Most terrestrial biomes are defined by their average annual temperature and precipitation, and the range of values can be organized in such a way to produce the figure below. Current predictions of global climate change indicate that temperatures may rise by as much as 5°C in some areas. Imagine a chaparral location that experiences 100 cm of average annual rainfall and an average annual temperature of 15°C. If there were an increase of 5°C, what would you expect?
A)The area under the curve for chaparral would shift to the left.
B)The area under the curve for chaparral would shift up.
C)The region would still be classified as chaparral because rainfall did not change.
D)The region would be become a savanna.

Question

Most terrestrial biomes are defined by their average annual temperature and precipitation, and the range of values can be organized in such a way to produce the figure below.  Current predictions of global climate change indicate that temperatures may rise by as much as 5°C in some areas. Imagine a chaparral location that experiences 100 cm of average annual rainfall and an average annual temperature of 15°C. If there were an increase of 5°C, what would you expect?
A)The area under the curve for chaparral would shift to the left. 
B)The area under the curve for chaparral would shift up. 
C)The region would still be classified as chaparral because rainfall did not change. 
D)The region would be become a savanna.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A 5°C increase in temperature would push the chaparral location above the threshold for being classified as such, and it would become a savanna biome. The shift in temperature would likely also affect the amount and distribution of precipitation, potentially leading to a decrease in annual rainfall as well.

Most Terrestrial Biomes Are Defined by Their Average Annual Temperature