World Biomes

Rainforest Climate Region: Tropical Wet  Very hot and wet  Hydrologic cycle repeats often here  Rains more than 90 days a year Earth's most complex land biome

Bougainvillea Plant Adaptations  Sunlight is a major limiting factor  Little sun reaches the floor  Plants grow in layers (canopy receives most light) Bangul Bamboo

Wagler’s pit viper Silvery Gibbon Slender Loris Animal Adaptations  Live in different levels of canopy  Many animals are specialists and require special habitat components to survive  Camouflage is common

Climate Region: Humid Continental 4 distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter mild summers and winters Almost all are located by an ocean Much of the human population lives in this biome Temperate Deciduous Forests

White Birch Lady Fern Geulder Rose Plant Adaptations Birchhttp://  Deciduous forests grow in layers  More sunlight reaches the ground compared to a rainforest so you will find more ground dwelling plants.  More diversity in the deciduous forest vs. the coniferous forest due to increased sunlight.  Trees adapt to varied climate by becoming dormant in winter

 Adapt to many seasons  Lose Winter Coat  Eat from different layers of the forest Bald Eagle Fat Dormouse Least Weasel Animal Adaptations

Taiga aka Northern Coniferous Forest or Boreal Forest Climate Region: Subarctic  dominated by cold, arctic air  half the year, the temperature is below freezing  only found in the northern hemisphere

Balsam Fir  Low sunlight and poor soil keeps plants from growing on forest floor  Coniferous (needle-bearing) trees are abundant  Needles long, thin and waxy Fireweed Plant Adaptations

Moose  Adapt for cold winters  Burrow, hibernate, warm coat, insulation, etc. Great Grey Owl Animal Adaptations

Savannas (Tropical Grasslands) Contain the greatest number of grazing animals on Earth. Climate Region: Tropical Wet/Dry  Temperature doesn’t change much; 68 ◦ -86 ◦  Dry winters and wet summers

Whistling Thorn Umbrella Thorn Acacia Plant Adaptations  Grow in Tufts  Resistant to Drought  Many plants have thorns and sharp leaves to protect against predation. Kangaroos Paws Baobab

Adapt for short rainy season—migrate as necessary Limited food leads to vertical feeding Reproduce during rainy season—ensures more young survive Zebras Chacma Baboon Animal Adaptations 

Steppe Climate Region: Semiarid  Less than 50 in/year precipitation  Very harsh place to live  Found in the middle of continents and in the lee of mountains

 most abundant are plants called Bunch grasses, fine bladed grasses that grow in clumps to preserve water Tumbleweed Sweet Vernal Plant Adaptations

 Many migrate, hibernate or burrow during extremes in temperature and precipitation Animals Adaptations Mongolian Gerbil Saiga Antelope Gazelle herd

Grasslands Climate Region: Semiarid Many different types of grasslands; some tropical and some dry On every continent except Antarctica Very fertile soil

Sod-forming grasses that won’t dry out or blow away in wind. Fleabane Buffalo Grass Prairie Plant Adaptations

Many adaptations to survive extremes Prairie dog Bobcat animal_page.htm Prairie Animal Adaptations Geoffrey’s cat

Chaparral Climate Region: Mediterranean  Hot, dry summers, mild, wet winters  Slight variations in seasonal temperatures…NICE! California Chaparral Mediterranean Chaparral

Plant Adaptations  Mostly low-lying shrubs and small trees.  Many plants have leathery leaves to resist water loss  Many plant species have oils in leaves to help them resist fire…the fire will take out “weaker” plants that don’t belong. Blue Oak Fairy Duster

Animal Adaptations  Camouflage—to avoid predation  Many animals will change their diet as the season changes. Puma Aardwolf

Deserts The driest places on Earth! Climate Region: Arid  Less than 10 in/yr of rain  Little to no topsoil due to high winds.  Dry belt at 30º latitude

Joshua Tree Plant Adaptations:  Spines  Succulents  Thick, waxy cuticle  Shallow, broad roots Barrel Cactus Ocotollio 

Animal Adaptations:  Get water from food  Thick outer coat  Burrow during day  Large ears  Smaller animals = less surface area Javelina Bob Cat Armadillo Lizard

Tundra Climate Region: Tundra  Unusually cold and dry climate  6-10 inches of rain a year  Temperature ranges from -20◦F in winter to 50 ◦ F in summer  Permafrost layer One of the most fragile biomes on the planet

Plant Adaptations  Growing close to the ground  Having shallow roots to absorb the limited water resources.  Trees grow less than 1 m high! cottongrass Reindeer lichen Woody shrubs

Small ears Insulation, thick coat Many visitors = migration Little competition = Few predators Arctic fox snowy owl Grizzly Bear Animal Adaptations

Alpine Climate Region: Highland  Dangerous amount of UV rays  12 in of precipitation a year  Summer temperature ranges from 10 ◦ F and 50 ◦F  Night temperature almost always below freezing One of the coldest biomes on the planet

Plant Adaptations  No trees can grow  Vegetation includes tussock grasses, small-leafed shrubs, and heaths

Must adapt to cold weather Animals in the alpine biome include: mountain goats, sheep, elk, beetles, grasshoppers and butterflies. Animal Adaptations