Question

Which of the following statements about biomes is false?

a. Chaparral is dominated by shrubs.

b. Savannas and temperate grasslands are dominated by grasses.

c. Boreal forests are dominated by deciduous trees.

d. Lichens are common in the arctic tundra.

Short answer

The Correct Answer is Option (c)

Boreal forests are not dominated by deciduous trees.

Step-by-step solution

Introduction

Biome

• It is also known as a major life zone.
• It is the largest regional biotic unit, containing a variety of communities called after the region's major features, such as grasslands, deserts, or woods.
• It's a geographical area that's home to groups of plants and animals that have evolved in the same environment.
• Temperature, soil, and water are all factors that help us determine the type of life that exists in a biome.

Reasons for the Incorrect options

• Option (a) Chaparral is a form of stunted (scrub) forest that can be found in temperate climates with low summer rainfall. Drought-resistant evergreen shrubs dominate the landscape, forming dense thickets that are punctuated by dwarfed trees like oaks and eucalyptus.
• Option (b) Forests are occasionally mistaken for savannas. Grass and forbs make up the majority of the vegetation (small broad-leaved plants that grow with grasses). Because of differences in rainfall and soil conditions, different savannas sustain different grasses.
• Option (d) Lichens are a prominent and colorful part of Alaska's vegetation, and one of the most diverse groups of creatures found in the Arctic. A lichen is a composite creature made up of a fungus, an alga, and/or cyanobacteria that thrive in a symbiotic relationship.

Reason for the correct option

• Taiga, or coniferous forest, is another name for the boreal forest.
• The winters are cold and dry, and the summers are brief, cool, and moist in this biome. The yearly precipitation ranges from 40 cm to 100 cm (15.7–39 in), with snow being the most common kind.
• There is less evaporation due to the cold temperatures.
• The boreal forest's long and severe winters have resulted in the prevalence of cold-tolerant cone-bearing plants.
• Evergreen coniferous trees, such as pines, spruce, and fir, keep their needle-shaped leaves all year.
• Because a needle-like leaf requires less energy from the sun to warm than a broadleaf, evergreen plants can photosynthesize earlier in the spring than deciduous trees.
• This favors evergreen trees in the boreal forest, which grow quicker than deciduous trees.