biomes - terrestrial regions with characteristic types of natural, undisturbed ecological communities adapted to the climate of the region

Dry woodlands and shrublands (chaparral) Temperate grassland Temperate deciduous forest Boreal forest (taiga), evergreen coniferous forest (e.g., montane coniferous forest) Arctic tundra (polar grasslands) Tropical savanna, thorn forest Tropical scrub forest Tropical deciduous forest Tropical rain forest, tropical evergreen forest Desert Ice Mountains (complex zonation) Semidesert, arid grassland Tropic of Capricorn Equator Cancer

Polar Rain forest Tropicalseasonalforest Scrubland Savanna Desert Desert Tropical Grassland Chaparral DeciduousForest Coniferous forest Desert Temperate Subpolar Tundra Wet Cold Dry Hot

Mountain Ice and snow Altitude Tundra (herbs, lichens, mosses) ConiferousForest TropicalForest DeciduousForest Tropical ForestDeciduousForestConiferousForest Tundra (herbs, lichens, mosses) Polar ice and snow Latitude Effects of altitude and latitude Parallel changes occur in vegetation type when we travel from the equator to the poles or from lowlands to mountaintops.

Plant Size, Shape, and Survival Strategies 1)Tall plants cannot survive in extreme cold –Shrubs and grasses better adapted 2)Desert plants –Adaptations to prevent overheating –Adaptations to conserve water –“Succulent” plants  No leaves  Fleshy tissue  Stomates only open at night

Plant Size, Shape, and Survival Strategies 3)Tropical rainforest trees –Broadleaf evergreen plants  Collect ample sunlight  Radiate heat 4)Cold (and dry) winter climates –Broadleaf deciduous plants  Shed leaves  Become dormant

Plant Size, Shape, and Survival Strategies 5)Very cold winters, short cool summers –Coniferous evergreen plants  Narrow pointed leaves (needles)  Waxy coating  Clustering of needles  Hold leaves year-round  Don’t need to grow new leaves in Spring

Desert Biomes

Evaporation exceeds precipitationEvaporation exceeds precipitation Less than 10 inches of rain per yearLess than 10 inches of rain per year Sparse, widely spaced, low vegetationSparse, widely spaced, low vegetation

DESERT BIOMES Variations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue) in tropical, temperate and polar or cold desertsVariations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue) in tropical, temperate and polar or cold deserts. Figure 5-12

Tropical desert (Saudi Arabia) Cold desert (northwest China) Temperate desert (Reno, Nevada)

“Beat the Heat” “Every Drop of Water Counts” Plant Adaptations Wax-coated leaves Deep roots and wide-spread shallow roots Spongy tissue Drop leaves Become dormant Store biomass in seeds Animal Adaptations Hide in burrows during day Thick outer coverings (insects) Dry feces Obtain water from dew or food Becoming dormant

Producer to primary consumer Primary to secondary consumer Secondary to higher-level consumer All producers and consumers to decomposers Fungi Gambel'squail Red-tailed hawk Collaredlizard Jackrabbit Yucca Kangaroo rat AgaveAgave RoadrunnerRoadrunner Diamondback rattlesnake Darkling beetleDarklingbeetle BacteriaBacteria Prickly pear cactusPricklypearcactus

Human Impacts Soil destruction by vehiclesSoil destruction by vehicles Depletion of underground waterDepletion of underground water Urban developmentUrban development Soil salinizationSoil salinization Waste storage (radioactive and toxic)Waste storage (radioactive and toxic) Solar cells and solar collectorsSolar cells and solar collectors

Polar Tundra Alpine Tundra Temperate Grassland Tropical Savanna Grasslands

Grassland characteristics Seasonal droughtSeasonal drought GrazingGrazing Occasional fires (prevent trees)Occasional fires (prevent trees)

GRASSLANDS BIOMES Variations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue). Figure 5-14

Tropical grassland (savanna) (savanna) (Harare, Zimbabwe) Temperate grassland grassland (Lawrence, Kansas) Polar grassland (arctic tundra) (Fort Yukon, Alaska)

Tropical Grassland and Savannas High average temperatureHigh average temperature Low to moderate precipitationLow to moderate precipitation Prolonged dry seasonProlonged dry season

Dry Grassland Moist Grassland WarthogThompson'sgazelleWaterbuck Grant's zebra Beisa oryx Topi Cape buffalo Wildebeest grazing – grass and herb eating

Dry Thorn Scrub Riverine Forest Dik-dik East African eland Blue duiker Greater kudu Bushbuck Black rhino Giraffe African elephant Gerenuk browsing – twig and leaf nibbling

Temperate Grasslands Bitterly cold wintersBitterly cold winters Hot, dry summersHot, dry summers Sparse, uneven precipitationSparse, uneven precipitation 1)Tall- and short- grass prairies (NA) 2)Pampas (SA) 3)Veldt (Africa) 4)Steppes (Europe and Asia)

Temperate Grasslands The cold winters and hot dry summers have deep and fertile soil that make them ideal for growing crops and grazing cattle.

Producer to primary consumer Primary to secondary consumer Secondary to higher-level consumer All producers and consumers to decomposers Fungi Bacteria Golden eagle Prairiedog Blue stem grass Blue stem grass CoyoteCoyote GrasshopperGrasshopper sparrowGrasshoppersparrow Pronghorn antelope Prairie coneflowerPrairieconeflower Temperate tall-grass prairie

Polar Grasslands (Artic Tundra) Bitterly coldBitterly cold Frigid windsFrigid winds Ice and snowIce and snow Permafrost

Producer to primary consumer Primary to secondary consumer Secondary to higher-level consumer All consumers and producers to decomposers Lemming Arcticfox Horned lark Mosquito Grizzly bear Long-tailed jaeger Caribou Willow ptarmigan Snowy owl Dwarf willow Mountain cranberry Moss campion PolarGrasslands (Artic tundra)

Temperate Shrubland or Chaparral Dense growth of low- growing, evergreen shrubsDense growth of low- growing, evergreen shrubs Mild wintersMild winters Long, hot, dry summersLong, hot, dry summers Referred to as “Mediterranean climate” along coastal areasReferred to as “Mediterranean climate” along coastal areas People like to live in this biomePeople like to live in this biome

Chaparral Chaparral has a moderate climate but its dense thickets of spiny shrubs are subject to periodic fires. Figure 5-18

Temperate coniferous forests Temperate deciduous forests Tropical rain forests Forest Biomes

FOREST BIOMES Variations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue) in tropical, temperate, and polar forests.

Tropical rain forest forest (Manaus, Brazil) Temperate deciduous forest deciduous forest (Nashville, Tennessee) Polar evergreen coniferous forest (boreal forest, taiga) (Moscow, Russia)

Tropical Rain Forests Warm temperaturesWarm temperatures High humidityHigh humidity Heavy daily rainfallHeavy daily rainfall Most biologically diverse biomeMost biologically diverse biome Nutrient poor soilsNutrient poor soils

Shrublayer Canopy Emergentlayer UnderstoryUnderstory Ground layerGroundlayerHarpyeagle Tocotoucan Woolyopossum Braziliantapir Black-crownedantpitta Height (meters) stratification

Temperate Rainforest Occurs in coastal temperate areasOccurs in coastal temperate areas –Coast of North America from Canada to northern California Ample rainfall or moist, dense ocean fogsAmple rainfall or moist, dense ocean fogs Spruce, Douglas fir, redwoodsSpruce, Douglas fir, redwoods

Temperate Deciduous Forest Long, warm summersLong, warm summers Cold wintersCold winters Abundant precipitationAbundant precipitation Nutrient rich soilsNutrient rich soils

Producer to primary consumer Primary to secondary consumer Secondary to higher-level consumer All producers and consumers to decomposers Bacteria Fungi Wood frog Racer Shagbark hickory White-taileddeer White-footedmouse White oak Graysquirrel Hairywoodpecker Broad-wingedhawk Long-tailed weaselLong-tailedweasel May beetle Mountain winterberryMountainwinterberry Metallic wood-boring beetle and Metallic wood- boring beetle and larvae

Evergreen Coniferous Forests ‘Boreal’ or ‘Taiga’ 60° N Latitude60° N Latitude Long, dry and extremely cold wintersLong, dry and extremely cold winters Short, mild summersShort, mild summers Plant diversity is lowPlant diversity is low Deep layer of decomposed conifer needles provide rich source of peat bogsDeep layer of decomposed conifer needles provide rich source of peat bogs

Producer to primary consumer Primary to secondary consumer Secondary to higher-level consumer All producers and consumers to decomposers Bacteria Bunchberry Starflower Fungi Snowshoehare Bebbwillow Moose Wolf Balsam fir Blue jay Great horned owlGreathornedowl White spruceWhitespruce Pine sawyer Pine sawyer beetle and larvae MartenMarten

Human impacts on forests Clearing of tropical forests for agriculture, livestock grazing, and timberClearing of tropical forests for agriculture, livestock grazing, and timber Clearing of temperate deciduous forests for timber, agriculture and urban developmentClearing of temperate deciduous forests for timber, agriculture and urban development Clearing of evergreen coniferous forestsClearing of evergreen coniferous forests Conversion of diverse forests to less biodiverse tree plantationsConversion of diverse forests to less biodiverse tree plantations

Tree Plantation (monoculture)

MOUNTAIN BIOMES High-elevation islands of biodiversity Often have snow- covered peaks that reflect solar radiation and gradually release water to lower- elevation streams and ecosystems.

HUMAN IMPACTS ON TERRESTRIAL BIOMES Human activities have damaged or disturbed more than half of the world’s terrestrial ecosystems. Humans have had a number of specific harmful effects on the world’s deserts, grasslands, forests, and mountains.

Natural Capital Degradation Desert Large desert cities Soil destruction by off-road vehicles Soil salinization from irrigation Depletion of groundwater Land disturbance and pollution from mineral extraction

Oil production and off-road vehicles in arctic tundra Overgrazing by livestock Release of CO 2 to atmosphere from grassland burning Conversion to cropland Grasslands Natural Capital Degradation

Clearing for agriculture, livestock grazing, timber, and urban development Conversion of diverse forests to tree plantations Damage from off-road vehicles Natural Capital Degradation Forests Pollution of forest streams

Natural Capital Degradation Mountains Agriculture Timber extraction Mineral extraction Hydroelectric dams and reservoirs Increasing tourism Urban air pollution Increased ultraviolet radiation from ozone depletion Soil damage from off-road vehicles

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