ABSTRACT
The discussion included here draws from the work of Archibold (1995), who has provided good comparative information to our understanding of the terrestrial biomes. Our review will help to
illustrate how edaphic features struc-• ture vegetation communities, and hence ecosystems, in terrestrial biomes; identify characteristics that deter-• mine what trees, shrubs, and animals humans can use, and where; understand climax communities in • biomes so that we better understand the factors that affect successional processes; identify biome changes associated with • glaciations and, conversely, with global warming; and
understand the role of disturbances • such as fire.
