Biomes 2/15/12

What is a biome?  A type of Ecosystem

What are the main classification of biomes?  Aquatic  Marine  Freshwater  Deserts  Forests  Grasslands  Tundra

What are Terrestrial Biomes?  Biomes that are dominated by land.  Deserts  Forests  Grasslands  Tundra

What characterizes a desert Biome?  rainfall is less than 50 cm/year  Usually specialized vegetation and vertebrate and invertebrate animals.  Often nutrient rich soil due to lack of water and organic matter.  Frequent disturbances: occasional fires or cold weather, and sudden, infrequent, but intense rains that cause flooding and erosion.  few large mammals

What types of deserts are there?  1) Hot and dry  2) Semiarid  3) Coastal  4) Cold

What characterizes grasslands?  Dominated by grass (instead of shrubs or trees)

What types of grassland are there?  Savannas (tropical grasslands)  Temperate grasslands

What characterizes a tundra?  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  Large population oscillations

What types of Tundras are there?  Artic Tundra  Alpine Tundra

What characterizes a forest biome?  Dominated by woody plants (trees and shrubs)

What types of forest biomes are there?  Tropical  Temperate  Boreal (tiaga) Other classifications  Wet or Dry  Deciduous or Evergreen

What is an Aquatic Ecosystem?  An ecosystem dominated by water.

What characterizes a Marine Biome?  Mostly Salt water  Cover ¾ of the surface of the earth

What types of Marine ecosystems are there?  Oceans  Coral reefs  Estuaries

What are freshwater biomes?  Less than 1% salt concentration.

What types of freshwater biomes are there?  Ponds and lakes  Raparian (rivers and streams)  Wetlands