APES / IBESS
NAME:____________________________# _______ Block: ___
Raven & Berg HW Ch. 7
CHAPTER OUTLINE:
I. Terrestrial biomes
A. What is a biome?
B. Representative terrestrial
biomes and their defining
characteristics, both physical
and biological
1. Tundra
2. Taiga or boreal forest
3. Temperate rain forest
4. Temperate deciduous
forest
5. Grasslands
6. Chaparral
7. Deserts
8. Savanna
9. Tropical rain forests
C. Human impacts on biomes
around the world
D. Impact of altitude and latitude
on distribution and type of
vegetation present
II. Aquatic ecosystems
A. Environmental factors
responsible for the structure
of aquatic ecosystems
1. Salinity
2. Light
3. Currents
4. Dissolved oxygen
B. Representative aquatic
ecosystems
1. Freshwater
a. Flowing-water
b. Standing-water
c. Freshwater wetlands
2. Estuaries
3. Marine
a. Intertidal zone
b. Benthic environment
c. Neritic province
d. Oceanic province
C. Human impacts on aquatic
ecosystems
1. The Chesapeake Bay –
problems and progress
2. Coral Reefs – many
sources of impact
3. The Florida Everglades –
then, now, and
tomorrow
CHAPTER QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. List the similarities and differences between the alpine tundra and the arctic tundra.
2. Compare and contrast temperate and tropical rainforest biomes.
3. Compare and contrast the adaptations and types of animals found in deserts and tropical rain forests.
4. List the similarities and differences between the adaptations and types of plants found in savannas and deserts.
5. Compare and contrast the adaptations and types of plants found in tropical rain forests and chaparral.
6. Define salinity and then briefly discuss its role in the division of aquatic environments.
7. Compare and contrast the physical characteristics of flowing-water and standing-water ecosystems.
8. Identify similarities and differences between the ecological roles of freshwater and estuarine wetlands.
9. Define coral bleaching and discuss the ecological impact of this process.
10. Identify and briefly discuss five sources of human impact on the neritic province of the marine environment.
11. Identify three reasons why wetlands are valuable if maintained in their natural state and provide a brief (1
sentence) explanation of each of your reasons.
12. The major biomes are distributed as the result of two primary abiotic factors. Identify the two factors and
briefly discuss how they influence the distribution of biome types. Include two specific biomes and their
distribution in your discussion.
13. Explain why temperate grasslands have some of the world's most nutrient-rich soils and then discuss to what
extent this has affected human impact on this biome.
14. Ecologists note that fire is necessary for the survival of biomes such as savanna, chaparral and grasslands, and
yet, these same fires may threaten human habitation and agriculture. Explain why fires are both helpful and
harmful and then propose some means of satisfying the needs of both the natural environment and human
safety.
15. Outline and explain the ecological basis for the following statement: "Hiking up a mountain is similar to
traveling toward the North Pole." Include specific examples and references in your discussion.
16. Identify five abiotic factors that are relatively unique to aquatic ecosystems. Briefly explain the importance of
each to aquatic ecosystems and what role, if any, each factor plays in terrestrial biomes.