1. 3.2 Terrestrial Biomes

2. Today’s Objectives
Objective #1: Relate latitude and the three major climate zones
Objective #2: Describe the major abiotic factors that determine the location of a terrestrial biome
Objective #3: Distinguish among terrestrial biomes based on climate and biotic factors

3. Effects of Latitude and Climate
Regardless of where you live, you are affected by weather and climate
Give examples
Weather
The condition of the atmosphere at a specific place and time
Latitude and climate are important

4. Latitude
Latitude
The distance of any point on the surface of Earth north or south from the equator
Spans from 0 degrees at equator to 90 degrees at the poles: Bellbrook is N

5. Latitude What is the Earth’s primary source of heat?
radiation from the sun-solar radiation
Because Earth is a sphere, different levels of solar radiation reach different parts of its curved surface

7. Latitude
What determines the climate (different seasons)
Earth’s tilt

8. Climate
Climate
The average weather conditions in an area, including temperature and precipitation
Latitude has a large effect on climate
Also greatly effected by elevation, continental landmasses, ocean currents, and wind

9. Biome
A large group of similar ecosystems containing distinctive types of plants and other organisms; determined by climate
Many regions of the world do have similar climate conditions

10. For the Test…
Make sure you know the tan boxes containing information about each biome
Know the following defining characteristics

11. Tundra
Exhibits a layer of permanently frozen soil below the surface called permafrost
May thaw up to a couple of centimeters during the summer

12. Boreal Forest Dense evergreen forest
Still cold, but summers are longer and somewhat warmer than the Tundra’s

13. Temperate Forest
Composed mostly of broad-leaved, deciduous trees- trees that shed their leaves in autumn
Winters are cold, while spring is warm with plenty of rain to restart the growth cycles of plants and trees

14. Temperate Woodland and Shrubland
Found in areas with less annual rainfall than in temperate forest
Areas dominated by shrubs are called Chaparral

15. Temperate Grassland
Contain fertile soil that are able to support a thick cover of grasses
Underground stems and buds are protected from fires
Drought, grazing animals, and fires prevent the creation of forests

16. Desert
Rate of evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation

17. Tropical Savanna
Contains grasses and scattered trees in climates that receive less precipitation that some other tropical areas

18. Tropical Seasonal Forest
Like temperate deciduous forests, during the dry season almost all the trees drop their leaves to conserve water
Much warmer though

19. Tropical Rain Forest Warm temperatures and large amounts of rainfall
Most diverse species

20. Tropical Rain Forest
Tall, broad-leaved trees with branches heavy with mosses, ferns, and orchids make up the canopy

21. Tropical Rain Forest
Shorter trees, shrubs, and plants make up another layer called the understory

22. Other Terrestrial Areas
Polar regions are not considered true biomes they are ice masses and are not true land areas with soil
Mountains do not fit the
definition of a biome
Animals/Plants depend on
elevation

23. Mountains Biotic communities change with increasing elevation
Due to different temperatures and amounts of precipitation

24. Polar Regions Cold all year
Average winter temperature of -30 degrees Celsius
Inhabited by colonies of penguins, polar bears, arctic foxes