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Q136 (IAS/2002) Environment & Ecology › Ecology & Ecosystem Basics › Ecosystem concepts Answer Verified

Consider the following ecosystems: 1. Taiga 2. Tropical evergreen 3. Tropical deciduous 4. Tundra The correct sequence in decreasing order of the albedo values of these ecosystems is

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: C
Explanation

Tundra has the highest albedo because snow-covered surfaces in cold regions reflect a large fraction of incoming solar radiation (commonly ~70–90%), producing the highest surface reflectivity among biomes [1]. Boreal/coniferous taiga follows tundra: forest canopies are darker than snow but when snow is present canopy interception and forest structure reduce overall albedo relative to open snow, so taiga exhibits lower reflectance than open tundra but higher than tropical forests [2]. Among tropical biomes, deciduous forests generally have higher albedo than dense evergreen rainforests because seasonal leaf drop and sparser canopies expose lighter understory/soil, whereas evergreen canopies are dense and darker, giving the lowest albedo [2]. Thus the decreasing order is: Tundra, Taiga, Tropical deciduous, Tropical evergreen (4,1,3,2).

Sources

  1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 21: Horizontal Distribution of Temperature > Albedo > p. 283
  2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 21: Horizontal Distribution of Temperature > 21. Horizontal Distribution of Temperature > p. 285
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