Biology 2500: Botany

1
Lecture 23

• Biology 2500 Botany
• Chapter 33 Global Ecology

2
Learning Objectives

• Contrast
• Biotic vs. abiotic factors
• Biome vs. ecosystem
• Define
• Biome (see study hints)
• Canopy
• Epiphytes
• List
• Adaptations plants have for their specific biomes

3
Grasslands

• Fire typically important to destroy woody species
• Our book divides into two biomes
• Temperate grasslands
• Savanna

4
Temperate Grasslands

• On many continents
• Steppes of Asia
• Prairies of N. America
• Pampas of S. America
• Typically converted to agriculture
• Farmland
• Rangelands

5
Savanna

• A grassland with trees
• Must have enough water to support them!
• Slightly more rain than temperate grasslands
• Savanna Biome Website

6
Answer the following questions

• What adaptations would a plant need for abiotic
  conditions?
• Which reproductive strategies would be
  best/worst?
• Which anti-herbivore strategies most/least
  effective?

7
Deserts

• Driest and hottest of biomes
• Plants have two strategies
• Long-lived, sluggish metabolism
• Idea is to last through tough seasons
• Cacti
• Creosote bush
• Short-lived, ephemerals
• Mature quickly, set seed, then die

8
Euphorbs vs. Cacti

• Both have modified body form to survive desert
  conditions
• Not closely related to eachother
• An example of convergent evolution
• Cacti and Succulents website

9
Answer the following questions

• What adaptations would a plant need for abiotic
  conditions?
• Which reproductive strategies would be
  best/worst?
• Which anti-herbivore strategies most/least
  effective?

10
Taiga Northern Coniferous Forest

• Word comes from Russian
• Worlds largest biome!
• Very low diversity
• The spruce-moose biome
• Has some permafrost
• Short growing season
• What adaptations would a plant need for abiotic
  conditions?
• Environmental concern acid rain

11
Permafrost

• Frozen ground
• Top layer can thaw in the summer
• Spruce roots are shallow

12
Tundra

• A Finnish word
• Coldest biome
• Permafrost
• Summers usually colder than 10C

13
Tundra Vegetation

• Typically lichens, mosses
• Very few vascular plants
• Most vegetation less than 20 cm high
• Eaten by lemmings, caribou (reindeer)
• Misourri Botanical Garden website

14
7th Inning Stretch
15
Diversity Question

• Which biome is least diverse?
• Most diverse?

16
Temperature Question

• Which biome is hottest?
• Which is coldest?

17
Precipitation

• Which biome is wettest?
• Which is driest?
• Which gets more rain savanna or temperate
  grasslands?

18
Herbivore Question

• Which has the highest diversity of herbivores?

19
Ungulate Question

• Which has the largest diversity of ungulates
  (large, hooved mammals)?

20
Mountains

• Can effectively have several biomes!

21
Biomes Website

• UC Berkeley