Despite the relatively low diversity, desert species exhibit fascinating adaptations to the harshness of their environment. The low species diversity of this biome is closely related to its low and unpredictable precipitation. A MinuteEarth video about the global climate patterns which lead to subtropical deserts. In some cases, the annual rainfall can be as low as 2 cm (0.8 in) in subtropical deserts located in central Australia (“the Outback”) and northern Africa. Some years may receive tiny amounts of rainfall, while others receive more. Subtropical deserts are characterized by low annual precipitation of fewer than 30 cm (12 in) with little monthly variation and lack of predictability in rainfall. Subtropical hot deserts can have daytime soil surface temperatures above 60 oC (140 oF) and nighttime temperatures approaching 0 oC (32 oF). Subtropical deserts are very dry evaporation typically exceeds precipitation. Deserts in other regions, such as the Sahara Desert in northern Africa or the Namib Desert in southwestern Africa are dry because of the high-pressure, dry air descending at those latitudes. This is typical of the North American deserts, such as the Mohave and Sonoran deserts. Deserts are frequently located on the downwind or lee side of mountain ranges, which create a rain shadow after prevailing winds drop their water content on the mountains. Subtropical deserts exist between 15 o and 30 o north and south latitude and are centered on the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn (Figure 6 below). (credit: “Ethel Aardvark”/Wikimedia Commons) Although savannas are dominated by grasses, small woodlands, such as this one in Mount Archer National Park in Queensland, Australia, may dot the landscape. Some organisms live several meters above ground, rarely descending to the forest floor.įigure 5. Many species of animals use the variety of plants and the complex structure of the tropical wet forests for food and shelter. These layers provide diverse and complex habitats for the variety of plants, animals, and other organisms.
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Some additional trees emerge through this closed upper canopy. A layer of trees rises above this understory and is topped by a closed upper canopy-the uppermost overhead layer of branches and leaves. Above that is an understory of short, shrubby foliage. On the forest floor is a sparse layer of plants and decaying plant matter. Tropical rainforests are characterized by vertical layering of vegetation and the formation of distinct habitats for animals within each layer. Species diversity is very high in tropical wet forests, such as these forests of Madre de Dios, Peru, near the Amazon River. However, the high amounts of rainfall leaches nutrients from the soils of these forests. However, the driest month of a tropical rainforest can still exceed the annual rainfall of some other biomes, such as deserts.Tropical rainforests have high net primary productivity because the annual temperatures and precipitation values support rapid plant growth. Tropical rainforests have wet months in which there can be more than 30 cm (11–12 in) of precipitation, as well as dry months in which there are fewer than 10 cm (3.5 in) of rainfall. The annual rainfall in tropical rainforests ranges from 125 to 660 cm (50–200 in) with considerable seasonal variation.
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In contrast to other ecosystems, a consistent daily amount of sunlight (11–12 hours per day year-round) provides more solar radiation and therefore more opportunity for primary productivity. This lack of temperature seasonality leads to year-round plant growth rather than just seasonal growth.
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Month-to-month temperatures are relatively constant in tropical rainforests, in contrast to forests farther from the equator. The temperature and sunlight profiles of tropical rainforests are stable in comparison to other terrestrial biomes, with average temperatures ranging from 20 oC to 34 oC (68 oF to 93 oF). The vegetation is characterized by plants with spreading roots and broad leaves that fall off throughout the year, unlike the trees of deciduous forests that lose their leaves in one season. Tropical rainforests have also been described as nature’s pharmacy because of the potential for new drugs that is largely hidden in the chemicals produced by the huge diversity of plants, animals, and other organisms. This biodiversity is under extraordinary threat primarily through logging and deforestation for agriculture. Tropical rainforests are found in equatorial regions (Figure 1) are the most biodiverse terrestrial biome.