Terrestrial Ecosystems (Biomes)

Flashcards reviewing the major terrestrial biomes, including their characteristics, locations, and adaptations.

Biomes

Biotic units classified by predominant plant growth forms.

Plant Growth Forms

Trees, shrubs, and grasses.

Climate and Biomes

The pattern of terrestrial biomes is related to temperature and moisture.

Terrestrial Ecosystems and Plant Life-Forms

Consistent patterns in distribution and abundance of the 3 dominant plant life forms are due to adaptations, advantages, and constraints, and different patterns of carbon allocation and morphology.

Percent Carbon allocation to supportive tissues

Grasses à Shrubs à Trees.

Impact of Unfavorable Conditions

Trees decrease in size and density.

Deciduous Leaves

Leaves live only a single year, found in winter and drought prone areas.

Evergreen Leaves

Leaves live beyond a year, found in broadleaf evergreen and needle-leaf evergreen areas.

Tropical (Rain) Forest Location

Primarily between 10° N and 10° S with warm temperatures and daily precipitation, dominated by broadleaf evergreens.

Tropical (Rain) Forest Soil

High litter inputs but little accumulation due to nutrient-poor soils.

Key Tropical (Rain) Forest Locations

The Amazon basin of South America, Southeast Asia, West Africa.

Tropical (Rain) Forest Vertical Stratification

Emergent Canopy, Upper Canopy, Lower Canopy, Understory, Ground Cover.

Tropical Savanna Location

Drier tropics and subtropics, warm all year with seasonal rain, grasses with shrubs or trees.

Tropical Savanna NPP

Growth is tied to precipitation.

Tropical Savanna Fires

Fire-adapted vegetation due to frequent fires.

Tropical Savanna leaf Litter Decomposition

Moist season

(Temperate) Grassland Location

Midlatitudes in midcontinental regions with seasonal temperatures and precipitation, too dry for trees.

(Temperate) Grassland Cover

Grasses and other herbaceous plants.

(Temperate) Grassland Fire/ Grazing

Vegetation is grazing and fire adapted.

(Temperate) Grassland Key Locations

Midwest N.A. prairies, Eurasian Steppe.

Desert Location

Many between 15° and 30° latitude; rainshadows with hot or cool temperatures; high diurnal variation; very little precipitation.

Desert Adaptations

Animal and plant drought adaptations.

Desert Key Locations

Sahara to central Asia, U.S. Southwest, Central Australia.

(Mediterranean) Temperate Shrubland Location

Western margins of the continents between 30° and 40° latitude with seasonal temperatures and precipitation; dry summer and wet winter.

(Mediterranean) Temperate Shrubland Vegetation

Evergreen shrubs and sclerophyllous dwarf trees.

(Mediterranean) Temperate Shrubland Key Locations

The Mediterranean, California.

(Mediterranean) Temperate Shrubland Fuel Load

Without fire, fuel loads increase.

Temperate Forest Location

Humid midlatitude regions with seasonal temps, mod. precipitation, and humid conditions, broadleaf deciduous trees, some evergreens.

Temperate Forest Key Locations

Eastern N.A., western Europe, east Asia.

Taiga (Boreal Forest) Location

Northern Hemisphere circumpolar belt and mountain ranges with cold seasonal temperatures, short moist summers and long cold winters, needle-leaf evergreens.

Taiga (Boreal Forest) Key Locations

Northern N.A. & Eurasia.

Tundra Location

Northernmost land and mountains with cold temperatures; seasonal precipitation: arid to dry, low shrubs, grasses, lichens, moss.

Tundra Shaped Ground Surface

Due to Freeze/thaw cycle

Tundra Key Locations

Northernmost N.A. & Eurasia.