutrients in the soil

South of the tundra is?What is the taiga biome? Such as?

The taiga is a forested biome dominated by cone-bearing evergreen trees, such as pines and firs.

What protects tree roots in the taiga during winter againts freezing??

Snow covers and insulates the ground, protecting tree roots against freezing.

what do taiga plants adapt to?

On the conebearing ever green trees called? The?

Taiga plants are adapted for long and cold winters, short summers, and nutrient-poor soil.

Confires, waxy needles remain al winter long

How do conifer needles help in water conservation?

The shape of the needle is a leaf adaptation that reduces water loss.

How do stomata in conifer needles help conserve water?

The stomata of conifers are partially enclosed in the needle, which helps the tree conserve water.

What are typical taiga mammals?

Typical taiga mammals include bears, wolves, and lynx.

What do taiga animals do during cold seasons?

Some animals stay in the forest year-round, while others migrate to warmer climates in the fall and return in the spring. Many species hibernate six to eight months of the year.

What are the figure adaptations for organisms?

the plants roots it saved from freezing beacuse snow covers and insulates it

they are adapted to cold winters short summers and low nutrient soils and they also have confires which are waxy needles that reduces water lose

and for animals we have they stay all year around or migrate in the fall and come back in the spring or hibernate for about 6-8 months of the year

What characterizes temperate deciduous forests?

Temperate deciduous forests are characterized by trees that lose all of their leaves in the fall.

How are seasons in temperate deciduous forests? Compared to taiga?

These regions have pronounced seasons with precipitation evenly distributed throughout the year.

Warmer winters and longer summers, and receive more precipitation

What are deciduous tree leaf characteristics?

Deciduous trees have broad, thin leaves with a large surface area that permits maximum light absorption.

What are examples of deciduous trees?

climate?

Familiar deciduous trees include birch, beech, maple, oak, hickory, sycamore, elm, willow, and cottonwood.

pronounced seasons precipitation is balanced and its winter is warmer than the taiga

What mammals inhabit temperate deciduous forests?

Figure temprate forests lose there leaves in the? This adaptation to conserver water? The tree will never? But the decaying leaves? Its inhabitated by a variety of animals such as?

White-tailed deer, foxes, raccoons, and squirrels are typical mammals of the temperate deciduous forests.

Winter, also causes energy lose for the tree, recover energy that went into the leaf formation

Will add nutrients to the soil

Cardinals and white tailed deer

What dominates temperate grasslands?

Temperate grasslands are dominated by grasses.

Why are temperate grasslands too dry to support trees?

Rainfall patterns make these areas too dry to support trees.

How have temperate grasslands changed?

Much of the world's temperate grassland has been transformed into farmland for growing crops such as wheat and corn.

Temprate grasslands have? In places that?

Rich fertile soil , remained relatively undisturbed by humans

What are common grazing mammals in grasslands?

It can support huge herds of?

Temperate grasslands support large herds of grazing mammals like bisons, herbivors

Why can grasses survive grazing and fires and grazing by animals

The actively growing part of the plant is at or below the ground, rather than at the tip of the stem.

How much rainfall do deserts receive?

Deserts receive an average of less than 25 cm of rainfall per year.

What are cold deserts like the Great Basin and Gobi known for? Deserts are not?

Cold deserts, such as the Great Basin and Gobi, are hot in summer but cold in winter.

Hot all the time

Why can hot desert temperatures drop at night? Drop about huw much?

The dry air is a poor insulator, allowing the heat that builds up during the day to escape. 30 degrees

What is a feature of desert vegetation?

Desert vegetation is often sparse and consists mainly of plants that have adapted to the dry climate.

What adaptation helps desert plants limit water loss?

The leaves of the crowsote bush have a waxy coating that reduces evaporation, to limit water loss through transpiration, Some desert plants open their stomata only at night to limit water loss through transpiration.

What adaptation does the saguaro cactus have?

The saguaro cactus has an expandable body and , and sharp protective spines a leaf adaptation that protects plants from thistty herbivors

How do desert animals conserve water? Others such as? When?

Many desert animals avoid the heat of the day by hiding in small spots of shade or by burrowing into the ground. Kit foxss and some kinds of lizards and snakes are active only at night when loss of water evaporation is low

all the adaptations?

dry climates

sparsly populated

waxy coating on leaves such as croeseta bush

open stomata only at night

expandable bodies to hold more water saguaro cactus

spikes to protect them from thirsty herbivors

shade burrowing under ground and some animals such as kit foxes some of lizards and snakes