Biomes of Earth Unit 1 S7L4.e. EQ: What are the 6 major biomes on the Earth?

To understand a world biome, you need to know: What the climate of the region is like including temperature & precipitation patterns. Where each biome is found and what its geography is like. The types of plants found in the biome. The types of animals found in the biome.

Tundra

little precipitation & very windy. Permafrost – frozen soil mostly northern hemisphere few trees, has mosses, grasses, shrubs extremely cold (winter = low as -50 ° F, summer = high as 45 ° F) caribou, Arctic hares, insect-eating birds, wolves, foxes, bears and deer

Taiga

 Coniferous trees (cones & needles), firs, spruce, hemlock  Very cold, lots of snow. Summers are rainy and warm enough to melt the snow.  Temps range from 11 °F in winter to 75 °F in summer  Seed eating animals – squirrels, insects, birds (finches & chickadees)  Herbivores – hares, moose, beavers  Carnivores – wolves, bears, lynxes

Temperate forest

 Located in the northwestern coast of the United States  Receives more than 300 centimeters of rain a year  Huge trees including cedars, redwoods, and Douglas firs  Animals include mule deer, bald eagle, fox, black bear  Moderate temperatures – average 75 °F (24 °C)

Savanna

 tropical grasslands found in a wide band on either side of the equator on the edges of tropical rainforests  a very long dry season (winter), and a very wet season (summer)  68° to 86° F  120 centimeters of rain each year  Herbivores - Elephant, bison, antelopes, zebras, rhinoceros, giraffes, kangaroos.  Plants include shrubs and small trees, grasses

Tropical rainforest

 325 to 1650 centimeters (50 – 260 inches) of rain per year  rarely gets higher than 93 °F or drops below 68 °F  Almost all rain forests lie near the equator  Bengal Bamboo, Bougainvillea, Curare, Coconut Tree, Durian, Jambu  Africa Forest Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Chimpanzee, Common Palm Civet or Musang, Dawn Bat, Golden Lion Tamarin, Harpy Eagle  that more than half of all the world's plant and animal species live in tropical rain forests. Tropical rainforests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen

Desert

 Temp 68 to 120 ° F  Less than 25 centimeters of rain per year  very little rainfall and/or concentrated rainfall in short periods between long rainless periods  Plants include: Cactus, Prickly Pears, and Brittle Bush  Animals include: insects, arachnids, reptiles, and birds, and Horned Vipers

mountains

 Found all around the world  Altitude of about 10,000 feet or more  Series of biomes as you go up. Base = grasslands Midway = forest Top = Tundra  Summer temperature range between 10 °F to 50 °F  Plants include: grasses, dwarf trees, small-leafed shrubs  Animals include: mountain goats, sheep, elk, beetles, grasshoppers

Grasslands

 Winter low as -40° F, summer high 70° F  two seasons: growing season and dormant season  25 to 75 centimeters of rain each year  Buffalo Grass, Sunflower, Crazy Weed, Asters, Blazing Stars, Coneflowers  Coyotes, Eagles, Bobcats, the Gray Wolf, Wild Turkey, Fly Catcher, Canadian Geese, Crickets

Aquatic Biomes of Earth Unit 1 S7L4.e. EQ: What are the 3 major aquatic biomes on the Earth?

Freshwater

 Streams & Rivers:  Streams - Animals are adapted to strong currents (insects & small animals have hooks or suckers to cling to rocks). Trout live here but few plants & algae so leaves and seeds provide food.  Rivers – Cloudy with soil, Plants take root, frogs, fish.  Ponds & Lakes:  Standing or still fresh water. Lakes are larger & deeper than ponds.  Ponds – plants can grow, catfish  Lakes – plants & algae float, dragonflies, turtles, snails, frogs, fish

Estuaries

 Found where the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean, calm waters  Algae, marsh grasses  Crabs, worms, clams, and fish

marine

 Intertidal Zone - Neritic Zone - Open Ocean  All marine ecosystems are based on saltwater  Intertidal Zone: shoreline, animals (barnacles, sea stars, clams, & crabs)  Neritic Zone: photosynthesis can occur. Rich in living things, large schools of fish (sardines), algae, coral reefs  Oceanic Zone: surface zone w/algae & Deep zone w/giant squids  Benthic Zone: ocean floor, organisms include bacteria, works, sea urchins