Land Biomes Review
Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical Rain Forest Hot and wet year-round Thin, nutrient-poor soils Broad-leafed evergreen trees, ferns, vines, orchids and bromeliads Sloths, monkeys, toucans, ants, beetles, piranhas, boa constrictors and anacondas, jaguars, parrots, parakeets Canopy and under story present
Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical Dry Forest
Tropical Dry Forest Warm year-round, alternating wet and dry season and rich soils that are subject to erosion Rain is seasonal rather than year-round Trees drop leaves to conserve water during dry season (deciduous) Tall, deciduous trees, drought-tolerant orchids, bromeliads and aloes Tigers, monkeys, elephants, pelicans, snakes and monitor lizards.
Tropical Dry Forest
Tropical Savanna
Tropical Savanna Receives more rainfall than deserts, but less than tropical dry forests Covered in grasses with isolated trees and small shrubs Has compact soils, fairly frequent fires and the action of large animals prevent them from turning into dry forest
Tropical Savanna Warm temperatures, seasonal rainfall, compact soil and frequent fires set by lightning Tall grasses and drought-tolerant and fire-resistant trees and/or shrubs Lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, zebras, baboons, termites
Tropical Savanna
Desert
Desert Annual precipitation is less than 25 cm per year! Deserts vary greatly, depending on elevation and latitude Extreme temperature changes during the course of a day Soils rich in minerals but poor in organic material
Desert
Desert
Temperate Grassland
Temperate Grassland Once covered vast areas of the midwestern and central U.S; most have been converted to agricultural fields now Periodic fires and heavy grazing by large herbivores Warm to hot summers, cold winters Moderate, seasonal precipitation Fertile soils
Temperate Grassland Lush, perennial grasses that are resistant to drought, fire and cold Coyotes, badgers, antelope, prairie dogs, snakes, ants, grasshoppers, mule deer, rabbits and prairie chickens and historically included wolves, grizzly bears and bison.
Temperate Grassland
Temperate Woodland and Shrubland
Temperate Woodland and Shrubland Hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters Thin, nutrient-poor soils and periodic fires Woody evergreen shrubs with small leather leaves; fragrant, oily herbs that grow during winter and die in summer Dense, low plants that contain flammable oils makes fires a constant threat
Temperate Woodland and Shrubland Also known as chaparral Includes coyotes, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, deer, rabbits, squirrels, hawks, lizards, snakes and butterflies
Temperate Woodland and Shrubland
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest Contains a mixture of deciduous and coniferous forests Cold winters that halt plant growth for several months Deciduous trees shed their leaves in fall Contains a ground layer of mosses and ferns Soils are rich in humus, a material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter that makes soil fertile.
Temperate Deciduous Forest Cold to moderate winters and warm summers Year-round precipitation Fertile soils Deer, black bears, bobcats, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, songbirds and turkeys
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Northwestern Coniferous Forest
Northwestern Coniferous Forest Mild, moist air from the Pacific Ocean provides abundant rainfall to this biome. Conifers (giant redwoods, spruce, fir and hemlock), moss, flowering trees Also called the “temperate rain forest” Abundant precipitation during fall, winter and spring. Relatively cool and dry summer Rocky, acidic soils Bears, elk, deer, beavers, owls, bobcats and weasels
Northwestern Coniferous Forest
Boreal Forest (taiga)
Boreal forest (taiga) Dense, evergreen forests of mostly conifers. Winters are bitterly cold and long, but the summers are mild and long enough to allow the ground to thaw. Moderate precipitation High humidity Acidic, nutrient-poor soils
Boreal forest (taiga) Coniferous trees such as spruce and fir, some deciduous trees and small, berry-bearing shrubs Lynxes and timber wolves and weasels, small herbivorous mammals, moose and other large herbivores, beavers and migratory birds and songbirds.
Boreal Forest (taiga)
Tundra
Tundra Has a layer of permanently frozen subsoil called permafrost. Short, cool summers Cycle of thawing and freezing rips and crushes plant roots, so the plants here are small and stunted High winds, low precipitation, short and soggy summers and long, cold and dark winters Poorly developed soils
Tundra Mosses, lichens and short grasses Migratory waterfowl, shore birds, musk ox, arctic foxes, caribou, small rodents Organisms that live here have to withstand the harsh conditions!
Tundra