Table 1. This table will provide the students with a format to organize their findings about the biomes as well as to guide
their “biome group” and “jigsaw group” discussions.
Biome
aClimate
and
distribution
bBiodiversity
cAdaptations
(examples)
(high, low,
dEcosystem
eImpact
services
biome characteristics and resource
intermediate)
of global climate change on
availability
Tropical
Equatorial
High
- Plants: Shade tolerance, large
carbon sink
rainforest
(within the
biodiversity,
broad leaves, and tall statured,
biodiversity
- Deforestation decreases carbon sinks,
which in turn increase CO2, which
increases global warming.
Tropics):
plenty of
rapid nutrient uptake. No
crops
- Deforestation increases the risk for
flooding and soil erosion.
always moist
resources niche
and lacking
separation
adaptations for water stress.
cattle raising
temperature
logging
- Loss of biodiversity (potential resources
like medicines)
seasonality
savannah
- Slash and burn decreases transpiration,
which decreases rainfall and carbon
uptake
Tropical
Intermediate
- Plants: thorns (protection from
(within the
high
woody encroachment, which also affects
summer rainy
herbivores), competition for water biodiversity
and nutrients: grasses and trees
logging
with roots at different depths.
season and
- Herbivores behavior: herds
desertification and loss of biodiversity
“winter” dry
(protection from predators and
season
migration for water during the dry
Tropics):
season)
carbon sink
- Increased rainfall causes increased
animal diversity.
- Anthropogenic influence causes
Biome
aClimate
and
distribution
bBiodiversity
cAdaptations
(examples)
(high, low,
dEcosystem
eImpact
services
biome characteristics and resource
intermediate)
of global climate change on
availability
Temperate
Warm
Intermediate
- Plants: competition for light: fast logging
- Increased global temperature decreases
rainforest
temperate:
high
growth and tall stature
carbon sink
carbon sinks.
biodiversity
- Deforestation increases soil erosion and
occasional
individuals.
frost, often
- Adaptations for occasional cold
loss of nutrients
with summer
and dry conditions
- Loss of biodiversity
rainfall
maximum
Temperate
Nemoral:
Intermediate
- Adaptations to winter freezing: logging
- Increased global temperature decreases
seasonal
moderate
high
carbon sinks.
forest
climate with
deciduous leaves or leaves with biodiversity
adaptations to cold weather
winter freezing
(thick
loss of nutrients
cuticle)
- Adaptations to water stress
- Deforestation increases soil erosion and
- Acid rain changes nutrient cycling and
availability
- ecosystem service: Maple tree is very
sensitive to high temperatures and
decreases syrup production and quality
- Loss of biodiversity
Biome
aClimate
and
distribution
Woodland/
Mediterranean
shrubland
: winter rainy
bBiodiversity
cAdaptations
(examples)
(high, low,
dEcosystem
eImpact
services
biome characteristics and resource
of global climate change on
intermediate)
availability
Intermediate low - Short statured shrubs with vineyard
- Increased global temperature leads to
increased drought and risk of fire. Fire
season and
adaptations to cope with dry biodiversity
summer: thorns, and deciduous
summer
leaves.
Decrease in carbon sink. Decrease in
drought
also causes loss of carbon and nutrients
biodiversity
Temperate
Continental
Intermediate low - The competition is not for light cattle raising
grassland
climate zones:
but
arid, with
(underground
warm or hot
- Shrubs: Leaves with waxy
carbon and nutrients.
summers and
coating to cope with drought
- Desertification
cold winters
-
- Loss of biodiversity
for
nutrients
Grasses:
C3
and
water biodiversity
competition)
and
C4
photosynthetic pathways to cope
with different temperatures and
water stress.
- Increased global temperature leads to
increased drought and risk for fire in tall
grass prairies, with consequent loss of
Biome
aClimate
and
distribution
bBiodiversity
cAdaptations
(examples)
(high, low,
dEcosystem
eImpact
services
biome characteristics and resource
intermediate)
desert
Subtropical
low
of global climate change on
availability
- Plants: Water storage
energy
- Deserts might get hotter and drier,
(within the
(succulent plants).
biodiversity
with further soil erosion and
Tropics, hot
Thorns to minimize
mining
desertification
desert): highly
transpiration; waxy coating in
- The monsoonal precipitation
seasonal arid
leaves. CAM physiology
pattern might change with
climate
- Animal behavior: life in
consequent loss of biodiversity.
burrows during the day, they
- Increased salinity
obtain water from seeds.
Anatomic adaptations: low
surface/volume ratio to
minimize transpiration.
Cold blooded species.
Biome
aClimate
and
distribution
bBiodiversity
(high,
cAdaptations
(examples)
low,
dEcosystem
eImpact
services
biome characteristics and resource
intermediate)
Boreal
Boreal: cold
forest
low
of global climate change on
availability
- Conifers cope with cold
logging
- Increased global temperature
temperate with
weather and water stress,
biodiversity
decreases carbon sinks. It also
cool summers
roots adapted to growth in
facilitates invasive species. Soil
and long
nutrient poor environments.
erosion and loss of nutrients and
winters
- Animals: Adaptations to
biodiversity.
cold weather: fur, fat
accumulation, hibernation,
migration.
tundra
Polar (higher
- Short statured to cope with oil
- Increased global temperature
wind
decreases snow cover, thereby
summers and
weather carbon sink
- Animals store food, and fat
biodiversity
during
the
summer.
long, very cold
Hibernation and migration.
facilitates shrubs encroachment, and
winters
- White color in the winter to
further changes in snow cover,
camouflage,
which changes nutrient cycling
latitudes): very
short, cool
low
and
cold
which
change in summer.
might
increasing soil temperature and
decreasing carbon sinks. It also
- Pollution from oil spills, and caribou
migration affected by oil pipe lines.