Biomes Page 142 R.Q. 14, 15, 16

Q14 What is a desert? What are the 3 major types of deserts? An area where evaporation exceeds precipitation. Tropical deserts Temperate deserts Cold deserts

Q14 How do the 3 types of deserts differ in climate and biological makeup? Tropical: (Sahara)  Temp: high year round  Rain: 1-2 months/year  Few plants, mainly rock and sand Temperate: (Mojave, Calif.)  Temp: high in summer and low in winter  Rain: more than in tropical  Vegetation is sparse – shrubs and cacti; animals are adapted Cold: (Gobi, China)  Temp: winter is cold, summer is hot  Precip: always low

Q14 How do desert plants and animals survive heat and a lack of water? Theme: “beat the heat” & “every drop counts” Plants:  Wax coated leaves  Deep roots  Wide spread, shallow roots  Drop leaves during dormancy (dry periods)  Sore biomass in seeds; only germinate after rain Animals:  Noctournal  Adapt to conserve water – reduce evaporation, low water in excrement  Get water from dew  Dormancy during drought/heat

Q14 Why are desert ecosystems vulnerable to disruption? Slow plant growth Low species diversity Slow nutrient cycling (low bacteria/microbes) Water shortages

Q14 List 7 types of human activities that have harmful impacts on deserts. Large cities Soil destruction by vehicles and development Salinization:  Irrigate → water evaporates → minerals left behind/added → decreased soil fertility Depletion of groundwater Land disturbance (pollution and mining) Storage of toxic waste Solar cell arrays

Q15 What is grassland? What are the 3 major types of grasslands? Regions with enough average annual precipitation to allow grass (and sometimes, a few trees) but drought and fires prevent large stands of trees from growing. Tropical Temperate Polar (tundra)

Q15 How do they differ in climate and biological makeup? Tropical: (Savannas – Africa, etc.)  Temp: high  Precip: low to moderate with prolonged dry season (Savannas have 2 long dry seasons)  Grazing and browsing herds and herbivores (specialists); predators; Temperate: (Great Plains – U.S. etc.)  Temp: bitter cold winter, hot dry summer  Precip: Sparse and falls unevenly  Very fertile soil; drought tolerant grasses w/ complex roots Polar: (Arctic Tundra)  Temp: Bitter cold, windy, covered with ice and snow; permafrost  Low growing shrubs, grasses, and mosses; evergreens  Permafrost → summer ponds, swamps → mosquitos, blackflies  Large grazers (caribou), predators (wolves); migratory birds

Q15 Distinguish between arctic tundra and alpine tundra. Arctic Tundra:  Permafrost  High latitudes Alpine Tundra:  No permafrost  High on mountains  Above tree lines, below snow line

Q15 Why are grasslands vulnerable to disruption? Tropical:  Hunting Temperate:  Farming Polar:  Climate change

Q15 List 4 types of human activities that have harmful impacts on grasslands. Conversion to cropland (farmland) Release of CO 2 as its burned for cropland Overgrazing Damage to tundra from oil drilling, air and water pollution, and vehicles

Q15 What is chaparral? What is the importance of fire on this biome? AKA Temperate Shrubland or Mediterranean Climate Climate: Mild, rainy winter; long, hot, dry summer Where: Pacific NW US, S. Texas/NE Mexico, Coastal hills of Chile, Mediterranean, SW Africa, SW Australia Fire  Spreads VERY fast  Plants adapted to fire – fire resistant roots; seeds triggered by fire to grow;  Nutrients released  Can lead to mudslides/landslides

Q16 What is a forest? What are the 3 major types of forest? Undisturbed areas with moderate to high precip. Tropical Temperate Boreal (Polar)

Q16 How do they differ in climate and biological makeup? Tropical: (Amazon)  Climate: hot, moist, heavy rain  High biodiversity and specialization based on layers Temperate Deciduous: (Eastern US)  Long warm summer; cool winters; abundant precipitation  Lower biodiversity than Tropical Boreal (Taigas): (South of Arctic Tundra)  Long, dry, cold winter; short, mild summers  Coniferous evergreens; variety of wildlife

Q16 Distinguish between tropical rain forests, tropical deciduous forests, and temperate rain forests. Trop RF  Taller canopy, evergreens Trop DF  Farther away from equator  Lower canopy, deciduous Temp RF  Pacific NW US  Coastal, coniferous

Q16 List 4 types of human activities that have harmful impacts on forests. Tropical: clearing for agriculture, livestock, timber Temperate: clearing for agriculture, timber, and urban development Boreal: clearing for timber Loss of biodiversity by replacing with “tree plantations”