Grassland, Desert, and Tundra Biomes

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Grassland, Desert, and Tundra Biomes
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Savannas

• Tropical and subtropical areas near equator
• Full of grasses, scattered trees, and shrubs
• Variety of grazing animals and their predators
• Wet season (little rain) and dry season
• Grass fires restore nutrients to soil

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Plants of Savanna

• Live a long time without water
• Horizontal root system
• Leaves shaped to conserve
• water
• Thorns to warn off predators

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Animals of the Savanna

• Migrating herbivores such as elephants
• Predators follow the migrating animals
• Birth given when food is plentiful
• Herbivores eat food at
• different heights
• Ex gazelles, rhinos,
• giraffes

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Temperate Grasslands
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Temperate Grassland

• Dominated by grasses very few trees
• Hot summers and cold winters
• Moderate rainfall 50-88 cm/year
• Most fertile soil of any grassland
• Many have been replaced by farms and grazing
  areas
• Little rain makes for good fire conditions

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Temperate Grasslands
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Plants of Temperate Grasslands

• Prairie grasses Wildflowers
• Dense root systems to
• withstand drought
• and fires
• Few trees due to lack
• of rain, too many fires,
• and strong winds

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Animals of Temperate Grasslands

• Pronghorn antelopes teeth for grazing
• Bison teeth for grazing
• Badgers burrow for safety
• Prairie Dogs burrow
• for safety
• Owls burrow for safety

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Threats to Temperature Grasslands

• Farming and Overgrazing
• Soil erosion due to majority
• of plants not being native
• Constant eating and trampling
• decreases regeneration
• of natural grasses
• Become desert-like biomes

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Chaparral
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Chaparral

• Broad-leaf evergreen shrubs
• Primarily in coastal areas
• Mediterranean climates
• Warm, dry summers
• Mild, wet winters

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Plants of the Chaparral

• Low-lying, evergreen shrubs
• Small trees in patches
• Small, leathery leaves that hold moisture
• Leaves also contain oils that promote fires
• Small amounts of plants can propagate new ones
• Oils give plants taste and smell

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Animals of the Chaparral

• Camouflage
• Shape
• Coloring
• To blend into the environment

• Quail
• Lizards
• Chipmunks
• Mule Deer

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Threats to the Chaparral

• Human development
• Sun, near oceans, mild climate year-round

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Deserts
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Deserts

• gt 25cm rainfall/year
• Little or no vegetation
• Extreme temperatures
• Hot and cold deserts
• Near large mountain
• ranges
• Weather is blocked

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Plants of the Desert

• Succulents hold water
• Leaves are waxed coated
• to prevent water loss
• Spines prevent predators
• Roots at surface to absorb
• maximum rainfall

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Animals of the Desert

• Reptiles Gila monsters rattlesnakes
• Amphibians spadefoot toad
• Both estivate bury until wet season
• Elf Owl burrows in cacti
• Insects protected with armor to prevent moisture
  escaping
• Most animals are nocturnal

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Tundra

• North of Artic Circle
• Short summers
• Under topsoil,
• permanently frozen
• Swamps when top
• of soil thaws
• Lots of mosquitoes
• and blackflies
• Feeding frenzy for birds

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Plants of the Tundra

• Rock covered by lichens and mosses
• Thin soil makes roots shallow
• Short plants able to avoid wind and absorb
  maximum heat from sun
• Willow and juniper grow close to ground

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Animals of the Tundra

• Migratory birds breed in summer
• Mollusks, worms, insects are abundant
• Caribou, deer and moose migrate
• Wolves and foxes migrate after the herbivores
• Mice, rabbits and lemmings burrow
• Some year rounders have camouflage

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Threats to the Tundra

• Most fragile biome
• Simple food chains are easily disrupted
• Extreme conditions
• Oil exploration is devastating for the animal
  and plant life
• Oil spills are deadly to ecosystem