Paper Summary:

In this paper, the author examines a study by W.K. Lauenroth as it is presented in "Fundamentals of Physical Geography: 2nd Edition." The author argues that average annual temperature, as a part of climate, is very important in relation to biomass of plant material.

From the Paper:

"Lauenroth's study is important because it suggests that the average annual temperature can in fact play a deterministic role in influencing primary productivity in natural grasslands. Other "meteorological variables" come into play "such as rainfall, windliness and duration of sunshine" but temperature "is probably the most significant climatic factor in biological terms as all metabolic processes...are temperature dependent" (Ford 17). If the average annual temperature is too low (below approximately four degrees celsius) then, according to Lauenroth's study, the biomass of organic life is essentially zero tonnes per hectare in natural grasslands: this could be due to the fact that low temperatures are correlated with low amounts of sunlight and plants require sunlight to produce their own food."

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