Summary:
- Climate is the average weather in an area over a long period of time.
- Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere from day to day.
- Climate is generally described in terms of temperature and moisture.
- Terrestrial biomes include all the land areas on Earth where organisms live.
- The distinguishing features of terrestrial biomes are determined mainly by climate.
- For example, in arid climates, plants may have special tissues for storing water.
- Biodiversity generally increases from the poles to the equator.
- This is apparent from the desert and rainforest biomes pictured in Figure above.