EcologyLesson 2 of 2 in the course Ecosystems and the Biosphere

Terrestrial Biomes: Climate, Vegetation, and Ecological Adaptations

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson explains how climate shapes terrestrial biomes and introduces tropical forests and savannas. Understanding the relationship between temperature, precipitation, and vegetation helps explain why similar landscapes can occur in distant parts of the world.

A biome is a broad geographic region characterized by a particular climate and the communities of plants and animals adapted to it. Earth has eight major terrestrial biomes. Their distributions are strongly influenced by temperature and precipitation, including how these vary by season and across the year.

All flashcards

Net primary productivity
The rate at which plants accumulate biomass after accounting for the energy they use in respiration.
Rainforest evergreen strategy
Leaves are shed throughout the year rather than all at once in a single season.
Desert annual plants
They can grow and reproduce rapidly after rain, then die as conditions become dry.
Temperate forest leaf litter
Fallen leaves decompose, returning nutrients to soil while also insulating and protecting it.
Tundra tree line
The upper limit of tree growth; tundra occurs above it on mountains.

Quiz questions

  1. Which two climate factors most strongly influence the distribution of terrestrial biomes?Answer: Temperature and precipitation
  2. Why are soils in many tropical rainforests nutrient-poor despite rapid plant growth?Answer: Frequent heavy rain leaches nutrients from the soil.
  3. How can a mountain create a rain shadow desert on its downwind side?Answer: Air releases much of its moisture on the windward side before descending dry.
  4. Some chaparral plants produce seeds that germinate after exposure to what?Answer: Heat from a fire
  5. What contributes organic material that helps make temperate grassland soils fertile?Answer: Decaying grass roots and rhizomes

Based on Concepts of Biology by Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James Wise (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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