Biomes Tropical, Savanna, Desert, and Chaparral

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BiomesTropical, Savanna, Desert, and Chaparral
By Aryam Kifle, Izzy Rosenblatt, Jordyn
Matthews, Korey Mui
B Block
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Desert

• Izzy Rosenblatt

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Desert Facts

• Annual Temperature 20-25C
• extreme maximum temp 43.5-49C extreme
  minimum -18C
• Annual precipitation 1 in. (0.25cm)
• Latitude 15-28 north and south of the equator,
  there global range covers about 1/5 of the Earth

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Personal Impressions of Desert Biome

• As I research deserts, I am pondering about how
  any such animal or species could live in such an
  arid place with so little water. I compare the
  Sahara and other major deserts to Boston, where I
  have lived practically all my life, and I think
  about the differences in weather and climate. In
  New England, the inhabitants, people, plants,
  animals, are used to snow, drastic rainfall,
  severe storms and extreme changes in temperature.
  In the desert, they only receive about 1 inch of
  rainfall a year! When I think of deserts, I
  picture hot, dry and sandy. Although as I
  researched on the web, I came to realize that
  some deserts are cold and have a lot of
  vegetation. Some of these deserts are located in
  Utah, Nevada and parts of Western Asia. I also
  did not realize that deserts are characterized
  under the following categories hot and dry,
  semiarid, coastal, and cold. I was surprised when
  I read that cold deserts have cold winters,
  snowfall and rainfall. It is incredible how these
  biomes can range from the warmest and driest
  places on Earth to cold and relatively wet areas.
  

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• Barrel Cactus

• A round cactus filled with a slimy alkaline
  juice. It has sharp, hooked spines. It only lives
  in desert biomes because it has adapted to the
  dry, hot extremes. The cactus is able to store
  water because of its xerophytes physical
  structure. These plants have long roots, allowing
  them to absorb moisture from deep in the earth.

• The tree is very important to the desert
  ecosystem. They provide food and shelter for many
  of the desert animals. It is the largest of the
  yuccas, and like many other of the yuccas, it
  relies on the female Pronuba moth for
  pollination. These trees only live in the Mojave
  Desert. The trees prefer dry soil.

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Animals in the Desert

• Dorcas Gazelle

• Found across the deserts of Africa and Western
  Arabia. They are grazers. They are well adapted
  to their dry habitat, and receive much of the
  moisture they need from the tissues of the plants
  it eats, such as the acacia.
• Ecological Niches They eat vegetation,
  reproduce, and provide carnivores with something
  to eat (examples lions, cheetahs, leopards,
  hyenas)
• They live in the desert because they are well
  adapted to the dryness. They can go their entire
  lives without drinking water. They can withstand
  high temperatures.

• They are Common in the Sonoran Desert. The toads
  have extremely potent, defensive toxins that are
  released when the animal feels threatened. They
  migrate to the wet parts of the deserts. Their
  typical diet consists of insects and mice. They
  are the largest toads in Arizona.
• Ecological Niches Raccoons eat the adult toads.
• They can live in the desert because they spend
  the dry winters underground. They are able to
  tolerate the dry heat of the desert. They are
  usually active during the rain. The toads have
  severely dry skin because it has to survive in
  the desert.

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Abiotic Factors in Desert

• Temperature

• Soil

• The temperature in deserts can change
  drastically from day to night. The daytime is
  usually hot because there is hardly any moisture
  in the air to block the suns rays. High day time
  temperatures and low night time temperatures make
  it difficult to survive in this biome. Particular
  species of plants and animals must be able to
  tolerate these temperature conditions in order to
  live

• Desert soils are rich in minerals, but poor in
  organic material. They are usually poorly
  developed because there is low plant
  productivity. Soils with low organic matter
  content have a low water-holding capacity, and
  the intense evaporation of water from desert
  soils brings the dissolved salts to the surface.
  The high sodium levels make it difficult for
  plants to grow. Plants in the desert had to adapt
  to the difficult living situations, barely any
  water and poor soil.

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What if a flood occurred in the desert?

• Most deserts are very dry, and animals are
  sometimes dependent on the aridness. Violent
  rainstorms can cause flashfloods in the desert.
  When floods do occur, it erodes the desert rocks
  quickly. Flash floods can either rip apart plants
  from the ground. On the other hand, the wind and
  water can be beneficial to plants that can
  withstand its abrasive force because the wind
  carries important minerals and nutrients across
  the desert soil. In addition, rainfall usually
  falls on poorly absorbent and clay-like soil,
  which increases the amount of run-off that rivers
  and bodies of water have to handle. Fish and
  other aquatic animals can die from the polluted
  water. However, some fish have the capabilities
  to rapidly align in the current when flooding
  occurs. Invertebrates experience high mortality
  rates from flash flooding. In some cases, insects
  are able to avoid flash flooding. In a study,
  both the Curicta pronotata and Aquarius remigis
  were found to be able to avoid flooding. In the
  case of flash flooding of a desert, secondary
  succession would occur. Meaning, that part of the
  existing community would be cleared, but the soil
  would remain intact and another community will
  evolve.

izzy0615
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Sources

• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_climate_pag
  e.htm
•  http//www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/dese
  rts.php
• http//www.desertusa.com/
• http//www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_desert_toad
  .php
• http//www.science.oregonstate.edu

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Tropical

• Jordyn Matthews 

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Background

• Temperature Range
• 20-25 degrees Celsius, or above 64 degrees
  Fahrenheit
• There is little variation throughout year
• The warmest months averages and coldest months
  averages do not differ by over 5 degree
• Annual Precipitation
• More than 100 inches or 2000 mm a year
• There is usually a brief season of reduced
  precipitation
• Rainy season and dry season
• Latitudebetween 23.5 degrees north and south
  latitude

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My Impression

• This biome is very interesting there is a lot 
• to learn about its plant and animal species, 
• as they are both very diverse. There is also a 
• different dynamic in terms of how the species
•  interact because of the absence of sunlight. The
  trees are so thick that below them, where not
  much sunlight reaches the species that live
  there, both plant and animal, there are
  interesting and unique types of interactions and
  processes. This factor makes much about the biome
  very unique.

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Plant Species

• Epiphytesthese are plants that grow on other
  plants 
• rather than on soil. The soil is very
  nutrient-poor in 
• tropical forests, and there is a lack of sunlight
  that reaches
• the forest floor. They grow on high branches, use
  limbs 
• for support, and extract moisture from the air.
• Ex orchids, bromel
•   Lianas woody vines that quickly grow to fill
  in the gaps 
•                          or openings, sometimes
  due to fallen trees they compete
•                          for light and space.
  This would not be of such competitive
•                          nature if it werent for
  the limited sunlight or nutrient-poor 
•                          soil.
•                             
• Note Both of these plant species' adaptations
  and unique characteristics represent strategies
  to reach sunlight

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Animal Species

• Bright colors, sharp patterns, loud
  vocalizations, fruit-heavy diets, adaptations to
  arboreal life (arboreal having to do with trees)
• Sloths Slow moving, little muscle. Sloths must
  eat very little to be able to maintain a minimum
  body size in order to not fall from the trees.
  They are unique to rainforests. Algae grow on
  their fur to help them blend in with the
  lichen-covered tree bark. They are helpless on
  the ground and so they live among the trees of
  the tropical forests. 
• Tucans They are among the few adapted to feed on
  the many fruits found in the forest. The fruits
  are energy rich, and the birds pass out the seeds
  elsewhere, dispersing them. They play a major
  role in maintaining high diversity.

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Abiotic Factors

• Sunlight The trees keep out sunlight from layers
  below, and this creates many specific aspects of
  this biome. There are many unique plant species
  with adaptations to living in conditions like
  this, and animals also must adapt to the lack of
  sunlight.
• Nutrient-poor soil Many plants have to adjust to
  this, and so there is a flourishing of plants
  that live on other plants. The fact that
  decomposition is very quick causes the soil to
  have low quantities of mineral nutrients.

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Ecological Disturbance

• If there were an ecological disturbance, such as
  a tropical storm, the plant species that would
  flourish would be the epiphytes. There would be a
  lot of fallen trees, and the epiphytes would grow
  along the trees, while lianas fill in the gaps.
  Anything that died would decompose quickly in the
  soil, and the forest would slowly rebuild.

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Sources

• Source- http//www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/glos
  s5/biome/forests.html, and http//www.radford.edu/
  swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/rainforest/rainfr
  st.html, http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/trop
  rain.htm, also used textbook

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Chaparral

• Korey Mui

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Background

• Temperature range 30F to 100F. Mild, moist
  winters and hot, dry summers.
• Annual precipitation 10-40 inches per year. Most
  of the rain comes in the winter, never in the
  summer.
• Latitude Mid-latitude climate. 30 to 50N and
  30 to 40S. Specific locations California,
  Chile, the Mediterranean, South Africa, and
  Australia. 
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  

http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/chaparral.htm
http//www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/k4/biomes/Bovervie
w7.html  
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My Impression

• This biome is relatively dull compared to the
  others savannah, tropical, and desert.
• I have never heard of this biome until this
  project. 
• It is almost like a wannabe desert but has too
  many shrubs. 
• California is characteristic of chaparrals, but I
  cant help to think of the Wild West as abetter
  connection.

  http//www.desktopwallpaperhd.com/wallpapers/des
ktop-cowboy-lasso-background-quality-various-89697
.html
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Plant Species

• Adenostoma fasciculatum (Chamise)?
• Evergreen shrub with stick-like branches, small
  shiny leaves with flammable oils, and bunches of
  white tubular flowers
• Drought tolerant
• Able to grow in nutrient-poor and dry soil of
  chaparral
• Controls erosion well
• Dormant seeds sprout at high rates only after
  fire
• Manzanita
• Perrenial scrubs or small trees with long,
  twisted, and smooth maroon branches, grey-green
  evergreen leaves, hairy twigs, and occasional
  flowers and fruits
• Drought tolerant
• Dependent on chaparral fires to burn thick
  endocarp allowing seeds to germinate

  http//www.bahiker.com/slideshows/mtnhomepics.ht
ml
www.pbase.com/ image/57113729
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Animal Species

• Grysbok (Cape and Sharpes) 
• ?Small antelope of around 35 pounds and 22 inches
  at the shoulder
• Primarily nocturnal to evade heat
• Sustains droughts by obtaining requirements from
  foods such as leaves buds, herb, and fruits
• Hides in thick, short shrubs of chaparral without
  getting stuck
• Protea canary
• Stays in chaparral to primarily feed on protea
  seeds as well as some fruit, shoots, and insects
• Places op cup nest in a dense bush
• Is shy and prefers to retreat to thick vegetation
  after flight

http//mhsbiomes.wikispaces.com/Chaparral2
http//www.birdsisaw.com/Bird.aspx?q4179
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Abiotic Factors

• Temperature 
• Hot summers and mild winters
• Generates hot and dry characterization 
• Produces dry soil, droughts, and fires
• Soil
• Nutrient-poor, dry, rocky
• Result of dry climate and constant droughts
• Characterizes distinct evergreen shrubs

http//cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/segwayed/lessons/start
emp/l1.htm
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Ecological Disturbance

• Fire!...duh
• Caused by combination of dryness and
  lightning/human activity
• Can be impressive and violent 
• Secondary succession poor soil intact 
• Burns plant life but most plants are quick to
  resprout and reproduce
• Dormant seeds require heat intensity to
  germinate 
• After fire, those species that resprout quicker
  and have fire-dependent seeds will succeed
  others. 

http//interwork.sdsu.edu/fire/resources/chapparal
-charecteristics.htm
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Sources

• "Adenostoma fasciculatum." US Forest Service -
  Caring for the land and serving people.. N.p.,
  n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. lthttp//www.fs.fed.us/dat
  abase/feis/plants/shrub/adefas/all.htmlINTRODUCTO
  RYgt. 
• Bailey, Regina. "Land Biomes Chaparrals."
  Biology. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2011.
  lthttp//biology.about.com/od/landbiomes/a/aa060906
  a.htmgt. 
• "Chaparral Plants." Blue Planet Biomes. N.p.,
  n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. lthttp//www.blueplanetbio
  mes.org/chaparral_plant_page.htmgt. 
• "Grysbok - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia."
  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web.
  25 Sept. 2011. lthttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grysb
  okgt. 
• "Protea Canary - Wikipedia, the free
  encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
  N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. lthttp//en.wikipedi
  a.org/wiki/Protea_Seedeatergt. 
• "Biomes - Living Worlds Chaparrals." Library
  ThinkQuest. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2011.
  ltlibrary.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biome
  s.chaparral.animals.html?tqtime1qtime0208gt. 

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• Savanna
• Aryam Kifle

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Savanna Facts

• Annual Temp 20-30 C (68-86 F)
• Precipitaion 15-25 inches
• Latitude (In Africa) 15 degrees North and 30
  degrees South

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Impression

• The savanna is an evidently dry biome, rain
  only hits it for a couple of months a year, and
  they usually do not get more than 25 inches. Its
  either in a state of drought, or monsoon, never
  in between. The savanna biome tends to have
  animals and plants that have adapted to the
  environment. Most of the animals are ungulates
  such as zebras, giraffes and the like. The
  savanna is essentially a big open plain with few
  trees, and even fewer tall trees.

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Plants
A plant that lives in the savanna is the Senegal
Gum Acacia which is a small thorn tree which can
grow up to 20 meters tall and has many branches
that spread out and have thorns. Its leaves are a
green color, and the plant has flowers, which
turn into seedpods that look dried up and yellow.
This plant is special in that in can live through
periods of drought in the savanna. It grows in
sandy areas where there are about 12 or 15 inches
of rain a year. Another plant that lives in the
savanna is the Gum Tree Eucalyptus, which is
about 20 to 30 feet tall with round leaves of a
greenish-gray color. The eucalyptus is special to
the savanna because it grows in the sunny, dry
climates because it is not able to tolerate cold
weather.
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Animals
An example of an animal that lives in the savanna
is the African Elephant. They are the largest
mammals in the world. African elephants live here
because they are herbivores, meaning they are
easily able to eat plants as they please in the
savanna. Another example of an animal that
survives in the savanna is the African Wild Dog.
The African Wild Dog is able to live in the
savanna because during the dry season they are
able to hunt many animals that they are able to
hunt with their light body and long legs. It has
large ears to help radiate heat away from its
body and its muzzle has powerful muscles, which
helps it catch and keep hold of its prey. Another
benefit to the Wild Dog is its multicolored coat,
which blends in with its surroundings making it
easier to hunt.
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Abiotic
Seasonal rainfall is a major abiotic factor of
the savanna biome. It characterizes the savanna
because rainfall in the savanna is very
infrequent, its as close as can be to a desert
besides the monsoon season, which is the seasonal
rainfall factor in the savanna. Another major
abiotic factor that characterizes the savanna is
the compact soil, which has edaphic factors,
which contribute to the plant distribution in the
biome.
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Disturbance- Fire
A possible ecological disturbance in the savanna
is a fire in which the plants could be affected.
Some plants in the savanna are fire resistant but
some are not. Of the ones that are not, they
would grow back in an order similar to the grass
first, followed by small plants and shrubs, then
succeeded by the larger trees, of which there are
not many.
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Sources
http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm biowe
b.uwlax.edu savanna.org.au