1. BIOMES CONTAIN MANY ECOSYSTEMS
REGIONS OF EARTH ARE CLASSIFIED INTO BIOMES
Biome=large geographic areas that are similar in climate & have similar plants & animals
6 major biomes on Earth
Climate (long term weather pattern of region) is important factor in land biomes, so is available water, temperature and soil type.
WATER COVERS MOST OF EARTH’S SURFACE
About 75% of Earth is covered by water
Freshwater & saltwater biomes
Plants are producers for water near land; while deep ocean water relies on tiny photosynthetic microorganisms called phytoplankton

2. TAIGA & TUNDRA
These are characterized by long, cold winters and short summers. (Arctic tundra can be –50oC)
Tundra gets little rain (<25cm/yr), but is wet because cold keeps water from evaporating; permafrost(deep frozen soil) keeps trees from taking root, so just little moss, grass, lichen & shrubs. Find rodents, caribou, musk ox, grizzly bears, foxes, & owls.
Taiga has more rain, more snow on ground insulating soil from permafrost.
Have CONIFEROUS trees (needlelike leaves making food all year). Wood & leaves of trees feed insects, seeds feed birds & squirrels.
Deer, elk, snowshoe hare, beavers, lynx, owls, bears & wolves live here.

3. Desert & Grassland
Found in middle latitudes; not much precipitation to support trees for either.
Some deserts are cold, some hot but all have dry soil; desert plants (cacti) & animals (lizards) can get by on very little water. Also have kangaroo rat, snakes, foxes & owls.
Grassland had moderate rainfall (50-90cm/yr); enough for grasses but not forests. Warm summers & may have cold winters.
Seed-eating rodents, bison, horses, gazelles, zebras, wolves, tigers & lions are found in grasslands.

4. Temperate & Tropical Forest
Temperate forest grow where winters are short & cm of water/yr. Most made of Deciduous trees (broad leaves, drop in winter-oak,maple). Supports wide variety of forest animals. Some have coniferous trees (Pacific Northwest-redwoods & spruce: wet winter & dry summer).
Tropical forests near equator, warm all year and wettest biome ( cm/yr). Leaves all year & soil is poor in nutrients. More animals & plants than anywhere else. Trees grow close together & support many tree dwelling animals (monkey, snakes, birds) & plants (orchids & vines).

5. FRESHWATER BIOME
Ecosystem of freshwater biomes affected by quality of landscape around them. (depth of water; how fast water runs, etc., determines types of plants & animals)
Ponds & lakes have still water; Ponds have many plants, deeper lakes have more phytoplankton. Insects, shellfish, fish and land animals feed within them.
Estuary: water ecosystem that’s a transition between fresh & saltwater biomes. Lower end of river that feeds into ocean, where fresh & salt water mix. Marshes & wetlands are both estuaries. (nurseries of sea: calm waters attract marine animals to reproduce here). Seaweed, marsh grasses, shellfish, & birds thrive here.

6. FRESHWATER BIOME

7. MARINE BIOMES
Saltwater biomes: coastal ocean, open ocean, and deep ocean. Beaches & tidepools are part of coastal ocean biome. Crabs & clams thrive in ever-changing conditions of coastal areas.
Open ocean gets less sunlight & has cooler temperatures. Many fish, marine animals, and floating seaweed live in upper ocean. No plants in open ocean, producers are phytoplankton.
Deep ocean is much colder & darker. Animals feed on each other or on material falling down from upper levels of ocean. Many of deepest organisms are microscopic and many are still unknown.

8. MARINE BIOME