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Plant Biology - Plant Geography

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    Study Guide Plant Biology – Plant Geography 1. Distribution of Vegetation 1.1 Plants Grow Differently in Different Places If you look around the world, you’ll quickly notice that plants do not grow the same everywhere. Some places have thick forests, while others have grasslands or deserts. This happens because vegetation depends strongly on climate .

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    Study Guide 1.2 Latitudinal Distribution: From Equator to Poles Vegetation is arranged in broad horizontal bands around the Earth. These bands follow lines of latitude and change as we move away from the equator. • Near the equator , warm temperatures and heavy rainfall support lush tropical rainforests . • Moving north or south, these forests gradually change into temperate deciduous forests . • Farther toward the poles, they are replaced by coniferous (taiga) forests . • At the highest latitudes, where it is very cold, trees disappear and arctic tundra is found. Because there is more land in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere, this banded pattern is clearer in the north. High mountain ranges on continents can also interrupt these horizontal bands. 1.3 Altitudinal Distribution: Vegetation on Mountains A similar pattern occurs on mountains , but instead of latitude, the change happens with altitude (height). As you move up a mountain: • The base often has deciduous forests . • The middle slopes are usually covered by coniferous forests . • The tops of high mountains support tundra , where trees cannot grow. Even though many environmental factors change with altitude, the vegetation pattern closely resembles what we see from the equator to the poles. 1.4 Timberline and Latitude The timberline is the highest elevation where trees can grow. Above this line, only alpine tundra exists. • In the southern Rocky Mountains , the timberline is around 10,000 feet . • Near the Canadian border , it drops to about 6,000 feet . • Farther north, the timberline is even lower. This happens because temperatures become colder at lower elevations as we move toward the poles.

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    Study Guide 1.5 Why Climate and Vegetation Match Vegetation patterns are not random. Plants can survive only within certain tolerance ranges of environmental conditions. Two of the most important factors are: • Temperature • Precipitation (rainfall) When water is available and temperatures are moderate, many plant species can grow. However, as conditions become too hot, too cold, too wet, or too dry, fewer plant types can survive. This is why: • Tropical regions have over 40,000 species of vascular plants. • Forests in the southeastern United States have about 5,000 species . • The Canadian Arctic supports only around 425 species . 1.6 Understanding the Climate – Vegetation Diagram The figure shows how different vegetation types are linked to mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation . • Tropical rainforests occur in the hottest and wettest regions. • Deserts are found in the hottest and driest areas. • Tundra exists in the coldest and driest climates. • Other biomes fall between these extremes. 2. Terrestrial Biomes of the World 2.1 What Are Plant Geography, Communities, Ecosystems, and Biomes? The study of where plants grow and why they grow there is called plant geography . Scientists group vegetation into different levels based on how large the area is: • Plant community : A group of plants living together.

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