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20) Tropical savannas are treeless areas in the equatorial region.
21) Fire is an important maintenance factor in the tropical savanna and midlatitude grasslands
biomes.
22) Tropical savanna soils are much higher in humus than the soils of the tropical rain forest.
23) The largest areas of tropical savanna occur in South America, particularly in Venezuela.
24) Several distinct communities of midlatitude broadleaf and mixed forests are found in North
America, Europe, and Asia.
25) The boreal and montane forest biome is characterized by broadleaf deciduous trees.
26) All needleleaf trees area evergreen.
27) The world's largest living organisms in terms of biomass occur in the boreal and montane
forest biome.
28) Boreal forest soils are subject to podzolization.
29) Rain forests only occur in equatorial areas.
30) Most forests in the temperate rain forest are old growth.
31) The Mediterranean shrubland biome is the most extensive terrestrial biome.
32) The Mediterranean shrubland biome is characterized by dry summers and wet winters.
33) The most modified biome by human activity is the midlatitude grasslands.
34) Midlatitude grasslands are found only in North America.
35) Deserts, by definition, contain very little vegetation and are represented instead by large
areas of windswept sand (ergs).
36) Most desert plants are xerophytic with numerous mechanisms to cope with dry conditions.
37) All areas now classified as Arctic tundra were covered by ice during the Pleistocene
glaciations.
38) Alpine tundra vegetation is characterized by evergreen needleleaf trees.
39) MacArthur and Wilson's theory of island biogeography posits that the number of species on
an island is a dynamic equilibrium between the rates of immigration and extinction, which are
influenced by island isolation and size, respectively.
40) Humans are the most powerful biotic agent on Earth, influencing all ecosystems on a
planetary scale.
41) Anthopogenic biomes, while not replacing the concept of terrestrial biomes classification,
provide insight into the role humans have played in shaping the world's ecosystems.
42) The most extensive anthropogenic biome is croplands.
43) Species extinctions are inevitable so expending resources on combating species loss is
pointless.
44) Earth's remaining undisturbed ecosystems have become a focus of tourism, recreation, and
scientific attention.
45) Due to international pressure, tropical deforestation has largely ceased except in a few
isolated pockets of Amazonia and equatorial Africa.
20.3 Essay Questions
1) What are the important factors used in defining a biogeographic realm?
2) Discuss the concept of the biome, including the various factors used to characterize one.
3) Invasive species represent a threat to biodiversity worldwide. Based on either the examples
presented in the textbook or outside sources, describe several invasive species of concern in your
area. What factors contributed to their spread. Why are these species of concern, both in a broad
context, as well as within your area.
4) Discuss the extent of deforestation in the tropics and why it is such an important
environmental issue.
5) Discuss the vegetation characteristics, characteristic soil orders, temperature patterns, and
state of the environment in the biome in which you live.
6) What is conservation biogeography? What are its primary focuses?
7) Discuss the main concepts of island biogeography. How has it been applied to the formation
of biosphere reserves?
8) Describe the concept of an anthropogenic biome. In which anthropogenic biome do you live?
