1. TERRESTRIAL (LAND) BIOMES

2. DEFINITIONS
Abiotic Factors – nonliving factors that shape an ecosystem (Ex. Temperature, Precipitation & Soil Type)
Biotic Factors – living factors in an ecosystem (Ex. Plants, Animals, Fungus & Bacteria)
Biome – a group of ecosystems that have similar climate and dominant communities (plants & animals)

3. TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

4. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Parts of South and Central America, Southeast Asia, parts of Africa, southern India, and northeastern Australia

5. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE: Warm / hot year-round (25OC)
PRECIPITATION:
Wet year-round ( cm a year)
SOIL:
Thin, nutrient-poor soils

6. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS:
Broad-leaved evergreen trees, ferns, large woody vines and climbing plants, orchids and bromeliads
ANIMALS:
Sloths, jaguars, anteaters, monkeys, birds, butterflies, ants, beetles, piranhas, boa constrictors, anacondas

7. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Deforestation

8. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Competition among plants/animals
Deforestation
Flooding
Overhunting

9. TROPICAL DRY FOREST

10. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Parts of Africa, South and Central America, Mexico, India, Australia and other tropical islands

11. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE: Generally warm year-round PRECIPITATION:
Alternating wet and dry seasons
SOIL:
Rich soils subject to erosion

12. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS:
Tall, deciduous trees (birch, oak and pecan), orchids and bromeliads, aloes and other succulents (cactus)
ANIMALS:
Tigers, monkeys, elephants, birds, hog deer, termites, snakes, monitor lizards

13. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Deforestation
Overhunting

14. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Lack of rain (only 1 season)
Fires
Poaching
Deforestation

15. TROPICAL SAVANNA

16. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Large parts of eastern Africa, southern Brazil, northern Australia

17. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE: PRECIPITATION: Seasonal rainfall SOIL:
Warm temperatures
PRECIPITATION:
Seasonal rainfall
SOIL:
Compact soil

18. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS:
Tall, perennial grasses, drought-tolerant and fire-resistant trees or shrubs
ANIMALS:
Lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, antelope, zebra, stork, eagles, termites

19. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Overhunting
Fires

20. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Lack of rain (only 1 season)
Competition
Fires
Poaching

21. DESERT

22. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Africa, Asia, the Middle East, United States, Mexico, South America and Australia

23. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE: PRECIPITATION: SOIL:
Variable temperatures (hot days and cool nights)
PRECIPITATION:
Low precipitation (less than 25 cm a year)
SOIL:
Soils rich in minerals but poor in organic material

24. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS:
Cacti and other succulents, creosote bush, sagebrush
ANIMALS:
Mountain lions, foxes, deer, antelopes, bats, owls, hawks, roadrunners, ants, beetles, butterflies, flies, rattlesnakes, lizards

25. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Urbanizing deserts

26. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Lack of rain, heat, extreme temperature changes

27. TEMPERATE GRASSLAND

28. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Central Asia, North America, Australia, central Europe and upland plateaus of South America

29. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE: Warm to hot summers, cold winters
PRECIPITATION:
Moderate, seasonal precipitation
SOIL:
Fertile soils

30. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS:
Lush, perennial grasses and herbs, corn, wheat and other grains
ANIMALS:
Coyotes, badgers, mule deer, antelopes, rabbits, prairie dogs, cattle, hawks, owls, snakes, ants, grasshoppers

31. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Overhunting
Overfarming (Dust Bowl of 1930s)
Fires

32. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Fires
Lack of rain (only one season)
Overgrazing
Overfarming

33. TEMPERATE WOODLAND & SHRUBLAND

34. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Western coasts of North and South America, areas around the Mediterranean Sea, South Africa and Australia

35. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE: Hot summers and cool winters
PRECIPITATION:
Dry summers and moist winters
SOIL:
Thin, nutrient-poor soils

36. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS:
Woody evergreen shrubs with small, leathery leaves (mesquite), oily herbs (rosemary), wildflowers, oak trees
ANIMALS:
Coyotes, foxes, mountain lions, deer, rabbits, squirrels, hawks, quails, lizards, snakes, butterflies

37. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Deforestation (cutting down trees)
Fires

38. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Deforestation
Fires
Lack of rain (one season only)
Eliminating predators leading to overpopulation of prey

39. TEMPERATE FOREST

40. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Eastern United States, southeastern Canada, most of Europe, and parts of Japan, China and Australia

41. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE: Cold to moderate winters, warm summers
PRECIPITATION:
Year-round precipitation
SOIL:
Fertile soils with humus

42. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS:
Deciduous trees (maple, birch, beech), flowering shrubs, herbs, a ground layer of mosses and ferns
ANIMALS:
Deer, black bears, bobcats, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, songbirds, turkeys

43. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Overhunting
Deforestation (for farming because of the humus)

44. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Cold weather
Overhunting
Deforestation
Tree diseases

45. NW CONIFEROUS FOREST

46. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Pacific coast of northwestern United States and Canada, from northern California to Alaska

47. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE:
Mild temperatures, relatively cool, dry summer
PRECIPITATION:
Abundant precipitation during fall, winter and spring
SOIL:
Rocky, acidic soils

48. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS:
Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, western hemlock, redwoods, flowering trees and shrubs (dogwood)
ANIMALS:
Bears, elk, deer, beavers, owls, bobcats, weasels

49. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Deforestation
Overhunting

50. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Competition among plants/ animals
Deforestation
Overhunting
Forest fires

51. BOREAL FOREST (TAIGA)

52. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
North America, Asia and northern Europe

53. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE: Long, cold winters; short, mild summers
PRECIPITATION:
Moderate precipitation
SOIL:
Acidic, nutrient-poor soils

54. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS:
Needleleaf coniferous trees such as spruce pine, cedar, fir, small berry-bearing shrubs
ANIMALS:
Lynxes, wolves, weasels, moose, beavers, songbirds, migratory birds

55. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Deforestation (cutting down trees)
Erosion and mudslides on mountains if trees are cut down
Lake pollution

56. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Cold weather
Deforestation
Overhunting
Acidic soils

57. TUNDRA

58. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Northern North America, Asia and Europe

59. ABIOTIC FACTORS TEMPERATURE:
Short and soggy summers; long, cold and dark winters
PRECIPITATION:
Low precipitation
SOIL:
Poorly developed soils because of permafrost

60. BIOTIC FACTORS PLANTS: ANIMALS:
Ground-hugging plants such as mosses, lichens, sedges and short grasses
ANIMALS:
Migratory waterfowl, shore birds, musk ox, snowy owl, Arctic foxes, caribou, lemmings and other small rodents

61. HARMFUL HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Oil pollution - oil pipelines and the Exxon Valdez

62. MAJOR LIMITING FACTORS
Cold weather
High winds
Low precipitation
Humus-poor soils

63. Aquatic Biomes

64. Aquatic Biomes
On our watery planet, these occupy most of the biosphere. Life originated in the oceans, and stayed there for nearly 3 billion years. The oceans are the most influential of all terrestrial features affecting climate and hence, biomes. These biomes cover 75% of our planet.

65. Major Aquatic Biomes 1. Freshwater-less than 1% salinity
2. Freshwater or brackish –mix of fresh and salt water
3. Marine-3% or more salinity

66. 1. Freshwater Location: Lakes/ponds Plants: Temperature : Animals:
grazing snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians.
Plants:
several species of algae (like diatoms), rooted and floating aquatic plants,
Temperature :
Changes seasonally

67. 1. Freshwater Location: Rivers/streams Animals: Plants: Temperature:
less diverse because of lack of light and movement of the water; trout, catfish and carp are common
Plants:
algae and other aquatic plants
Temperature:
cooler at the source and warmer at the mouth

68. 2. Fresh Water or Brackish
Location
Wetlands
Plants: pond lilies, cattails, sedges, tamarack, and black spruce,
Animals: amphibians, reptiles, birds (such as ducks and waders), and furbearers 
Temperature: varies with location of the wetland

69. 3. Marine Location Oceans Coral reefs Estuaries
Animals: herbivorous snails, crabs, sea stars, and small fishes, worms, clams, predatory crustaceans, crabs, whales, dolphins, sharks
Plants: diverse array of algae, seaweed,
Coral reefs
Animals: microorganisms, invertebrates, fishes, sea urchins, octopuses, and sea stars.
Plants: corals and algae
Estuaries
Animals: worms, oysters, crabs, and waterfowl
Plants: algae, seaweeds, marsh grasses

70. Harmful Human Activities for Aquatic Biomes
Dumping trash into water
Using harmful poisons on yards, in homes etc
Overharvesting (illegal fishing)
Can you think of anything else that humans do that would affect the diversity and life of the aquatic biomes?