What Affects the Distribution of Biomes?
Geography: KS3, topic 15.1.2
What Affects the Distribution of Biomes?
Climate (sunlight, temperature, and rainfall), altitude, the types of rock, the type of soil, and drainage all affect which biome appears where in the world.
Altitude
- Temperatures are lower at higher altitudes.
- Warmer temperatures are better for supporting large and biodiverse ecosystems.
- High altitudes are normally on mountainsides so the relief is steep.
- Soils are thin at high altitudes because there isn't much dead plant matter (organic matter) to support nutrient cycling.
Rock type
- Some rocks weather/erode easily and contain lots of minerals. An area with these kinds of rocks will have more nutrient-rich soil.
- Limestone and marble weather easily. Clay is rich in minerals.
- The permeability of rocks also influences biomes because the permeability of rocks affects water supplies in the local area.
Soil type
- Nutrient-rich soils are able to support more plant life, larger ecosystems, and more biodiversity.
- Drainage and the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the soil will determine which kind of plants can live there.
- Which plants can live in an area will then determine which kind of animals can live in the area.
Drainage
- Soil gets waterlogged easily if drainage is bad. Plants can only survive in these areas if they are adapted to damp conditions.
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