Abstract
The knowledge of biomes as large-scale ecosystem units has benefited from advances in the ecological and evolutionary sciences. Despite this, a universal biome classification system that also allows a standardized nomenclature has not yet been achieved. We propose a comprehensive and hierarchical classification method and nomenclature to define biomes based on a set of bioclimatic variables and their corresponding vegetation structure and ecological functionality. This method uses three hierarchical biome levels: Zonal biome (Macrobiome), Biome and Regional biome. Biome nomenclature incorporates both bioclimatic and vegetation characterization (i.e. formation). Bioclimate characterization basically includes precipitation rate and thermicity. The description of plant formations encompasses vegetation structure, physiognomy and foliage phenology. Since the available systems tend to underestimate the complexity and diversity of tropical ecosystems, we have tested our approach in the biogeographical area of the Neotropics. Our proposal includes a bioclimatic characterization of the main 16 Neotropical plant formations identified. This method provides a framework that (1) enables biome distribution and changes to be projected from bioclimatic data; (2) allows all biomes to be named according to a globally standardized scheme; and (3) integrates various ecological biome approaches with the contributions of the European and North American vegetation classification systems. Taxonomic reference: Jørgensen et al. (2014). Dedication: This work is dedicated to the memory of and in homage to Prof. Dr. Salvador Rivas-Martínez.
Highlights
These scientific streams have so far not produced a universal biome classification system that allows a standardized nomenclature based on a set of criteria or quantifiable variables that can explain and causally predict the distribution and global characteristics of biomes (Holdridge 1947, 1967; Box 1981a, 1981b; Bailey 1989a, 2005)
We propose that biome classification should be based on the typology of a hierarchical system in which, as a first step, the macrobiome is defined through the macrobioclimate and plant formation characteristics, and in a second step, the biome is defined through the altitudinal belt and characterization of the bioclimate
We propose a hierarchical biome classification and nomenclature in three steps
Summary
Dedication: This work is dedicated to the memory of and in homage to Prof. Dr Salvador Rivas-Martínez. From the earliest definitions of biome as a climax biotic community over a large geographic area (Clements 1917; Shelford and Olson 1935; Clements and Shelford 1939), to the present day, where recent definitions incorporate ecological, functional and evolutionary advances, the biome remains a key concept in ecology and biogeography (Mucina 2018; Hunter et al 2021) These scientific streams have so far not produced a universal biome classification system that allows a standardized nomenclature based on a set of criteria or quantifiable variables that can explain and causally predict the distribution and global characteristics of biomes (Holdridge 1947, 1967; Box 1981a, 1981b; Bailey 1989a, 2005). Other works implicitly link climate to vegetation physiognomy (Whittaker 1970; Walter 1973; Larcher 1975; Bailey 1989a; Box 2016) or vegetation activity to climate restrictions (Larcher 1975; Higgins et al 2016) All these approaches make little use of comparable ecological factors or fail to use a similar and replicable nomenclatural sequence of criteria. The biome classification is built on the relationships between both bioclimate and vegetation classifications, understanding bioclimate as a range of climate variables explaining the distribution of a set of biotas and growth forms
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