biomes practice plant eco

Tropical rainforest

high, even rainfall, warm, even temperatures, high NPP, dense canopy and very little understory light, lots of epiphytes, bad soil but fast nutrient cycles

Tropical montane forest

cooler, higher elevations, cloudy (plants derive moisture from condensation), shorter trees, worse soils, lower productivity/diversity

Tropical deciduous forest

warm, drier/seasonal rain, dry and wet seasons where trees lose their leaves in dry season, mostly in rain shadow of mountains

Tropical woodland

warm, seasonal rain, drier than tropical deciduous forest, open canopy (crowns don’t touch), short/statured trees with thick fire-adapted bark

Tropical thorn forest

even drier, warmer, more seasonal, drought-deciduous trees, thorny Fabaceae trees and succulents

Tropical savanna

perennial grassland with scattered trees/shrubs/grasses, low seasonal rainfall, dry winter season, tree colonization limited by drought/disturbance/grazing

Hot desert

more water lost than precip., shrubs/succulents/grasses/forbs (hidden in ground), biome teleconnection from desert sand

Temperate rainforest

maritime climate, cool temps, lots of precip, high productivity/low diversity, tallest trees on planet (PNW Picea sitchensis, Chile)

Temperate deciduous forest

cold, deciduous, maritime/continental climates with restricted rainfall, typical oak/maple/beech/chestnut/walnut

Temperate evergreen forest

temperate deciduous forest but lower rainfall/sandy soils/poor water retention, conifers, fire disturbance

Temperate shrubland (chaparral)

mediterranean climate, cool/wet winters and warm/hot/dry summers, some precip concentrated in the cool season, high rates of endemism, sclerophyllous evergreen shrubs, annual forbs, fire disturbance

Temperate grassland

also prairie/steppe/pampas, moderately dry continental climates (cold dry winters and hot moist summers), mostly converted to croplands, fire/grazers prevent tree colonization

Temperate woodland

short, open vegetation in areas too dry to support tall forest, lower diversity/productivity than deciduous forests, conifers (pinyon pine, juniper), deciduous broadleaf like oaks

Cold desert

rain shadows in center of continents, freezing in winter but very hot in summer, frost excludes succulents so dominated by shrubs and grasses

Taiga

conifer forests in the subarctic, long/cold winters and low precip, but humid because low temps = low evapotranspiration rates, young soils, disturbance common, species (spruce/fir/larch and birch/aspen/alder), lots of carbon storage (peat accumulation)

Arctic tundra

too cold for tree growth, mainly grasses/prostate shrubs/mosses, long/dark winters and cool summers