What are biomes? Small units of the biosphere Areas that have plants and animals that are well adapted to the region's physical environment Two distinction groups:  Terrestrial  Aquatic

Terrestrial Biomes The areas of land in the world. The plants and animals living in these areas are determined by the conditions of each biome. Terrestrial biomes are land regions with similar:  Climate temperature,precipitation and sunlight

Terrestrial vs. Aquatic

Aquatic Biomes The areas of water in the world. The plants and animals living in these areas are determined by the conditions of each biome. Aquatic biomes are areas of water with similar:  Salinity levels  Light penetration  Nutrients present

Terrestrial vs. Aquatic

How many biomes are there? There is no completely correct answer. We will study five: 1. Desert 2. Forest 3. Grassland 4. Tundra 5. Aquatic

There are 4 types of terrestrial biomes: 1. Desert 2. Forest 3. Grassland 4. Tundra

1. Desert(Terrestrial) Less than 50cm of rain per year Covers about 20% of the earth’s surface Types: Hot and dry Also: semiarid, coastal and cold deserts

2. Forest (Terrestrial) Dominated by trees Covers about 65% of the earth’s surface Types: Tropical/Rainforest Temperate/Deciduous  trees with leaves Boreal/Coniferous  tress with needles

3. Grassland(Terrestrial) Dominated by grass Types: Savannah/Tropical  some scattered trees and shrubs Temperate  only grass (no trees or shrubs)

4. Tundra (Terrestrial) Treeless plains The coldest of all biomes Types: Arctic  Located near the Arctic Circle and places of Antarctica. Alpine  Located on mountains

5. Aquatic The aquatic biome is divided into two groups: A. Marine (saltwater) B. Freshwater

A. Marine (Aquatic) Largest biome in the world Types: Oceans  E.g.: Atlantic Ocean Coral Reef  E.g.: Great Barrier Reef Shoreline  E.g.: rocky shore, sandy beach, estuary

B. Freshwater (Aquatic) Types: Rivers/Streams  E.g.: St. Lawrence River Lakes/Ponds  E.g.: Lake Erie Wetlands  E.g.: swamps, marshes and bogs

The 5 Biomes – Recap 1. Desert 2. Forest 3. Grassland 4. Tundra 5. Aquatic