What are Biomes?

WORLD BIOMES Tundra Deciduous Forest Taiga Desert Grasslands      Tundra Deciduous Forest Taiga Rainforest Grasslands Desert

KEY WORDS Precipitation Rain, snow, or hail, all of which are formed by condensation of moisture in the atmosphere and fall to the ground Climate The typical weather pattern in a place over a long period, including the precipitation, temperature, and seasonal patterns Biome a stable community of plants and animals in a particular geographic area with a distinct climate Abiotic: non living factors in an environment Biotic: living factors in an environment

Land Biomes The climate of the region depends partly on where on Earth the region is. *remember: Climate includes a region’s precipitation, temperature, and seasonal patterns. When climates stay the same over long periods of time, the living parts of an ecosystem tend to become stable. Therefore, Biomes are stable communities of plants and animals in certain locations that have distinct climates. There are SIX different land biomes: starting at the poles and moving toward the equator, biomes occur in the following order:

TUNDRA

Tundra Located in the far Northern and Southern parts of the world, and at the tops of very high mountains Most of the ground remains frozen for several inches making it impossible for deep-rooted plants to grow—top layer of soil is called permafrost (only part that thaws) A lot of lichen and moss on the rocks Long winters and short summers In the winter it is dark all of the time, while in the summer the sun barley sets Precipitation is roughly 10 inches annually In North America the tundra is limited to northern Alaska and Canada, and to the higher peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

TAIGA

Taiga Located South of the northern tundra Taiga is the Russian word for forest and is the largest biome in the world. The average temperature is below freezing for six months out of the year. The winter temperature ranges from -65 to 30° F. Temperatures in the summer get as low as 20° F. The high in summer can be 70° F. Precipitation is roughly 8-24 inches annually. The taiga in North America stretches from Alaska across central Canada to the Atlantic Ocean.

TEMPERATE DESCIDOUS FOREST

Temperate Deciduous Forest "Deciduous" means to fall off, or shed, seasonally. Trees are “dormant” in the winter Four distinct seasons each year Approximately 30-100 inches of rainfall annually Soil is very rich in nutrients Many types of plants grow there Therefore, many types of consumers live in these forests In North America occur mostly from southeastern Canada through the mountains of northern Georgia and west to the Mississippi River.

GRASSLANDS

Savanna in the Samburu Game Preserve, Kenya Grassland Savanna in the Samburu Game Preserve, Kenya Located in the interiors of continents Rainfall is irregular: approximately 4-16 inches annually Wind blows constantly Many herbivores that graze live on the grassland prairies Most of the world’s wheat, corn, and soybeans are grown here North American grasslands stretch from central Canada through Texas and into Mexico. In Africa, the grasslands are called “Savannahs”

DESERT

Desert Deserts can be either hot such as the Australian Desert or cold such as the Gobi Desert. Very little rainfall from year-to-year: approximately 4 inches annually Some have warm to hot temperatures all year round No trees, some dry brush, bushes, grasses, cacti Others have a wider range of temperature from winter to summer Much warmer during the day than it is at night In North America, desert reach from the interior of southwestern Canada through northern Mexico

TROPICAL RAINFOREST

Tropical Rain Forest Nearest to the equator It is the same temperature all year long There are two seasons-rainy and dry (which just means there is less rain than in the rainy season) Approximately 100 inches of rainfall annually Lots of birds, some mammals and a lot of insects. In North America, Tropical Rain Forest occur from southern Mexico through Panama, on many of the islands in the Caribbean and in Hawaii.

Conclusion The Six Major Land Biomes are: The Tundra, Taiga, Deciduous Forest, Tropical Rainforest, Grassland, and Desert. The climate of each Biome is unlike the other biomes Climate is affected by the temperature, precipitation, and seasonal patterns The coldest climate zones are near the poles The warmest climate zones are near the equator Plants and animals will demonstrate their adaptation to the climate of a particular biome.