Figure 23.26: Biosphere 2, in Arizona, contains 3.15 acres of closed ecosystem and is a
small-scale model of the biosphere. ( 21 )
Lesson Summary
- A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar com-
munities of plants and animals - Biomes are classified in different ways, sometimes according to patterns of ecological
succession and climax vegetation, other times according to differences in the physical
environment, and in other situations according to latitude and humidity - Biodiversity of each biome is a function of abiotic factors, such as moisture availability
and temperature, and the biomass productivity of the dominant vegetation - Terrestrial biomes are defined based on various plant factors and on climate
- Aquatic biomes are classified according to various factors and further subdivided into
freshwater and marine biomes - The most inclusive level of organization in ecology is the biosphere and it is a global
ecological system - The biosphere is itself a living organism, as explained by the GAIA hypothesis
- Humans have fundamentally altered global patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem pro-
cesses
Review Questions
- Define a biome.
- Name a type of biome based on the physical environment.