Topic 3 - Biome and climate relationships
Essential elements from Topic 3:
Terms to know from today's topic
Essential elements from Topic 3:
- Biomes are climatically and geographically distinct plant communities.
- Biomes are distributed along broad latitudinal zones that can be classified as cold, temperate, and tropical temperature zones and the subdivision of these zones into humid and arid regions.
- The ordination of biomes can be achieved using temperature versus precipitation axes or using evapotranspiration versus water deficit axes.
- The characteristics of vegetation can be classified on the basis of meristem location (Raunkaier) or structural characteristics (Holdrige).
- Climate is most easily visualized using climate diagrams.
- Each biome is associated with a distinct climate diagram type.
- Convergent evolution of form and function in similar climates can occur even though the taxa are phylogenetically distinct.
Terms to know from today's topic