Terrestrial Biomes

Taiga

"land of little sticks" in Russian; characterized by continuous stretches of boreal forests dominated by spruce and fir trees; low diversity of trees and dominated conifers

ephemerals

aka annuals; desert plants that grow rapidly and seed after rain

succulents

desert plants that are able to store water; demonstrate convergent evolution; EX: saguaro and barrel cactus

phreatophytes

desert plants that are deeply rooted; EX: mesquite, palo verde

opportunistic perennials

desert plants with flush leaves that flower after rain; EX: ocotillo

Walter climate diagram

diagram that defines where biomes most likely are due to climate; shown through temperature and month; shows that ecosystem is water limited if temperature line exceeds precipitation line

biome

distinctive plant, and to a lesser extent animal, formation distinguished by the adaptations of the organisms primarily to the physical environment; these formations are global in distribution and characterized more by plant forms (and adaptations) than by particular species

convergence

evolution of similar adaptations independently (often on different continents) due to similar environments; must be phylogenetically different with no common ancestor;EX: succulent plants converged to have fleshy trunks, spines, and water storage; *shows that climate shapes the characteristics of the plants

vernal herbs

herbs in temperate seasonal forests that flower in the spring, where forest floor warms up before trees leaf out; provides a huge food source for migratory birds EX: sweet white violet

xerophytes

plants that are water-limited, but adapted to drought through mechanisms such as small leaves that dissipate heat and have a large edge:area ratio, water storage and conservation, and protection against herbivores

temperate seasonal forest biome

biome characterized by 9 month growing season, seasonal temp/rainfall, and low elevation; flush of leaves is important for migratory birds; vernal herbs flower in the spring, where forest floors warm up before trees leaf out; fertile soils; several different subtypes of this biome, including northern and southern hardwoods and southern pinewoods EX: bottomland hardwoods of Lafitte park and upland mixed of Camp Whispering pines

(Mediterranean) woodland/shrubland biome

biome that is characterized by a high degree of rainfall in winter because of condensation from differing temperature of land and current; climate has mild-cool, wet winter and hot, dry summer (causes drought); plants are fire adapted with dense evergreen shrubs that are deeply rooted to get at scarce summer water and waxy leaves; plant convergence can be seen in different regions of the world; EX: **Chaparral, California and Matorral, Chile

temperate grassland/desert biome

biome that is characterized by cold winter, high rate evaporation (warmer summer temps), and periodic, severe summer droughts; too little rain to support forests and often subject to fire; plants have 1 degree productivity proportional to rainfall where grasses dominate and high degree of spatial heterogeneity in plants, due to topography, soils, fire history, and animal activity; EX: Great Basin grassland in Colorado

Tropical forest biome

biome that is characterized by constant high temps and rainfall; near the equator with intense biological activity and diversity due to climate; Diverse plant forms including trees, shrubs, epiphytes, and epiphylls, vines, etc. with a high degree of layering; plant adaptations include buttresses, oval, waxy leaves, and nutrient scavenging; EX: Costa Rica, Jamaica

subtropical desert biome

biome that is characterized by little seasonality and very water limited environments; plants are water adapted to drought with xerophytes; diverse life forms of plants that often have seeds prepared in the soil to prepare for the rain, giving a large source of trophic energy EX: Chihuahua, Mojave, Sonoran

Tundra biome

biome that is characterized by low available moisture and short growing season; too cold and windy for trees and precipitation is locked up with snow; only in the N. hemisphere; soils are poor and scarce; plants are a mix of grassland and shrubland; huge ground with lichen cover; northern bogs are characteristic of the wettest spots (dominated with carnivorous plants); EX: Churchill, Canada

temperate rainforest biome

biome that is characterized by moderately seasonal climate with mild winter, abundant winter rain, and summer fog; dominated by giant needle-leaved trees such as redwoods EX: in cali, firs, and cedars; giant tress because of abundant soil moisture and strong potential evapotranspiration

boreal forest biome

biome that is characterized by seasonality and varying precipitation with long winters and cool, warm summers; generally poor soils (including some permafrost); Example of taiga with dominated conifers and low diversity of trees; EX: Fairbanks, Alaska and Mt. Fuji Japan

Tropical seasonal forest biome

biome that is characterized by slightly less, seasonal precipitation than tropical forests and constant temperatures; occurs at higher latitudes at the edge of tropics; dry forests have almost as diverse plants and animals as rainforests and very threatened by human activities; EX: East Africa, Colombia, Costa Rica