Question

Why does grouping terrestrial organisms into biomes obscure diversity?

a. Biomes groups terrestrial organisms only on the basis of similar habitat conditions.
b. Organisms belonging to a similar biome have dissimilarities in their makeup.
c. There is variation within different types of biomes that biome categorization does not capture.
d. Terrestrial biomes are defined based only on the growth form of the dominant vegetation.

Answer 1

Grouping terrestrial organisms into biomes can mask the biodiversity and ecosystem intricacies within them, since biomes are broad classifications that may not reflect the rich variability within individual ecosystems.

Step-by-step explanation:

Grouping terrestrial organisms into biomes can obscure the true diversity present within these ecosystems. Biomes are large-scale communities classified based on the dominant plant types and similar climatic conditions, such as temperature and precipitation. While this classification system aids in understanding global patterns, it inevitably simplifies and generalizes the intricate variations and unique features of individual ecosystems within each biome.

For example, consider the vast differences in vegetation and living conditions between the Sonoran Desert in the United States, which is known for its saguaro cacti, and the rocky desert of Boa Vista, an island off the coast of Western Africa. Both are deserts, yet their ecosystems vary greatly in terms of biodiversity, types of vegetation, and other living conditions. Thus, while biomes are useful for categorization on a broad scale, they can mask the variability and complexity found within distinct ecosystems that fall under the same biome classification.