GEOG 110 - Physical Geography

Notes on ecosystems and biomes

Our discussion of chapters 19 and 20 in the textbook will focus on some basic principles of ecology, structure and function of ecosystems, and the spatial pattern of major terrestrial biomes in relation to the pattern of global climates. Because of limited time we will focus on a limited set of topics from these two chapters, as indicated below:

Chapter 19 - focus on pp. 587-598

• Ecosystem, ecology, biogeography, and community
• Habitat and niche
• Photosynthesis and respiration
• Net primary productivity and biomass (make sure you know the difference)
• Critical abiotic factors: light, temperature, water, nutrients
• Life zone concept: how altitude mimics latitude

• Biogeographic realms and terrestrial ecosystems
• Biomes and ecotones
• Major growth forms of vegetation
• Major terrestrial biomes (Table 20.1, Fig. 20.3) and their correspondence to climate types (Fig. 10.3, 10.5)
• Equatorial/tropical rainforest
• Tropical seasonal forest and scrub
• Savanna
• Midlatitude broadleaf (deciduous) and mixed forest
• Needleleaf or conifer forest (taiga) and its montane varieties
• Temperate rain forest
• Mediterranean shrubland and chaparral
• Midlatitude grassland and steppe
• Warm and cold deserts
• Arctic and alpine tundra