Biogeography and Tropical Ecosystems

A tropical country is located between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.

A Tropical Rainforest receives 250 cm of precipitation annually.

The Savanna biome is characterized by open, widely spaced trees and seasonal rainfall.

<p>The average precipitation for a Desert biome is 20 cm per year.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Biogeography is the study of how species are scattered across the planet and how they came to be in those places.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Pangaea is the name of the supercontinent from which all current landmasses originated.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Pangaea existed approximately 250 million years ago.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Biogeography is the relationship between organisms and their location in space.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Gondwanaland was the southern supercontinent that existed before the breakup of Pangaea. It comprised present-day South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, India, Australia, and Antarctica.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The fact that South American and Australian midges are more closely related to each other than to New Zealand midges is a strong indicator that they shared a common ancestor before the separation of these landmasses. This relationship is likely a result of their common Gondwanan origin.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>While all three land masses were part of Gondwanaland, the separation of Africa from the others happened earlier. This earlier separation explains why African midges are less closely related to those from South America, Australia, and New Zealand.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Conifers are found in Southeast Asia, the New World tropics, and Africa, while Dipterocarps are primarily found in Southeast Asia.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The information suggests that the tropics are an area of high biodiversity. This is evident from the diverse plant and animal life found there, particularly in Southeast Asia.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Few geographical barriers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Laurasia and Gondwanaland.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>South America and Africa.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The folding of sedimentary rocks in the Himalayas suggests both the movement of plates bringing these rocks up and the presence of sediment layers, indicating the area was once underwater.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into plates that move over the mantle. These movements have shaped the continents and influenced the distribution of plant and animal life.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>More than 200 million years ago.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>North America and Europe.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The theory suggests that the continents were once connected, allowing for the dispersal of species. As the continents drifted apart, species became isolated, evolving independently, while still sharing common ancestry.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Laurasia</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Alfred Russel Wallace</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The boundary between the northwestern part of the archipelago and the southeastern part, despite similar climate and terrain.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Wallace's Line</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Oriental and Australian regions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>West of the line, organisms are related to Asiatic species. East of the line, a mix of species of Asian and Australian origin is present.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Borneo and Sulawesi (Celebes)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Lombok Strait.</p> Signup and view all the answers