Major Biomes of Earth

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Earth Biomes
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What is a BIOME?

• Biomes are large regions characterized by a
  specific type of climate and the plants and
  animals that live there.
• Biomes are made up of many similar ecosystems.

Ecosystem are made up of communities of organisms
and its abiotic environment.
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ABIOTIC and BIOTIC factors that affect ecosystems
and biomes

• Biotic
• Consumers animals
• Detritovores consume dead matter
• Producers plants
• Decomposers fungus, bacteria
• Decomposed organic matter once living

• Abiotic
• Sunlight
• Air
• Water (pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen)
• Soil
• Climate (temperature, rainfall, humidity)
• Chemicals

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Major Biomes of Earth
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Forests

• Mild temperatures
• Plentiful rainfall
• Major types of forests
• Deciduous forests
• Coniferous forests
• Tropical rain forests

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Deciduous Forest

• Regions usually have 4 seasons a year
• Precipitation 76 cm to 250 cm yearly
• When the weather gets colder and trees lose their
  leaves some animals migrate to warmer regions
• Other animals hibernate
• Plants
• Deciduous trees (oak, maple, hickory)
• Animals
• Raccoon , Bald eagle, White tail deer , Red Fox

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Deciduous Forest
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Coniferous Forest (Taiga)

• Temperatures Winters are very cold with only
  snowfall, the summers are warm, rainy, and humid
• Precipitation
• Plants (lichens, mosses, white spruce, mostly
  coniferous trees)
• Coniferous trees (evergreen) adaptations
• Wax gives protection from freezing temperatures
• Do not loose their leaves in the winter
• Not as many plant and animal species because many
  cannot survive the extreme cold
• Animals (lynx, wolverines, bobcate, rabbits,
  deer)
• animals in the taiga hibernate in the winter

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Coniferous Forest
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Tropical Rain Forest

• Precipitation 200cm of rain each year
• Temperatures are warm and stable
• Tropical rain forests are lush, productive
  ecosystems that contain more then half of all the
  species that exist on Earth
• Plants Vines, orchids, moss, ferns
• 700 species of trees and 1,000 species of
  flowering plants
• Adaptations orchids grow on trees to reach more
  sun light
• Animals Snakes, lizards, salamanders, monkeys,
  jaguars, toucans
• 150 different types of butterflies

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Tropical Rain Forest
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Comparing Forests
FOREST Temperature Rainfall Soil
Deciduous 0C to 28C (32F to 82F) 76-250 cm per year very fertile, organically rich
Coniferous -10C to 15C (14F to 59F) 0-25 cm per year frozen
Tropical 25C to 28C (77F to 82F) 200 cm or more each year thin and nutrient poor
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Grasslands

• Found between forests and deserts
• Flat or gently rolling hills

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Grasslands

• There are grasslands on almost every continent
• Precipitation 25 cm 75 cm yearly
• They have a dry season with little to no rain
• This prevents larger plant from growing here
• Plants mainly grass
• Wheat, Oats, Barley, Corn
• Grasses have extensive root systems that can
  absorb water when it rains and can withstand
  drought during long dry spells
• Animals
• Kangaroos, Wildebeests, Zebras, Prairie Dogs
• They eat the stems, leaves, and seeds of grass
  plants

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• Deserts
• Very dry and hot
• Organisms adapted to live in climate

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Desert

• Driest biome on Earth
• Precipitation less then 25 cm yearly
• When it does rain, it evaporates rapidly, so the
  soil retains very little moisture
• Because there is little water, plants are spread
  widely apart and the ground is mostly bare
• Plants and adaptations
• The desert supports little plant life
• Cactus plants, spiny leaves are common
• large, shallow roots that quickly absorb water
• Animals and adaptations
• Few large animals are found because there is not
  enough food or water to support them
• Owls, iguanas, fox, lizards are common
• Kangaroo rat
• Never need to drink water -- they get moisture
  from the food they eat
• They are only active in the early morning or late
  afternoon when the temperatures are less extreme

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Deserts
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Tundra

• Very cold temperatures
• Little rainfall
• It is so cold here that trees dont even grow!

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Tundra

• Is located near the north pole
• Cold, dry, treeless region and is covered with
  ice most of the year
• Winters are 6 to 9 months long
• Precipitation less then 25cm a year
• Plants
• lichens (reindeer moss) , True mosses, Grasses,
  Small shrubs
• Animals - in the summer
• Mosquitoes
• Birds (Geese, ducks, snowy owls)
• Mice, voles, lemmings, artic hares, caribou, musk
  oxen

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Marine

• Oceans of the world
• Wide variety of plant and animal species.
• There are 4 main parts, or zones, in the ocean.
  Each zone has different plants and animals.

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Marine Ocean Floor
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Freshwater

• Rivers, lakes, streams
• Water is less than 1 salt.
• Animal Life Bass, catfish, leeches, river rats
• Plant Life algae, myrtle, deerflower, cattails