Environmental Science
Chapter 4.1
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NOTES
Kinds of Ecosystems
Biomes of the World
• Earth is covered by hundreds of types of ecosystems which are grouped into a few biomes
• Biomes have distinctive climates, plants and organisms; they are named for their plant life but the main
determinant is the climate (temperature, precipitation, humidity, winds)
• Most organisms are adapted to live within a particular range of temperatures and will not survive at
temperatures too far above or below their range.
• There are nine terrestrial biomes in the world: tropical rain forest, temperate forest, taiga, savanna,
grasslands, chaparral, desert, tundra, mountains
Biomes and Vegetation
 Biomes are described by their vegetation because plants that grow in an area determine the other
organisms that can live there.
 Plants in a particular biome have characteristics, specialized structures, or adaptations that allow the
plants to survive in that biome (size, shape, color) ex: plants in tunda tend to be short, cactus in deserts
have no leaves
Latitude and Altitude
 Biomes, climate and vegetation vary with latitude and altitude.
 Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator and is measured in degrees.
 Altitude is the height of an object above sea level.
 Climate gets colder as latitude and altitude increase. Therefore, climate also gets colder as you move
farther up a mountain.