The World’s Biomes

What is a Biome? A biome is an area of the planet that can be classified according to the plants and animals that live in it. Temperature, soil, and the amount of light and water help determine what life exists in a biome.  Biomes change based on climate patterns / change

What is a Biome?  Biome is different from an ecosystem. An ecosystem is the interaction of living and nonliving things in an environment. A biome is a specific geographic area notable for the species living there. A biome can be made up of many ecosystems. For example, an aquatic biome can contain ecosystems such as coral reefs and kelp forests.

Types of Biomes Not all scientists classify biomes in the same way. Some use broad classifications and count as few as five biomes. These are  Forest,  Grassland,  Freshwater, Marine,  Desert,  Tundra. 

Types of Biomes: Forest Today, forests occupy approximately one-third of Earth's land area Forests are threatened from human activity such as deforestation, pollution, and industrial usage There are three major types of forests, classed according to latitude: Tropical Temperate Boreal forests (taiga)

Forest Biome: Tropical Tropical forest Tropical forests have the greatest diversity of species. They occur near the equator. They have only two seasons: (rainy and dry). There is no winter. The length of daylight is 12 hours Olympic Peninsula rain forest, Washington

Forest Biome: Temperate Temperate forest Found in eastern North America, northeastern Asia, and western and central Europe. Well-defined seasons with a distinct winter. Moderate climate and a growing season of 140-200 days during 4-6 frost-free months Wisconsin woods

Forest Biome: Boreal / Taiga Boreal is the largest Biome Boreal forests can be found in Siberia, Scandinavia, Alaska, and Canada. 2 seasons: short, moist, and warm summers and long, cold, and dry winters. The length of the growing season is 130 days Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Types of Biomes: Grassland Also known as the prairies, are located in the Southern parts of Manitoba, Sask. and Alberta Very dry climate that is suited for grass Drought resistant short grasses, sagebrush and cactus Soils: limited rainfall and high evaporation create calcified soils which are unsuitable for crops – cattle are grazed instead

Grasslands Cont’d In southern grassland areas precipitation encourages the growth of tall grasses Year after year as the tall grasses die in the fall, they produce large amounts of humus that result in rich, black soil. This is the richest soil in Canada and produces some of the best grains in the world.

The Freshwater Biome Freshwater is defined as having a low salt concentration — usually less than 1%. Plants and animals in freshwater regions are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of high salt concentration (i.e., ocean).

Freshwater Biome There are different types of freshwater regions: Ponds and lakes Streams and rivers Wetlands

Types of Biomes: Marine Marine regions cover about three-fourths of the Earth's surface and include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. Marine algae supply much of the world's oxygen and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Marine Biomes The evaporation of the seawater provides rainwater for the land. Types of Marine Biomes include Oceans Coral reefs Estuaries

Marine Biomes: Oceans The largest of all the ecosystems, oceans are very large bodies of water that dominate the Earth's surface. Oceans have a great diversity of species even though fewer species than on land.

Marine Biomes: Coral Reefs Coral reefs live in warm shallow waters. E.g. The Great Barrier Reef off Australia Reef waters are nutritionally poor, so corals get nutrients through the algae using photosynthesis Reefs include microorganisms, fish, sea urchins, octopuses, and sea stars.

Marine Biomes: Estuaries Estuaries are areas where freshwater streams or rivers merge with the ocean. Different salt concentrations creates a very unique ecosystem. Plant life includes algae, seaweeds, marsh grasses, Organisms include worms, oysters, crabs, and waterfowl.

Types of Biomes: Desert Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface and occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm/year. Most deserts occur at low latitudes. E.g. the Sahara of North Africa and the deserts of the southwestern U.S., Mexico, and Australia.

Desert Biome Most deserts have specialized vegetation and animals. Soils often have abundant nutrients because they need only water to become very productive Problems: occasional fires or cold weather; sudden, infrequent, but intense rains that cause flooding.

Types of Biomes: Tundra Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. It has frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons. Tundra near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

Tundra Cont’d Characteristics of Tundra include: Extremely cold climate Low biotic diversity Simple vegetation structure Limitation of drainage Short season of growth and reproduction Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material

World Map Task Fill out a World Map. You must include: Continents Political divisions / Countries World Biomes Make sure you label the map clearly!