World Biomes

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World Biomes
World Biomes
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Biomes

• Regions of the world with similar physical
  environments
• Named for the most conspicuous vegetation
• Climate factors
• Rainfall (precipitation)
• Temperature
• Altitude
• Latitude
• Boundaries are distinct
• Regions

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6 Major Biomes

• Tropical Rainforest
• Grassland
• - Subtropical / Tropical
• - Deciduous
• Desert
• Temperate
• - Temperate Deciduous Forest
• - Temperate Rainforest
• Taiga (Coniferous Forest or Boreal Forest)
• Tundra

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Homeostasis of Biomes

• Delicate balance of
• Temperature and water balance
• Light and biological cycles
• Ecology and conservation
• Pollution
• Predation
• Competition
• Symbiosis
• Human impact

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Environmental Concerns

• Pollution clear cutting
• Illegal logging
• Poaching
• Forest fires unnatural fires
• Mining
• Drilling for oil and natural gas
• Global warming

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Tropical Rainforests

• Equatorial lowlands
• Constant temperature and abundant rainfall all
  year long
• Many arboreal animals
• Very few terrestrial animals

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Tropical Rainforest
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Subtropical and TropicalGrassland

• Warm temperatures throughout the year
• Well defined dry season and rainy season
• Large herbivores
• Tall grasses
• Scattered trees and shrubs

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Subtropical and TropicalGrassland
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Temperate Grassland

• Hot, humid summer and cold winter
• Precipitation as winter snow and heavy rain in
  the spring and summer
• Tall and short grasses trees and shrubs only
  located near streams
• Wide variety of animal life
• - large herbivores
• - smaller animals build burrows

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Grassland Adaptations

• Native plants are perennials while crop grains
  are annuals
• Half the plant growth is below the ground
• Dominated by grazing animals (deer, antelope,
  buffalo- once common but now rarely native to the
  area)
• Herds (safety in numbers)
• Burrowing small animals (colonies such as prairie
  dogs.

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Temperate Grassland
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Deserts

• Identified by lack of precipitation
• Deserts can be cold or hot
• - Antarctica is a cold desert
• Nocturnal animal life in hot deserts
• Plants are well adapted to short water supply

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Desert
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Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Deciduous forests (trees shed leaves in the
  winter) of mid-latitude region
• Cold winters and hot summers
• Abundant rain and snowfall
• Wide variety of animal life

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Temperate Deciduous Forest
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Temperate Rainforest

• Cold winters and hot summers
• Abundant rain and snowfall
• Conifers (redwoods, pines, spruce, and firs)
  retain their needles
• - Needles conserve water in dry summer and
  shed snow in cold winter
• Wide variety of animal life

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Temperate Rainforest
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Taiga aka Boreal Forestaka Coniferous Forest
Coniferous (Evergreen) Forest (trees retain their
leaves year round) Found at high elevations
and/or far northern latitudes Snow accounts for
most of the precipitation Animals are adapted to
long, cold winters
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Taiga aka Boreal Forestaka Coniferous Forest
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Taiga Adaptations

• Trees have upside down cone shapes so snow slides
  off branches
• Branches are flexible
• Trees grow close together to protect them from
  cold and winds
• Birds migrate south for winter
• Animals store extra fat layers for winter
• Animals change diet from season to season

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Tundra

• Areas with continuously frozen ground
  (permafrost)
• Near polar regions
• Small plants limited by frozen soil and prolonged
  dark season
• Animals adapted to extreme cold birds often
  migrate

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Tundra