Biomes of the Earth

Terrestrial Biomes Temperate Rainforest Tropical Rainforest Desert Grassland Deciduous Forest Boreal Forest Tundra

Aquatic Ecosystems Freshwater Marine Wetlands

Temperate Rainforest >300 cm rain per year Moderate temperatures Huge trees such as cedars, redwoods, douglas firs Mule deer, pileated woodpeckers Northwestern coast of US

Tropical Rainforest 200-1,000 cm rain per year Average temperature 20-25 degrees C Very diverse plants and animals Ferns, orchids, tall trees Parrots, snakes, frogs, monkeys, lizards Located near the equator

Desert <25 cm rain per year -4 to 38 degrees C average temperature Saguaro cactus, creosote bush Hawks, owls, roadrunners, rattlesnakes, lizards Are cold at night Some have cold winters Great Basin in US, Gobi in Asia, are above and below equator

Grasslands Also known as savannas 25-130 cm rain per year Average temperature range -20 - 34 degrees C Antelope, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, gazelles, lions, leopards Grasses, some shrubs and small trees Middle latitudes are grasslands, closer to the equator are called savannas

Deciduous Forest 75-150 cm rain per year -30 to 30 degrees C average yearly temperature Many deciduous trees such as maples and oaks Many different bird species, chipmunks, skunks, white-tailed deer, black bear Located Eastern US, SA, Europe, parts of Asia, Africa, and Austrailia

Boreal Forest Also known as Taiga or Coniferous Forest 30-90 cm rain per year Average temperatures -40 to 20 degrees C Many coniferous trees such as spruce and firs Red squirrels, insects, finches, beaver, moose, wolves, bears, lynx Only located in the northern hemisphere, NA, Europe, Asia

Tundra <25 cm rain per year -40 to 18 degrees C average yearly temp Often frozen all year – saturated, frozen soil Mosses, shrubs, grasses, dwarf forms of a few trees such as willows Insect eating birds, caribou, fox, wolves, arctic hares Northern NA, Northern Europe, Northern Asia

Freshwater Streams, rivers, ponds, lakes

Marine Has several zones, each with its own characteristics (intertidal, nertic, oceanic or open water) Most productive zone is nertic zone

Wetlands Swamps, marshes, and bogs are freshwater Estuary is where fresh and salt water come together Very diverse, many plants and animals