Question

Compare the three types of forests: tropical rainforest, temperate deciduous forest, and boreal forest (also called the taiga). Answer the following questions. Feel free to use the Internet for further information if needed.

What are three characteristics that these biomes have in common?
How are the trees different in these three biomes?
Describe the three soil types. Before you learned about the biomes, which of the three would you have thought would have had the richest soil? Why?
For each of the three biomes, describe what you see as the biggest challenge to plants and animals.

Answer 1

I will medal, I really need help with this.

Answer 2

Three similarities: all of the forests have big carbon sinks, they all have large amounts of microorganism biodiversity, and they all have lots of leaf area.

Differences in trees:
Tropical has multilayered, continuous, and dense canopy allowing little light penetration, large green leaves, shallow, evergeen,
Temperate is moderately dense with broad leaves and allows light to pass through, trees lose leaves annually
Boreal is thick canopy with little light penetration, evergreen conifers with needles.

Three soil types:
In tropical, soil is not nutrient rich and it is and acidic. Decomposition happens fast and soil is subject to heavy leaching.
In temperate, soil is rich with lots of decaying litter
In boreal, soil is deprived of nutrients, thin, and acidic
Before learning about biomes, you would have probably thought that the rainforest had the richest soil, but no, it actually has the worst due to little light penetration and heavy leaching.

Biggest challenge:
Tropical - lack of soil nutrients
Temperate - acid rain
Boreal - bad soil