Biomes Foldable

Biomes Large geographic areas that have similar climates and ecosystems. Include both land and aquatic systems. Land: Tundra, Taiga, Deciduous forest, Tropical Rain Forest, Desert, Grassland. Aquatic: Freshwater, Marine, Estuary

Tundra – a cold, treeless region Abiotic factors: precipitation – less than 25 cm per year Avg. temperature= -12°C Permafrost – permanently frozen soil. Only the top few inches thaw in the summer making it hard for large trees to grow. Sunlight – experiences complete night for 3 months of the year during winter.

Tundra – continued Biotic Factors Plants: adapted to living in extreme cold with little water Ex: moss, lichens, grasses, small shrubs Animals: adapted to the cold – may migrate or change color by season Ex: migratory birds like duck, geese, shorebirds, and songbirds. Also hawks, snow owls, willow grouse, mice, voles, lemmings, arctic hares, caribou, reindeer, musk ox, mosquitoes, black flies, and other biting insects.

Taiga – cold, forest region dominated by cone-bearing evergreen trees. Abiotic factors: Precipitation – 35cm to 100 cm a year Avg. temperatures: -50°C to 30°C Permafrost – only in extreme northern regions Sunlight – winter lasts for 5-6 months with the sun barely rising over the horizon during this time

Taiga - continued Biotic Factors: Plant life – adapted to the cold and short growing season Ex: Conifers (evergreen trees), moss, lichen Animal life – adapted to cold Ex: moose, lynx, shrews, bears, foxes

Deciduous Forest – temperate forest with four distinct seasons Abiotic Factors: Avg. precipitation: 75cm to 150 cm per year Avg. temperature: 5.5°C to 15.6°C Sunlight: varying amounts of sunlight causing 4 distinct seasons

Deciduous Forest: continued Biotic Factors: Plant life – adapted to seasonal changes in sunlight, water, and temperature Ex: giant trees like oaks, maples, and birch Animal life – also adapted for each season – may hibernate through winter Ex: white-tail deer, bears, squirrels, chipmunk, elk, mountain lion, bobcat, raccoon, and skunk

Tropic Rain Forest – large forests near the equator with warm, wet weather and lush plant growth. Abiotic factors: Avg. precipitation: 200 - 600 cm a year Avg. temperature: about 25°C year round Sunlight – amount of sunlight does NOT change throughout the year, so its summer all the time.

Tropical Rain Forest Biotic factors Plant life – adapted to warm temps. and large amounts of rain. Adaptations include large broad leaves, deep roots, or growing without soil Ex: giant trees, vines, moss, orchids Animal life – adapted to live in trees, or in the dark mud below, and for warm temperatures Ex: large birds like parrots and macaws, monkeys, primates, insects, reptiles, amphibians.

Desert – large dry regions with mostly thin sandy, or gravelly soil. Abiotic factors: Avg. precipitation: less than 25 cm a year Avg. temperatures: 0°C to 45°C Soil – sandy, or gravelly, sand dunes are common Sunlight – reaches the ground due to lack of vegetation. Causes vary cold nights.

Desert - Continued Biotic factors: Plant life: adapted to extreme dryness and temperature changes. Leaves are spiny to prevent water loss. Ex: cactus, Joshua tree, creosote bush Animal life: adapted to survive with very little water. Usually nocturnal Ex: scorpions, kangaroo rat, snakes, rabbits, birds, coyote

Grassland: temperate and tropical regions with grass Abiotic factors: Avg. precipitation: 25 to 75 cm per year Avg. temperature: -20°C to 30°C Sunlight – changes with the seasons

Grasslands: continued Biotic factors: Plant life: must be adapted to survive a dry season Ex: grasses, wheat, rye, oats, barley, and corn Animal life: adapted to seasonal changes in water and sunlight Ex: zebras, elephants, giraffes, lions, hawks, mice, insects, snakes

Freshwater: from small ponds and streams to large rivers and lakes Abiotic factors: The faster the water flows the more oxygen the water contains Slower moving water like in ponds, contains more nutrients Sunlight reaches no more than 200 meters down, so life is not found beyond that point

Freshwater: continued Biotic Factors: Plant life: abundant in slow moving water Ex: algae, aquatic plants like elodea, reeds, rushes, cattails, water lilies, etc. Animal life: adapted to speed and temperature of water Ex: fish, snails, mussels, water snakes, insects, amphibians, ducks, beaver, otters, river dolphins

Marine: saltwater (95% of Earth’s water) Abiotic factors: Below 200 meters organisms survive without light using a process called chemosynthesis. Above 200 meters uses photosynthesis Water temperatures vary depending on latitude, and depth Salinity changes with depth

Marine: continued Biotic Factors: Plant and animals life must be adapted to salinity, temperature, and amount of sunlight available Plants: phytoplankton, algae, sea weed Animals: coral, sponges, sea stars, crab, lobsters, fish, shark, whales, dolphins, eels

Estuary: areas where rivers meet an ocean and the fresh and salty water mix. Abiotic factors: Salinity changes depending on amount of fresh water flowing from rivers, and incoming salt water from tides

Estuary: continued Biotic factors: Plants and animals must be adapted to continuously changing salt levels Plant life: algae, salt tolerant grasses, mangroves Animal life: shrimp, crab, clams, oysters, snails, worms, fish, manatee