How do elevation and latitude affect the distribution of biomes

Generally speaking, biomes at higher latitudes are cooler and drier. Explanation: Biomes are determined primarily by temperature and precipitation. Related questions How are niches and habitats different? How are niches influenced by competition? How do overlapping niches lead to competition? How does competition affect niches? Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, Introduction to the Basic Drivers of Climate.

Terrestrial Biomes. Coral Reefs. Energy Economics in Ecosystems. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability. Biological Nitrogen Fixation. Ecosystems Ecology Introduction. Factors Affecting Global Climate. Rivers and Streams: Life in Flowing Water. The Conservation of Mass. The Ecology of Carrion Decomposition. Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Declines. Earth's Ferrous Wheel. Alternative Stable States. Recharge Variability in Semi-Arid Climates.

Secondary Production. Food Web: Concept and Applications. Terrestrial Primary Production: Fuel for Life. Terrestrial Biomes By: Irwin N. Citation: Forseth, I. Nature Education Knowledge 3 10 The biome concept organizes large-scale ecological variation. Terrestrial biomes are distinguished primarily by their predominant vegetation, and are mainly determined by temperature and rainfall. Aa Aa Aa. Table 1: Raunkiaer life form classification system based on location of the perennating bud.

Life forms can be classified by the location of perennating tissue and plant types. Tropical Forest Biomes. Figure 2: Life-form spectra in different climates. Raunkiar classified plant life forms on traits that varied with climate, such as the perennating organ, or tissues that give rise to new growth the following season.

Savanna Biomes. Figure 3: Life-form spectra in similar Mediterranean type climates on different continents. Life-form spectra are more alike in similar climates on different continents than they are in different climates on the same continent. Desert Biomes. Figure 4: Biomes of the world. Biomes are regions of similar climate and dominant plant types.

Figure 5: Tropical forest biome climate diagram. Climate in these areas show little seasonal variation with high yearly rainfall and relatively constant, warm temperatures. Grassland Biomes. Figure 6: Savanna biome climate diagram. Savannas are located north and south of tropical forest biomes and are characterized by lower yearly rainfall and longer dry seasons. Figure 7: Desert biome climate diagram. There is a greater variability in desert types, with hot deserts, cold deserts, high elevation deserts, and rain shadow deserts.

Figure 8: Grassland biome climate diagram. Grassland biomes occur primarily in the interiors of continents and are characterized by large seasonal temperature variations, with hot summers and cold winters. Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome. Figure 9: Temperate deciduous forest climate diagram. Temperature deciduous forests occur in mid-latitudes and are characterized by cool winters, warm summers, and high year round precipitation occurs.

Fig 4. Effects of latitude and altitude on species diversity in shrubs and herbs The species diversity indices of the shrubs showed an increasing trend with decreasing latitude, except for the Pielou index Fig 5D. Fig 5.

Species diversity indices of shrubs D and herbs E at different latitudes in the Lvliang Mountains. Table 2 Important values of shrubs and herbs at different latitudes in the Lvliang Mountains.

Table 3 Species diversity indices of herbs at different latitudes in the Lvliang Mountains. Fig 6. Variations of shrub and herb species diversities at different altitudes. Fig 7. Variations of herb important values at different altitudes. Discussion Integrating the effects of the latitude and altitude on the basal diameter and height of trees The arboreal growth was greatly influenced by the site conditions, and its distribution pattern was a result of the interactions of various environmental factors, such as the terrain, soil and climate, at different scales [ 29 ].

Integrating effects of latitude and altitude on species diversity in shrubs The species diversity as an essential content of biodiversity is the simplest and most effective method to describe community and regional diversities. Integrating effects of latitude and altitude gradients on species diversity in herbs Comparisons of the diversity at different levels indicated that the responses of the plant community diversity to the environment were not the same for diverse gradations, and different species exhibited different gradient patterns owing to restrictions from environmental and artificial factors [ 37 — 39 ].

Conclusion Under the dual effects of climatic change and human activities, the effects of the latitude and altitude decreased, the number of vegetation types was reduced, and the plant life forms became simple from the northern Guancen Mountain to the southern Wulu Mountain in the Lvliang Mountains. Supporting information S1 Table Surveyed plant species in study area.

DOC Click here for additional data file. Data Availability All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. References 1. Assessment of a shallow montane lentic ecosystem Lake Golcuk, Izmir, Turkey using benthic community diversity. Coates M. A comparison of intertidal assemblages on exposed and sheltered tropical and temperate rocky shores.

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Nutrient concentrations and nutrient ratios of Rhododendron ponticum litter along an elevational gradient. Distribution, species diversity and life-form spectra of plant communities along an altitudinal gradient in the northern slopes of Qilianshan Mountains, Gansu, China. Mountains can trap moisture on one side, leading to an increase in precipitation in this area but lower amounts of precipitation on the opposite of the mountain.

See the image below for more explanation. Thus, altitude is going to affect both temperature and precipitation which will affect the composition of biome. However, remember that temperature and precipitation are determined by multiple factors, such as air currents and position on the globe. Altitude is one of these factors. How can altitude affect biomes? Kate M.