Ecosystems: Forests, Grasslands, and Deserts

Study Notes

Three major vegetation regions: forests, grasslands, and deserts, each determined by temperature, precipitation, and soil.

Large land areas covered by trees and other plants.
Trees are either coniferous (leaves stay year-round) or deciduous (leaves fall off).
Two main forest types: boreal forests and tropical forests.
Boreal forests are found across Canada, created by glaciers migrating north, and feature coniferous trees.
Tropical rainforests are found near the equator, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, with the largest ones in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Deforestation, the permanent removal of forests for other purposes, is a major threat to tropical rainforests, especially in Indonesia where palm trees have replaced native trees.

Monoculture: farming practice of planting the same crop in the same location each year, depleting soil nutrients.
Common monoculture crops: corn, wheat, soybeans, and rice.
Crop rotation: alternative to monoculture, where farmers switch crop locations each year to maintain soil health.

Vegetation regions where grasses are the dominant vegetation source.
Commonly found plants: Sedges and rushes.
Grasslands can be found worldwide, with two types: tropical savannah and temperate grasslands.
In Canada, grasslands are found in middle and western Canada, commonly referred to as "the prairies".
Animals grazing on grasslands can change vegetation patterns, while fires can encourage regrowth but destroy animal habitats.
Invasive species, introduced into foreign ecosystems, can disrupt local ecosystems and cause harm to native species.

Vegetation regions that receive very little precipitation, making them dry.
Deserts can be hot or cold, with hot deserts (e.g., Sahara, Arabian, Gobi) having quick water evaporation, and cold deserts (e.g., Antarctic, Greenland) receiving precipitation as snow or rain.