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All 12 Flashcards — Biomes & climate
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Question
What is a biome?
Answer
A **large region** with a particular **climate** and a **characteristic community** of organisms (e.g. tropical rainforest, tundra).
Question
Which two abiotic factors are used most to classify biomes?
Answer
**Temperature** and **precipitation** (rainfall).
Question
Define climate.
Answer
The typical pattern of **temperature and precipitation** in a region, averaged over many years.
Question
Define an abiotic factor.
Answer
A **non-living** physical or chemical feature of the environment (e.g. temperature, rainfall, light, soil).
Question
Hot + very dry climate → which biome?
Answer
**Hot desert** — sparse, drought-adapted plants.
Question
Hot + very wet climate → which biome?
Answer
**Tropical rainforest** — dense, tall evergreen trees.
Question
Cold climate → which biome?
Answer
**Tundra** — low mosses, lichens and small shrubs.
Question
Moderate temperature + moderate-to-high rainfall → which biome?
Answer
**Temperate forest** — deciduous broadleaf trees.
Question
On a temperature-vs-precipitation biome graph, how do you identify a biome point?
Answer
Read **both** coordinates (its temperature AND its rainfall) and match them to the biome whose climate fits.
Question
Why does a biome's climate decide its community?
Answer
Climate sets the **vegetation** that can grow, and the vegetation decides which **animals** can live there.
Question
Why are temperature and rainfall the two key factors?
Answer
Plants are the base of the community and are limited most by **how warm it is** and **how much water** there is.
Question
Why do a hot desert and a tropical rainforest differ, though both are hot?
Answer
They differ in **rainfall**: the desert is very dry (sparse plants) and the rainforest is very wet (dense trees).
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Full study notes for Biomes & climate
Topic 2.9 hub
Adaptation to environment
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