Biomes of the World

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Biomes of the World
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Rainforest

• There are two types of rainforests Temperate and
  Tropical
• Tropical rainforests are found close to the
  equator.
• Temperate rainforests are found along coasts in
  the temperate zone, such as the Pacific Northwest
  of the USA. Both are endangered! 
• Tropical and temperate rainforests share certain
  characteristics. For example, most trees flare at
  the base. Vegetation is dense, tall and very
  green. Both types of rainforests are rich in
  plant and animal species, although the diversity
  is greater in the tropical rainforest.

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Rainforest

• Both tropical and temperate rainforests are very
  lush and wet. Rainfall falls regularly throughout
  the year. The tropical rainforest receives 80-400
  inches of rainfall per year. It rains a lot in
  the temperate rainforest, too -- about 100 inches
  per year.
• Tropical rainforests are warm and moist while
  temperate rainforests are cool.  

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Rainforest Plants

• Bamboo is the world's largest grass and is native
  to many parts of the world. It is grown
  throughout the tropics and is used as a source of
  food as well as for construction and weaving.
• Cassava is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and
  northern Brazil, cassava is now grown throughout
  the tropics. It is the starch staple of over 500
  million people. The roots are peeled and boiled
  (like potatoes) or made into a flatbread.

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Rainforest
Tropical Rainforest in Light Green Temperate
Rainforest in Pink
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Tundra

• The tundra biome is at the top of the world --
  around the North Pole! Below a thin layer of
  tundra soil is its permafrost, a permanently
  frozen layer of ground. During the brief summers,
  the top section of the soil may thaw just long
  enough to allow plants and microorganisms to grow
  and reproduce.   

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Tundra

• The tundra covers a fifth of the earth's surface
• Temperatures during the arctic winter can dip to
  -51 C! The average temperature of the warmest
  month is between 10 C and 0 C. Sometimes as few
  as 55 days per year have a mean temperature
  higher than 0 C. The average annual temperature
  is only -12C to -6C. 
• The soil is often frozen. Permafrost, or
  permanent ice, usually exists within a meter of
  the surface. Water is unavailable during most of
  the year.
• Annual precipitation is very low, usually less
  than 25 centimeters.

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Tundra Plants

• Lichens are unusual organisms that often grow on
  exposed rock surfaces. They are composed of a
  fungus and an algae living and growing together.
  Lichen is the favorite food of caribou and musk
  oxen.

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Tundra Plants

• Many plants, such as this one, have leaves that
  are dark red. Dark leaves allow the plant to
  absorb more heat from the sun in the cold tundra
  climate.

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Taiga

• The Taiga biome stretches across a large portion
  of Canada, Europe and Asia. It is the largest
  biome in the world. Winters are cold. Summers are
  warm.
• The taiga is primarily a coniferous forest
  (evergreen trees with needles) and is located
  between 50 degrees latitude north and the Arctic
  circle. 

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Taiga

• In the taiga, the average temperature is below
  freezing for six months of the year. Total yearly
  precipitation in the taiga is 30 - 85
  centimeters. Although the cold winters have some
  snowfall, most of the precipitation comes during
  the warm, humid summer months.
• Due to the tilt of the earth on its axis, in the
  taiga you will find long nights in the winter and
  long days in the summer. 
• The taiga is prone to wildfires. Many trees have
  adapted to this by growing thick bark, which can
  protect a tree from a mild fire.

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Taiga Plants

• The taiga is large and seemingly homogeneous.
  Acres and acres of the exact same tree species
  are often the case.
• Very few species can survive, let alone thrive in
  such an environment.
• Evergreen trees reign supreme, however there are
  a few broad leaf trees in the taiga birch,
  poplar, and aspen.

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Desert

• The hot desert is a land of extremes extreme
  heat and extreme dryness sudden flash floods and
  cold nights.
• Deserts are usually very, very dry. Even the
  wettest deserts get less than ten inches of
  precipitation a year.
• In most places, rain falls steadily throughout
  the year. But in the desert, there may be only a
  few periods of rains per year with a lot of time
  between rains.

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Desert

• Other biomes are insulated by their humidity
  (water vapor in the air).
• Since deserts usually have only between 10 and 20
  percent humidity to trap temperatures and have so
  few trees and other vegetation to retain heat,
  they cool down rapidly when the sun sets, and
  heat up quickly after the sun rises.

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Desert Plants

• Deserts are the home to many living things. In
  fact, deserts are second only to tropical
  rainforests in the variety of plant and animal
  species that live there.
• Many of the fascinating features of desert plants
  are adaptations which help the plant survive in
  its harsh environment. Desert plants have two
  main adaptations 
• Ability to collect and store water 
  Features that reduce water loss 

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Temperate

• The Temperate Deciduous Forest biome has four
  seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall.
  Animals and plants have special adaptations to
  cope with these yearly changes.
• Temperate deciduous forests are located primarily
  in the eastern half of the United States, Canada,
  Europe, parts of Russia, China, and Japan. 

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Temperate

• The temperate deciduous forest has four changing
  seasons. These forests have hot summers and cold
  winters. As the seasons change, so do the colors
  of the leaves of the deciduous trees. Deciduous
  means that these plants lose their leaves every
  year and grow them back.
• The four seasons happen because of the tilt of
  the Earth's axis. At different times of the year,
  the sun's rays hit different parts of the globe
  more directly. The angle of the Earth's axis
  tilts the Northern Hemisphere towards the sun
  during the summer.

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Grasslands

• Grasslands are located on every continent except
  for Antarctica!
• Grasslands are big open spaces. Trees are found
  only by rivers and streams.
• Grasslands receive about 10 to 30 inches of rain
  per year. If they received more rain, the
  grasslands would become a forest. If they
  received less, they would become a desert.
  Grasslands are often located between deserts and
  forests.

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Grasslands

• Grassland soil tends to be deep and fertile. The
  roots of perennial grasses usually penetrate far
  into the soil.
• There are three different types of grasslands
  Tall Grass Prairie, Mixed Grass Prairie and Short
  Grass Prairie

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