Terrestial Biomes

Tropical Rainforest Location:

Location: 0-10° N and S

Tropial Rainforest Climatic determinants:

High temperatures year-round, little variation, high rainfall spread throughout year

Tropical Rainforest Dsturbance determinant:

Deforestation, fragmentation, invasive species, wildfire, overexploitation, climate change

Tropical Rainforest Dominant vegetation type:

Broad-leaved evergreen trees

Tropical Rainforest Vegetation structure:

Tall, densely spaced, multilayered with emergent, canopy, midstory, understory/shrubs, forest floor, lianas/vines/epiphytes

Tropical grassland/savanna biome: Location

Location: 0-23.5° N and S, usually borders tropical rainforest

Tropical grassland/savanna Climatic determinants:

High temperatures year-round, high rainfall, distinct wet and dry seasons

Tropical grassland/savanna Disturbance determinant:

Fire, frequency depends on length of dry season

Tropical grassland/savanna Dominant vegetation type:

Grasses, non-woody plants, drought-deciduous trees/shrubs

Tropical grassland/savanna Vegetation structure:

Dense grasses with scattered shrubs and individual moderate-height trees

hot desert biome: Location

Location: Mostly around 30° N and S

hot desert Climatic determinants:

Very hot to cold, very low and variable rainfall

hot desert Disturbance determinant:

Habitat destruction, overgrazing, invasive species, fragmentation, climate change

hot desert Dominant vegetation type:

Stem/leafy succulents, drought-deciduous shrubs, short-lived annuals

hot desert Vegetation structure:

Low-growing, low-density vegetation with large amounts of bare ground

temperate grassland biome: Location

Location: ~30-50° N and ~20-40° S southeastern coasts only for S

temperate grassland Climatic determinants:

Warm summers, cold winters, moderately wet summers, dry winters

temperate grassland Disturbance determinant:

Frequent winter fires, intensive agriculture, development

temperate grassland Dominant vegetation type:

Grasses

temperate grassland Vegetation structure:

Low-growing, high-density vegetation

temperate shrublands/woodlands Climatic determinants:

Mediterranean climate with cool/moist winters and warm/hot/dry summers

temperate shrublands/woodlands biome: Location

Location: ~20-40° N and S southwestern coasts only for S

temperate shrublands/woodlands Vegetation structure:

Low-growing vegetation with tough, drought-tolerant leaves

temperate deciduous forest biome: Location

Location: 30-60° N, essentially none in Southern Hemisphere

temperate deciduous forest Climatic determinants:

Warm/hot summers, cold winters, moderate rain/snow year-round with slight summer peak

temperate deciduous forest Disturbance determinant:

Very rare fires

temperate deciduous forest Dominant vegetation type:

Broad-leaved deciduous trees

temperate deciduous forest Vegetation structure:

Moderately to densely spaced, moderate-to-tall trees with multilayered canopy, understory, shrubs, and forbs

temperate evergreen forest biome: Location

Location: 30-60° N and 30-50° S; Pacific Northwest, southeastern U.S., SW South America, SE Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand

temperate evergreen forest Climatic determinants:

Highly variable temperatures and rainfall, ~20-150 inch per year, rainfall may be year-round or seasonal

temperate evergreen forest Disturbance determinant:

none

temperate evergreen forest Dominant vegetation type:

Needle-leaved evergreen gymnosperms (na) Needle and broad-leaved gymnosperm and broad-leaved angiosperm (sa, au, nz)

temperate evergreen forest Vegetation structure:

Moderately to densely spaced, moderate-to-very-tall trees, few layers, often dense ground cover

boreal forest biome: Location

Location: 50-70° N, none in Southern Hemisphere

boreal forest Climatic determinants:

Cool summers, cold spring/fall, very cold winters, fairly low rainfall, permafrost

boreal forest Dominant vegetation type:

Primarily needle-leaved evergreen trees

boreal forest Vegetation structure:

Extensive forests with moderately spaced, moderate-to-low trees, little layering and ground cover, low species diversity

tundra biome: Location

Location: Nearly all above 65° N, small areas near Antarctica and southern islands

tundra Climatic determinants:

Short cold summers, cold spring/fall, very cold winters, below freezing much of the year, permafrost, low rainfall

tundra Disturbance determinant:

Very infrequent fire, climate change

tundra Dominant vegetation type:

Low-growing shrubs, mosses, lichens, and other non-woody plants

tundra Vegetation structure:

Very low-growing vegetation

How does the biodiversity of rainforests compare to other terrestrial biomes?

Tropical rainforests house 50 percent of all plants and animal species

What is endemism and how does it relate to tropical rainforests?

Endemic organisms are organisms that occur nowhere else. 17 percent of all vertebrate species are endemic to tropical rainforests

How have grasslands in central North America been affected by human activities

Less than 1/3rd of NA grasslands persist due to intensive agriculture and development

How have grassland bird populations been affected

grassland bird populations have decreased by 53%

What farming practice changes can be utilized to help restore grasslands

Rotational Farming

What is permafrost and where can it be found on earths surface

ground that has been frozen for at least 2 years. tundra and boreal forests (taiga)

how is climate change affecting permafrost and what effects will this have

permafrost is melting, releasing decaying plant matter, microbes, CO2 and Methane into the atmosphere

boreal forest Disturbance determinant:

Moderate-to-frequent fire, undecomposed plant matter can burn for years

temperate shrublands/woodlands Dominant vegetation type:

Broad-leaved evergreen shrubs and trees

temperate shrublands/woodlands Disturbance determinant:

Frequent summer fires