Science Group
Question:
catlover
Student
High School - 10th Grade
Why are more biomes found in the Andes than in the Rockies?
The Andes mountain range, located on the equator, displays distinct biomes ranging from tropical rain forest to tundra. The Rocky Mountains, located in western North America, display a more limited range of biomes. Use latitude in your answer to explain the question.
Answers:
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pohnpei397 Teacher
Community / Jr. CollegeeNotes Editor
Posted by pohnpei397 on Tuesday October 13, 2009 at 8:37 PMBest answer as selected by question asker.
The Andes are able to have more biomes largely because they are, as you say, closer to the equator than the Rockies are.
Because the Andes are nearer to the equator, the lower parts of the mountain range can have very tropical biomes. As you go higher up the mountains, you pass through more biomes as the temperature changes.
By contrast, even the lowest parts of the Rockies are not tropical because they are located at too high of a latitude. Because of this, fewer biomes can be found in the Rockies. For example, you can't find tropical rain forests in the Rockies because they're more like in the area of 40 degrees north.
So, the Andes can have more biomes because they are near the equator and so their lower reaches can have biomes that aren't possible in the Rockies.
