Educational Model: Distribution of Biomes on Earth

This model is a component of the IUMC (Innovative Educational and Methodological Complex) "Ecology: Constructing the Biosphere", developed in 2008 by D. A. Shabanov, A. G. Kozlenko, and M. A. Kravchenko by order of the NTFP (National Training Foundation) of the Russian Federation (more about this project is in the article "Innovation and Reality"; reasons why this complex is not used are briefly described in the column "Textbooks: Straight into the Day After Tomorrow"). This model is posted here for educational use. The model shows distribution of biomes (large regional ecosystems) on Earth’s surface, separately for land and ocean. The theoretical material related to the model is in the section "Classification of Biomes" of the manual "Ecology: Biology of Interactions". The model allows estimation of the percent area occupied by each biome and features of its distribution, and provides examples of characteristic appearance of each ecosystem type. Instructions for working with the model are located at the very bottom of its window; if they do not fit in the small box, they can be scrolled with the arrows on the right. Some tasks that can be solved while working with the model: 1. Examine the map of terrestrial biomes. Explain differences in biome distribution between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and factors causing formation of particular biomes (for example, deserts in Asia, North America, and Southern Africa). 2. Examine the map of marine biomes. Using the table below, identify which marine biome has the lowest productivity per unit area. What factors cause such low productivity? 3. Why is productivity of estuaries and upwelling zones much higher than productivity of nearby open-ocean and continental-shelf areas?