Zone d’entraide

NaiveAbafar3712

What controls how Earth’s biomes are distributed? I do not understand the question. Thank you for helping me!

Emilie L

Thank you for your question!

First, let's break down the words in the question:

• The biosphere consists of all living things on planet Earth.

• A biome is a community of living things that live and are adapted to live in a specific place and climate. For example, forests, tundras, and savannahs are all examples of biomes. (Biomes are often referred to as "natural habitats", even if that is the wrong term).

Several factors affect the distribution of biomes on Earth. That is why tropical forests can’t be found in the Arctic Circle (it is too cold for them to grow), nor coral reefs at the bottom of the ocean (there isn’t enough light).

Here is a list of factors that control how biomes are spread around the globe:

• Climatic factors: These primarily affect terrestrial biomes and include sunshine, temperature, precipitation, and winds.

• Geographic and geological factors: this includes latitude (the distance from the poles or the equator), altitude, the presence of bodies of water, the presence of relief as well as the type of rocks and soil. These characteristics mainly influence the distribution of terrestrial biomes.

• Physical and chemical factors: these include salinity, temperature, light, amount of nutrients, and amount of oxygen. They mainly affect aquatic biomes.

Don’t hesitate to ask other questions!