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28 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What is biogeography?
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Biogeography is the study of the spatial or geographical distribution of organisms, both past and present.
works to describe and understand the processes responsible for patterns in the distribution of species and larger taxonomic groups |
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What is historical biogeography? Ecological biogeography?
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historical biogeography - origin, dispersal, extinction of groups
ecological biogeography - distribution of contemporary organisms |
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What ecosystem is characterized by a closed canopy of trees?
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forest
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What ecosystem is characterized by the co-dominance of grasses and trees (or shrubs)?
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woodland and savanna
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What ecosystem is characterized by its scarcity of plant cover?
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desert
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What does the classification of terrestrial biomes reflect?
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The classification of terrestrial biomes reflects the relative contribution of plant-life forms.
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How long do deciduous leaves live?
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Deciduous leaves live for only a single year or growing season.
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How long do evergreen leaves live?
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Evergreen leaves live beyond a year.
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Which biome is dominated by broadleaf evergreen plants/trees?
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tropical rain forest
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What equatorial zone are rain forests restricted to?
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between 10 degrees north and 10 degrees south
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In which biome does rainfall occur almost daily?
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tropical rain forest
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Which biome accounts for more than 50% of all biological diversity?
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tropical rain forests
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What biome is characterized by greater seasonality in precipitation, replacing broadleaf evergreen forests?
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dry tropical forests
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What biome describes a range of vegetation types in the drier tropics and subtropics?
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savanna
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What kind of diversity of animals do savannas offer?
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herbivores
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Where do grasslands occur?
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Grasslands occur in the midlatitudes in midcontinental regions where annual precipitation is reduced.
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Where do deserts occur?
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Deserts lie between 15 degrees and 30 degrees latitude in response to the effect of ITCZ.
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What is the distinctive characteristic of all deserts?
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lack of precipitation
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What biome is supported by a mediterranean climate?
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shrubland
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What ecosystem dominates the temperate zone?
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rainforests
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What kind of tree dominates forests?
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broadleef deciduous tree
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What biome is found primarily in a broad circumpolar belt across the Northern Hemisphere and on mountain ranges?
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conifer forests
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What is the largest expanse of conifer forest?
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taiga (boreal forest)
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What biome primarily occupies glaciated land and is a region of cold lakes, bogs, rivers, and alder thickets?
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taiga
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What biome is dominated by a cold continental climate with strong seasonal variations?
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taiga
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Name the term that describes the perennially frozen subsurface that develops where the ground temperatures remain below 0 degrees Celsius?
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permafrost
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What biome is a frozen plain that is located at the highest latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere?
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tundra
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Where does alpine tundra occur?
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in the higher mountains of the world
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