Tropical Biogeography and Climate Quiz

The content does not specify the six tropical biogeographical regions.

The major plant families include Araucariaceae, Podocarpaceae, Nothofagaceae, and Proteaceae.

During the Tertiary, Australia experienced dry forests dominated by Eucalyptus and Acacia, as well as grasslands.

<p>Two factors that determine biome characteristics are latitude and moisture levels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Whittaker’s biome classification provides a framework that reflects the ecological character of vegetation and natural community structure.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A tropical climate is characterized by a mean annual temperature greater than 18 ºC and no seasonal fluctuations in temperature.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The tropics are hotter due to the angle and concentration of sun rays and the shorter distance they travel through the atmosphere.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Yes, the tropics are expanding due to increased O3 and black soot in the northern troposphere and O3 loss above the Antarctic stratosphere.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>During El Niño, a warm water pool approaches the South American coast, causing a decrease in cold water upwelling, which increases warming.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>La Niña intensifies the normal Pacific conditions, resulting in colder water upwelling along the coast of South America.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The ITCZ is a region where the trade winds from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge, leading to increased precipitation and thunderstorms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The tropics are bounded by the tropic of Cancer at 23º 28' N and the tropic of Capricorn at 23º 28' S.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Hadley cell circulation drives moist air upwards in the tropics, leading to high rainfall and warm temperatures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Biomes are defined as biogeographical areas with characteristic forms of plants and animals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Populations exist at the level of a group of organisms of the same species occupying a particular area.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>An ecosystem includes both living and non-living organisms interacting together, while a community consists only of the biotic components, or populations, living together.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Temperature and rainfall are the primary factors that influence plant traits.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A healthy rainforest typically has a closed water cycle with high humidity and transpiration, while a deforested area disrupts this cycle, leading to reduced humidity and increased runoff.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Understanding these factors is crucial for conservation efforts and predicting future changes in biodiversity due to climate change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Natural selection acts on individuals (specimens) within a population, favoring traits that enhance survival and reproduction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The biosphere encompasses the part of Earth's environment where all living organisms are found, integrating various biomes and ecosystems.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It implies that each organism has an optimal range of environmental factors; outside this range, their population decreases.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It suggests that tropical species are confined to narrow temperature ranges, which restricts their movement and gene flow across different habitats.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They have narrow thermal tolerances, making it harder for them to adapt quickly to changing conditions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Phenotypic plasticity refers to the ability of an organism to alter its phenotype in response to environmental changes, which can be crucial for survival in changing climates.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>5.4 generations are needed for a 2°C warming over 100 years.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It suggests that species with longer generation times may struggle to adapt quickly enough to significant climate changes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<ol> <li>Is the current distribution of a species really reflecting the full range of its tolerances? 2. Do all conspecific populations have the same tolerances or is there local adaptation?</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Local adaptation can result in variations in tolerances among populations, influencing their survival strategies under climate change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Amazon rainforest has acted as a long-term net biomass sink, contributing to the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The rates of net increase in above-ground biomass declined by one-third during the past decade compared to the 1990s.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The decreasing trend was largely due to levelling off of growth rates and persistently increasing biomass mortality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It confirms that while the Amazon forests have been a net biomass sink, they are experiencing a trend of decreased carbon accumulation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The uncertainty arises from the ongoing changes in climate and atmospheric composition affecting the dynamics of carbon sinks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The carbon residence times have shortened due to increasing biomass mortality outpacing growth rate increases.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The analysis utilized a distributed network of 321 plots to examine the historical biomass dynamics.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Amazon rainforest plays a critical role as a carbon sink, but its effectiveness is declining, raising concerns for global carbon balance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Greater climate variability and feedbacks of faster growth on mortality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It diverges markedly from the recent increase in terrestrial carbon uptake at a global scale.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>General additive mixed models (GAMM) were used for analysis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The shading corresponds to the number of plots included in calculating the mean change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The red lines indicate the best model fit for long-term trends since 1983.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tropical forests are identified as a net carbon source based on the measurements of gain and loss.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Changes with a P value larger than 0.05 are identified as stable.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Uncertainty and variation were greater in the early part of the record due to a relatively low sample size.</p> Signup and view all the answers