Earth’s Biomes

Earth’s biomes Biome - a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat. Biomes and communities help us understand how the world functions Species interactions affect communities

Biomes continued Dividing the world’s communities into major categories/types, or biomes, is informative in understanding how communities function. Climate influences the location of biomes. In order for scientists to determine the type of biome, they often use climate diagrams or climatograghs.

Climates & biomes Climatograph - a climate diagram showing an area’s monthly temperature and precipitation

Climate & biomes Global climate patterns cause Biomes to be in large patches in different parts of the world.

What characteristics do you see?

Temperate deciduous forest Deciduous- are types of trees that lose their leaves each fall They remain without leaves during winter These forests can be found in Europe, eastern China, eastern North America Even, year-round precipitation Trees are often oak, beech, maple Animals: hawks, deer, red fox

What characteristics do you see?

Temperate grassland Less precipitation Also called prairie Extreme temperature difference between winter and summer compared to temperate deciduous forest Less precipitation Also called prairie Once widespread, but has been converted to agricultural land Animals: Bison, prairie dogs, ground-nesting birds, pronghorn

What characteristics do you see?

Temperate rainforest Coastal Pacific Northwest Great deal of precipitation Coniferous trees- trees or shrubs bearing cones - cedar, spruce, hemlock, fir Moisture-loving animals: Banana slug, black bears, elk Logged for lumber and paper

What characteristics do you see?

Tropical rainforest Southeast Asia, west Africa, Central and South America Year-round rain and warm temperatures Forest floor is dark and damp Lush and diverse species of vegetation Animals: Boa constrictor, iguana, jaguar

What characteristics do you see?

Tropical dry forest or Tropical deciduous forest India, Africa, South America, north Australia Wet and dry seasons - Plants drop leaves during the dry season Warm, but seasonal rainfall and less overall than rainforest Converted to agriculture Animals: Puma, jaguar, elephant

What characteristics do you see?

Savanna Grassland scattered with trees Africa, South America, Australia, India Precipitation is only during the rainy season Animals gather near water holes Animals: Zebras, gazelles, giraffes, lions, hyenas

What characteristics do you see?

Desert Minimal precipitation Some are bare, with sand dunes (Sahara) Some are vegetated (Sonoran) They are not always hot Temperatures vary widely during the day Animals: are often nocturnal, antelope, armadillo Plants may have thick skins, spines to protect their water

What characteristics do you see?

Tundra Russia, Canada, Scandinavia Minimal precipitation Extremely cold winters Extreme variation in day length Permafrost = permanently frozen soil Melting due to climate change Few animals: polar bears, musk oxen, caribou, migratory birds Low vegetation, few trees

What characteristics do you see?

Boreal forest or Taiga Canada, Alaska, Russia, Scandinavia Extends for large continuous areas A few evergreen tree species Cool and dry climate Long, cold winters Short, cool summers Animals: Moose, wolves, bears, lynx, migratory birds

What characteristics do you see?

Chaparral Occurs in small patches around the globe Mediterranean Sea, coastal Chile, California, southern Australia Highly seasonal biome Mild, wet winters Warm, dry summers Densely growing bushes or trees, evergreen shrubs Animals: kangaroo, condor, elephants

Terrestrial biomes The world terrestrial biomes are: 1- Temperate Deciduous forest 2- Temperate grasslands 3- Temperate rainforest 4- Tropical rainforest 5- Tropical dry forest or Tropical deciduous forest 6- Savanna 7- Desert 8- Tundra 9- Boreal forest or Taiga 10- Chaparral