LAND BIOMES

Tundra inches of precipitation per year Winter -15 Summer 54F Soil is permafrost; frozen or partly frozen year round; fragile environment Plants that grow here are mosses, willows, lichens, bushes, liverworts – Plants have shallow roots to grow in the thin layer of soil Animals: reindeer, caribou, snowy owls, polar bears, musk oxen, lemmings, insects, mosquitoes, wolves, hares

Taiga aka Boreal Forest or Coniferous Forest Precipitation: 14 to 30 inches per year Temperature: 57F Summer / 14 F Winter Soil: Thin, poorly drained soil that stays saturated (Boggy) Plants: “Evergreen” trees like pine, spruce, firs, hemlocks – Pointy for snow shedding; waxy coated needles for water retention; not many shrubs or ground covering plants Animals- squirrels, insects, porcupine, elk, deer, moose, finches, chickadees, jays, brown bears, mountain lions

Temperate Deciduous Forest Precipitation: 30 to 50 inches per year Temperature: Summer 82F / Winter 43F Soil: Rich and Fertile because of decaying leaf litter Plants: “Hardwoods” oaks, poplars, hickory, maples, mosses, ferns, flowering plants – Leaves fall off to conserve water in the winter months Animals: Insects, birds, bears, raccoons, squirrels, snakes, deer, possum, foxes

Grasslands Precipitation:10 to 30 inches per year Temperature: Summer 86F / Winter 32F Soil: Dry hard, not very fertile Plants: grasses, shrubs, few trees – Have deep roots that can survive many months with little water Animals: – Small seed eating animals - prairie dogs, mice – Large grass eaters- bison, antelope

Savanna Precipitation: 60 in per year but they get it all in one season (wet season) Temperature: Summer 93F / Winter 61F Soil: Dry, hard; not very fertile Plants: grasses, scattered clumps of trees – Grasses have deep roots to survive many months without water Animals: – Large herbivores- giraffes, elephants, zebras, wildebeests – Predators- lions, cheetahs, hyenas

Desert Precipitation: > 10 inches per year Temperature: Summer 100F / Winter 45 F Soil: not fertile; very sandy and rocky and dry Plants: Cactus and other succulents – Grow far apart so as not to compete for water – Fleshy stems and leaves for water storage – Stickers to keep animals from eating them – Waxy coating on leaves for water retention Animals: Jack rabbits, kangaroo rats, scorpions, lizards, snakes, tortoises – Have special adaptions for water storage and to keep cool – Many are nocturnal and burrow during the day to keep cool

Tropical Rainforest Precipitation: 158 inches per year Temperature: Day 93F / Night 68F – No seasons its wet all year and summer all year Soil: poor, thin that is not very fertile; most nutrients are in the plants Plants: more plant diversity than any other biome – Trees, vines, shrubs, palms, ferns, mosses, bamboo – Layers>Canopy, understory, forest floor Animals: – Anteater, jaguar, orangutan, parrots, sloths, toucan, butterfly, monkeys, snakes, lizards, birds – Live up in the canopy