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6.5: Review

  • Page ID
    70827
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    Summary 

    After completing this chapter you should be able to...

    • Describe how latitude and altitude affect temperature and precipitation, which in turn, determine the distribution of biomes.
    • Compare the eight major terrestrial biomes.
    • Describe how light, temperature, flow, and salinity influence aquatic biomes.
    • Distinguish between marine and freshwater biomes and describe examples of each.
    • Explain the different realms and zones of the ocean.

    Earth has terrestrial biomes and aquatic biomes. Temperature and precipitation, and variations in both, are key abiotic factors that shape the composition of animal and plant communities in terrestrial biomes. There are eight major terrestrial biomes: tropical rainforests, savannas, deserts, chaparral, temperate grasslands, temperate forests, taiga, and Arctic tundra.

    Like terrestrial biomes, aquatic biomes are influenced by abiotic factors. In the case of aquatic biomes, the abiotic factors include light, temperature, flow regime, and dissolved solids. Aquatic biomes include both marine biomes and freshwater biomes. Oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries are marine biomes while lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands are freshwater biomes. 

    Attribution

    Modifed by Melissa Ha from Ecosystems and the Biosphere- Chapter Resources from Environmental Biology by Matthew R. Fisher (licensed under CC-BY)


    This page titled 6.5: Review is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Melissa Ha and Rachel Schleiger (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative) .