Just to refresh your memory… Biomes Just to refresh your memory… Biosphere You are here Biome Ecosystem Community Population Organism

A Biome is… A large geographical area that is characterized by its climate, physical geography, and the flora (plants) & fauna (animals) that live in there. A biome contains related ecosystems. For example: the temperate deciduous forest biome contains ecosystems in the tree-tops, the forest floor, and mid-canopy.

How Do We Decide What’s What? Characterized by: Climate (long term trends)…NOT weather (snapshot of the moment)! What lives there? Not just animals…plants too...fungi, protists, and bacteria The physical geography/topography of the area…the landforms and water sources.

Earth’s Major Terrestrial Biomes. Temperate Deciduous Forest Coniferous Forest (aka: Taiga, Boreal Forest) Tropical Rainforest Temperate Grassland (e.g.. Prairies, Pampas, Steppes) Tropical Grassland (e.g.. Savanna, and some in S. America, and Australia.) Deserts…hot like the Sahara, Sonora, etc., and cold like the Gobi. Tundra (Polar & Alpine)

What is this? Why…it’s a CLIMATOGRAM (or climatograph) It shows the avg. monthly temperatures and the amount of precipitation This Y- axis shows the avg. ppt. The bars! This Y-axis shows the avg. TEMP. The line! Here’s your KEY…tells you what’s what. Here’s where you see the month…X-axis