Ch. 3.3: Terrestrial Biomes

list the levels in an ecosystem

individual, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere

what two aspects of climate are the most influential in determining biome location?

precipitation and temperature

list the three main types of Deserts

tropical, temperate, cold

describe the rainfall characteristics of all three desserts

less than 250mm per year, uneven in appearance

describe the biomass characteristics of all three desserts

low vegetation and low productivity

describe the temperature fluctuations in all three deserts

fluctuate between day/night of summer/winter

why do desserts take a long time to recover from disturbances?

little vegetation means low species diversity means slow nutrient cycling

Tropical deserts examples

Sahara and Namib in Africa

describe the climate of the tropical deserts

hot and dry

describe the landscape of tropical deserts

few plants with a hard windblown surface

what causes dust storms in the Sahara desert

drought and human influences

what human influences cause dust storms in the Sahara

SUV traffic breaks up the surface, allowing the wind to pick up the dust

describe the rainfall and temperature of the tropical deserts

rain in nov, dec, jan, temperature fluctuations are bigger between day/night, stays relatively warm throughout the year

Temperate deserts examples

Mojave in S. California

describe the temperature in temperate deserts

high daytime, cold night

describe the precipitation of the temperate desert. what does this lead to?

more precipitation in the winter months than tropical deserts, so more vegetation

examples of organisms that adapted to survive in the temperate desert

drought-resistant shrubs and water-conserving cacti and succulents

Cold deserts examples

Gobi of Mongolia

describe the temperature in the cold deserts

warm or hot summer, cold winters

describe the rainfall in cold deserts

sparse rainfall throughout the year

describe the organisms found in cold deserts

sparse vegetation, and consumers that can survive off the vegetation

list the three major types of grasslands

tropical, temperate, tundra

where do grasslands normally occur?

interior of continents

what factors prevent trees and shrubs from growing in grasslands?

seasonal drought, occasional fires, and grazing by herds

describe the climate of grasslands

low average precipitation and various average temperatures

Tropical grasslands examples

Savanna of East Africa

describe the rainfall of tropical grasslands

seasonal rain from early fall to early spring, low average rainfall

describe the average temperature of tropical grasslands

constant temperatures year round

drought adapted plants are adapted for____

seasonal droughts with fires

describe the landscape of the tropical grasslands

open with few clusters of trees

what organisms are normally found in tropical grasslands

grazers and browsers

what element in tropical grasslands reduces competition

resource partitioning

migrations in tropical grasslands are typically due to what?

food and water availability

Temperate Grasslands examples

parries of mid-americas, Pampas of South America, Steppes of Asia

describe the temperature in temperate grasslands

warm/hot dry summers and cold winters

describe the precipitation in temperate grasslands

uneven throughout the year

list the two types of temperate grasslands

tall grass prairies, short grass praries

describe the rainfall in tall grass prairies

880mm of annual rainfall

describe the rainfall in short grass prairies

250mm of annual rainfall

the mixing between the two types of temperate grasslands can somewhat be described as a what?

ecotone

what is the key benefit of the temperate grasslands

fertile soil with deep horizons is great for grasses and agriculture

why is the soil in temperate grasslands so fertile?

grass dies and adds organic material, roots hold soil together

what animals normally live in temperate grasslands?

herds of grazing animals

describe how the winds affect temperate grasslands

continuous winds contribute to rapid water evaporation

describe how fires affect temperate grasslands, and what areas are affected

periodic burning during seasonal drought, hinders tree growth except around waterways

why have humans disturbed temperate grasslands?

for agriculture and grazing cattle

Tundra examples

Alaska and Northern Russia

where are tundras found?

between boreal forest and permanent ice of northern hemisphere

how much of the surface is covered by tundra?

1/5

describe the annual precipitation in tundras. What happens to the water when it does rain?

less than 250mm annually, most water is held in ice

describe winters in the tundra

cold, high winds, little sunlight

Permafrost

frozen soil during most of the year except summer

why do tundras have short stunted plant life?

permafrost, high winds, and cold winters

describe the plants that live in the tundra

mosses, lichens, small grasses

describe the precipitation of tundras

little consistent rainfall throughout the year

why are tundras high in bogs, ponds, and shallow lakes?

permafrost doesn’t allow melted ice to percolate

describe the soil in tundras

nutrient poor, takes a long time to recover from disturbances

what organisms are found in tundras

migratory birds, feed on insects in the water pools

how do mammals survive in the tundra?

thick coats and specialized behavior

how is global warming disrupting the tundra?

causes permafrost to melt

what happens when permafrost melts as a result of global warming?

methane and CO2 get released, causing more warming, causes soil to sink once gas pockets empty

where are Alpine Tundra found

high in mountains above tree line and below permanent snow

what is the main difference between a normal and alpine tundra?

alpine tundra has more sunlight

where are the 5 main chaparral biomes found ?

along shores or west coasts, near deserts

list the 5 main chaparral biomes

Southern California, Central Chile, southwestern Africa, southwestern Australia, Mediterranean shores

what is the importance of chaparral’s close proximity to oceans

more rainfall than desserts and reduced evaporation

describe the vegetation of chaparrals

evergreen shrubs and leathery-leafed trees

describe the soil in chaparrals

thin and nutrient poor

what are plants and animals dependent on in Chaparrals?

periodic drought and fires

how do plants use the fires in chaparrals

allows seeds to germinate, plants resprout from roots left intact

describe human affect on chaparrals

try to suppress fires, leads to buildup which will cause devastating fire

what are the 3 major types of forests?

Tropical rainforest, temperate forest, boreal forest/taiga

what forests fall under the “tropical rainforest” category?

tropical dry forest and cloud forest

what forests fall under the “Temperate forest” category?

temperate deciduous, temperate coniferous, temperate rainforest

Tropical rainforest examples 

amazon, congo, southeast Asia

where are tropical rainforests mostly found in

equator

describe the average rainfall in tropical rainforests

8-15ft, can be seasonal or year round

describe the average temperature of tropical rainforests

year round warm temperature (80)

describe the layers of vegetation in the tropical rainforest

broadleaf and evergreen trees, bare forest floor, lianas

lianas

vines that grow up trees in rainforests

Emergent layer

tallest trees in a rainforest

Canopy

top of the forest and receives sunlight 

what animals can be found in the emergent and canopy layers?

bugs, birds, bats

understory

mostly shaded

ground level

very little plant growth

what does the density of the forest mean about pollination?

little wind so pollination is done by insects, birds, and bats

how many terrestrial species are found in rainforests

over 1/2

how many plants in tropical rainforests are trees

2/3

why do rainforests have nutrient poor soil?

nutrients get held in plants and heavy rainfall causes quick runoff

Epiphytes

grow only on trees

what does deforestation of rainforests cause

erosion and mudslides

why are tropical rainforests being logged. Why is it being done so quickly?

space, timber, mining, farms. poor soil to begin, new land must be cut continuously

what region are tropical rainforests found in

along equator

how have humans destroyed tropical rainforests?

slash and burn deforestation, agricultural and grazing use, human settlements

how much of tropical rainforests have humans destroyed?

half

how will destroying tropical rainforests affect biodiversity?

reduce it b

how will destroying tropical rainforests affect climate change?

accelerate global warming by eliminating trees ability to take CO2

how will destroying tropical rainforests affect local regional weather?

prevent rainforests from being able to replace themselves,

where are Tropical dry forests located

equatorial regions, ex India

Tropical dry forests seasons

wet and dry seasons