Biomes (S21) Dom
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Saint Mary's College of California *
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Geography
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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Name: ____Dominic Darling____________
Biomes
(modified from Biointeractive.org by Kimberly Hill-Edwards)
20 pts
OVERVIEW
This activity is designed to allow you to investigate biomes and their characteristics around the world. It will also allow comparison of the same biome on different sides of the globe using BiomeViewer.
A.
Relationship between Temperature and Precipitation
Figure 1 shows the 9 major biomes on Earth. Note each biome has a characteristic annual precipitation and average temperature.
Figure 1 Biomes of North America, Annual Precipitation and Average Temperature (Figure 5.3 from Principles of Environmental
Science, 9th edition)
1.
(0.5 pt) Which biome has the greatest annual precipitation, according to Figure 1?
The Tropical Rainforests
2.
(0.5 pt) Which two biomes have the lowest annual precipitation? The Tundra and Grasslands
3.
(0.5 pt) Which biome has the highest average temperature? The Desert
4.
(0.5 pt) Can a desert be cold as well as hot? Yes, at night it can get pretty cold and daytime is always hot.
5.
(1 pt) Describe the relationship between temperature, precipitation and three types of forest at the high average temperature of 25 o
C.
With hot temperature and heavy rain, the trees grow and creates more rainfall for the Coniferous forest, temp deciduous forest, and tropical rainforest.
6.
(1 pt) If a grassland biome received less and less rain every year, what kind of biome could it become and why? The grassland would turn to a desert. Without water the greens in the environment will die and become hot and dry.
B.
Biomes around the World using BiomeViewer
Open BiomeViewer either by accessing it online
or download
an iPad version from the App Store.
Online, you will click “Launch Interactive” as show below to open the Viewer
PART 1: Biomes
1.
(1 pts) Click and hold the globe to spin it and explore different parts of
the world. Click and release a spot on the globe to drop a pin there to see a summary of the characteristics of the biome for that location. Drop the pin on any point on the world. Answer the following:
Biome name: ___temperature Grassland______________
Latitude and longitude: ____50 N and 100.4 W________________
Range of temperatures (
Scatter Plot
): Minimum___-15_____ Maximum _____19_____
Range of rainfall (
Bar graph
): Minimum __480mm______ Maximum ___1040mm_________ Total number of species (richness): __67___________
2.
Change the view to a flat map and turn on the gridlines and political
boundaries. 3.
(1 pts) What biomes are present in the continental United States? Click and drag the map over. Then use the legend or click on the different regions to determine the
biomes.
1.
Temperature Grassland 2.
Desert 3.
Temperature Deciduous Forest
4.
Temperature Coniferous Forest
5.
Temperature Grassland
Click here to get gridlines and political boundaries
Click here to get a flat map
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4.
(0.5 pt) What biomes are present in Alaska?
1.
Boreal Forest
2.
Tundra
Now compare biomes across North America at roughly the same latitude (latitude is the horizontal lines). To compare biomes, place one pin on the first biome and then click ‘Compare’. Place an additional pin in the second biome. Acceptable locations are no more than 2 degrees of latitude different.
5.
(1.5 pts) Describe in sentences the similarities and differences in climate (both temperature and precipitation) between:
a.
Temperate Forest and Temperate Grassland of the same latitude
Some of the similarities between the temperate Forest and Temperate
Grassland include similar precipitation, different species of insects, soil quality, and the temperature. Some of the differences are that grasslands don’t have a lot of trees,
while forests have many trees. Forests also do not have brown or green vegetation,
b.
Temperate Grassland and Desert of the same latitude
the similarities that the Temperate Grasslands and Desert have is that they are both on the same latitude, they don’t receive much precipitation, and both don’t have many trees. However, the Temperate Grasslands have a lot of grass, whereas deserts have little to none. It’s more humid in grasslands, whereas the air in deserts is very dry. Deserts also have more shrubs than grasslands.
c.
Chapparal and Temperate Forest of the same latitude
Some of the similarities that both the Chapparal and Temperate Forests have is their location, temp, and trees. However, the winters in the temperature forests are snowy and cold, whereas chapparel experience rainy winters.
6.
Compare Tropical Rainforests on opposite sides of the ocean but at the
same latitude (South American, Africa, or South Pacific). Consider both
temperature and precipitation. Then, answer the following questions:
a.
(0.5 pt) What two locations did you choose (list latitude, longitude and
name) – Note: Your two locations should be within 2
o
latitude of each
other
I choose tropical rainforest in Oriximina Brazil (0,0 S - 57.9 W) to the
tropical rainforest in Boyera Democratic Republic of the Congo. (0,0 S
- 19.2 E)
b.
(0.5 pt) How do rainfall and temperature patterns differ between the locations?
In the tropical rainforest in Boyera Democratic Republic of the congo is less than the tropical rainforest in Oriximina by around 20mm.
c.
(0.5 pt) Click on the ‘Wildlife’ tab near the top. What are the similarities and
differences in biodiversity?
They both have reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.
d.
(0.5 pt) What could account for the differences in climate between the locations?
Well brazil is incombered around rainforests and the democratic republic of the Congo is surrounded by savannas so I believe that could account for the differences.
7.
Compare Temperate Forests on opposite sides of the ocean but at the
same latitude (Canada or US compared to Europe). Then, answer the
following questions:
(0.5 pt) What two locations did you choose (list latitude, longitude and
name)
I decided on temperature deciduous forest in Chesterville, Maine (45 N
and 70 W) and temperature deciduous forest in valdes-Vignes, France,
(45 N and 0.0 W)
a.
(0.5 pt) How do rainfall and temperature patterns differ between the locations?
France’s rainfall was 150mm higher compared to Maine. b.
(0.5 pt) The differences in the climate of European and North American Forests are a result of ocean temperature. Click the following link to learn about the Gulf
Stream
. How does the Gulf Stream impact the climate of Europe?
It impacts the climate because of the current and warm air which keeps Europe warmer.
PART 2: Biodiversity and Latitude
8.
(2 pts) Complete Table 1 by picking just one representative location for each biome
anywhere across the globe. Use the legend in BiomeViewer to show you the color of each Biome.
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Table 1 Biodiversity of Some Representative Biomes
9.
(0.5 pt) referring to Table 1, describe the trend in biodiversity with latitude.
The biodiversity is higher in the east than it is in the west
PART 3: HUMAN IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY
10.(0.5 pt) Move on your map to the Tropical Rainforest Region of Brazil in South America. What are the two main biomes in Brazil?
Tropical Rainforest and the Savanna
On the Biomes legend, use the arrows at the top to see different layers including Anthromes, temperature, precipitation, and terrain. Click until you have selected “Anthromes” and then select the year at the bottom “1700s”. Anthromes are the patterns created by long-term human interactions with ecosystems. Think of it as, how humans have altered the ecosystems by living there.
Biome
Latitude
Species
Richness
Tundra
90 W
16
sp.
Boreal Forest
25 E
50 sp.
Temperate Deciduous Forest
20 E
102 sp.
Desert
45 E
53 sp.
Tropical Rain Forest
80 E
73 sp.
Savanna
30 E
43 sp.
11.(1 pt) a. For Brazil, click forward in time on the Anthromes map. Record all the major Anthromes in Brazil at each time period:
1700: wilderlands and seminatural
1800: wilderlands and seminatutal
1900: wilderlands, rangelands, and seminatural
2000: wilderlands, rangelands, seminatural, and croplands
b.
(0.5 pts) Are there any wildlands (or wilderness) left in Brazil in the year 2000? Yes, but very few
c.
(1 pt) What has happened to the Tropical Rainforest and Savanna of Brazil? Briefly summarize how humans have impacted this environment at this location over time.
Due to selective logging and surface wildfires over time, there was an annual loss of 54 billion tons of carbon from the Brazilian Amazon, which inadvertently increased gas house emissions. This also is the cause of warming the Savannas.
12.
(0.5 pt) Now let’s look at Michigan. What is the biome of Michigan? (You can return to the Biome View if you need to).
The Temperature Deciduous Forest
13.Return to the Anthromes View of Michgian Now click forward in time.
a.
(1 pt) Record all the main Anthromes in Michigan at each time period.
1700: wildlands and seminatural
1800: wildlands and seminatural
1900: seminatural, dense settlements, and cropland
2000: seminatural, dense settlements, and cropland
b.
(0.5 pt) Are there any wildlands (or wilderness) left in Michigan in the year 2000? __No___________
c.
(1 pt) What has happened to the Forests of Michigan? Briefly summarize how humans have impacted this environment at this location over time.
Because of deforestation humans have continuously destroyed tree forests in Michigan which also makes our oxygen thinner.
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