3 - Campbell Biology

Question

If global warming increases average temperatures on earth by 4°C in this century, predict which biome is most likely to replace tundra in some locations as a result. Explain your answer.

 

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The northern coniferous forest replaces tundra along the boundary between these biomes if the temperature of the earth increases by 4°C.This is because the northern coniferous forest biome covers an extensive area near the tundra throughout North America, Asia, and northern Europe.

 

Step 1: Global warming

Global warming is the rapid increase in temperature around the globe due to greenhouse gases.The trapping of more heat has increased the temperaturein earth’s atmosphere due to greenhouse gases.

 

The average temperate of earth has been increased at the rate of 1.7°C per century since 1970. 

Step2: Northern coniferous forest

The largest terrestrial biome in the coniferous region is the northern coniferous forest, which is sandwiched between the tundra to the north and deciduous forest to the south. This forest is also referred to as taiga or the boreal forest with several lakes, rivers, and bogs.

 

Step3: Tundra

Tundra is a type of biome found in the polar areas, such as Iceland, Alaska, and the sub-Antarctic islands, a desert without trees and bare earth and rock. Tundra is characterized by long, dry winters, short growing seasons, and extremely frigid temperatures.

 

Northern coniferous forest will replace tundra as the range of precipitation, and the temperature for the northern coniferous forest is found just above that for tundra in the climograph.