Essentials of Ecology

SUPPLEMENT 4 S27

Tundra

North American Biomes

Taiga

Temperate deciduous forest

Temperate grassland

Chaparral

Mountain forest

Desert

Tropical forest

Semidesert

Mountain zone

Figure 5 Natural capital: biomes of

North America.

Data and Map Analysis

1. What type of biome occupies the
   most coastal area?


2. Which biome is the rarest in North
   America?

16.7 20.8 24.9 28.9 32.9

Gross primary productivity

(grams of carbon per square meter)

0 0.1 4.5 8.6 12.6

Figure 6 Gross primary productivity across the continental United

States, based on remote satellite data. The differences roughly

correlate with variations in moisture and soil types. (NASA’s Earth

Observatory)

Data and Map Analysis

1. Comparing the five northwestern-most states with the five
   southeastern-most states, which of these regions has the
   greater variety of levels of gross primary productivity? Which
   of the regions has the highest levels, overall?


2. Compare this map with that of Figure 5. Which biome in the
   United States is associated with the highest level of gross pri-
   mary productivity?