Question

Which of the following choices does NOT correctly pair a biome with some of its characteristics?

Tropical rainforest – long cold winters, low plant species diversity.

Temperate deciduous forest – cool to cold winters; dry summers

Temperate grassland – cool to cold winters; dry summers

Chaparral – mild, rainy winters; long, hot dry summers

Answer 1

Ans:

The answer is ' Tropical rainforest – long cold winters, low plant species diversity'.

Explanation:

All the biomes are paired correctly with their characteristics except the biome Tropical Rainforest. Although these biomes can be found all over the world,majority of them lies in South America (Brazil).Their characteristic feature is that they receive very high rainfall every year and the average temperature remains high.Other main characteristics include; nutrient-poor soil and a very high level of species diversity.

These biomes are found near the equator where the exposure to direct sunlight is more and hence the temperature in these biomes are consistently high throughout the year with an average day time temperature of 290C.

These biomes have nutrient-poor soil due because they are not able to store enough nutrients for a long time due to the heavy rains that sweep the organic materials from the soil.But due to rapid decomposition that occurs in the hot and moist conditions and the high diversity of decomposers like the bacteria and fungi in these biomes,helps in regenerating enough nutrients that can be taken up by the plants and hence the biodiversity in these areas are much higher when compared to other ecosystems.For example: In the tropical rainforest that lies in Borneo, more than 15,000 plant species can be found.As per study conducted by biologists,around 50% of the worlds terrestrial plants as well as animals can be found in these tropical rainforests.

Thus, we can conclude that the pairing 'Tropical rainforest – long cold winters, low plant species diversity' , is NOT correct and hence the answer.