2. Land based biomes are global communities of organisms.

3. Earth has six major land biomes.
A biome is a major community of organisms.
Biomes are characterized by 3 factors: precipitation, temperature and vegetation.

4. Tropical rain forest biomes produce lush forests.
Source: World Meteorological Organization
warm temperature
Most abundant precipitation all year

5. Grassland biomes are where the primary plant life is grass.
Rapid City, South Dakota
Source: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration

6. Grassland biomes are where the primary plant life is grass.
Temperate grasslands (Great Plains) are dry and warm during the summer; most precipitation falls as snow.
Savannas (Tropical grasslands) are warm through the year, with definite dry and rainy seasons.

7. Desert biomes are characterized by a very arid climate.
Tucson, Arizona
Source: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
Lowest amount of precipitation
four types: hot, semi-arid, coastal, and cold

8. Temperate forest biomes include deciduous forests and rain forests.
Temperate deciduous forests have hot summers and cold winters.
Deciduous trees are the dominant plant species.
Source: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
Burlington, Vermont

9. Temperate forest biomes include deciduous forests and rain forests.
Temperate deciduous forests have hot summers and cold winters.
Deciduous trees (lose leaves during fall) are the dominant plant species.
The temperate rain forests have a long wet season and relatively dry summer.
Ferns and moss cover the forest floor. 

10. The taiga biome is located in cooler northern climates.
Source: Environment Canada
Banff, Canada
boreal forest
long winters and short summers
small amount of precipitation
Characterized by evergreens.

11. The tundra biome is found in the far northern latitudes with long winters.
Barrow, Alaska
Source: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
winter lasts 10 months
limited precipitation
Permafrost (layer of soil permanently frozen.)

12. Minor biomes, such as chaparral, occur globally on a smaller scale.
Chaparral is also
known as the Shrubland and Woodland.
Found near Mediterranean Sea, South Africa and Australia.

13. Polar ice caps and mountains are not considered biomes.
Polar ice caps have no soil, therefore no plant community.
The climate and organisms found on mountains change as the elevation changes.

14. There are both fresh and saltwater biomes
There are both fresh and saltwater biomes. Freshwater ecosystems include moving and standing water.
A watershed is a region of land that drains into a body of water.
Ecosystems may be different along a river’s course

15. Rivers
Rivers at their starting pts. are usually high in oxygen and cold.
Plants and animals adapted to rivers may have ways to anchor themselves and are strong swimmers.
Pollution and damming are two major threats to rivers.

16. Freshwater- wetlands
Wetlands are covered in water for at least part of the year.
Wetlands help to clean and filter water.
Wetlands also help to reduce flooding because they can absorb much water.
Threats to wetlands include pollution and filling in for development.

17. Wetlands - Marshes
Marshes are freshwater wetlands that have mostly non-woody plants.

18. Wetlands – Marshes - Everglades
The Everglades in southern Florida are the largest marsh in the US
It is been greatly reduced in size due to development.

19. Wetlands - swamps
Swamps are freshwater wetlands that contain woody plants

20. Fresh Water Zones Freshwater bodies are divided into three zones.
littoral zone- zone- shore line. Nutrient rich and diverse.
limnetic zone- open water of a body of freshwater
benthic zone-little sunlight. Animals live off of decaying matter that falls to the bottom.

21. All lakes “turn over” periodically.
Turn over happens due to changes in density.
In both autumn and spring, surface water flows downward and bottom water flows upward.
The upwelling brings up nutrients.

22. Dissolved O2 concentration
Lake Overturn
Epilimnion
Hypolimnion
Thermocline
Summer
Fall overturn
22˚
20˚
18˚ 8˚ 6˚ 5˚
4˚C 0˚ 2˚ 4˚
Winter
Spring overturn
Dissolved O2 concentration
High
Medium
Low

23. Salt Water (Marine) Zones
Marine bodies have two main zones.
Coastal
High/Low Tide Line
Estuaries-Most productive biome on Earth
Nursery of the sea, where the river meets the ocean.
Coral Reefs-There are made up of the casing of the animal coral.
They are extremely diverse.
Pollution is a major threat to coral reefs.
Ends with continental shelf. – the portion of the continental plate that lies submerged under the ocean.
Usually has a gentle slope
Width can vary from a few to ten kilometers

24. Salt Water (Marine) Zones
Marine bodies have two main zones.
Open Sea
Pelagic- is the area of open water lying over and beyond the continental shelf, while excluding nearshore and estuary areas
Bathyal-lies deeper than the continental shelf but shallower than the deep ocean floor
Abyssal-the deepest part of the ocean, perpetual darkness.
Benthic- bottom/floor of body of water, a thick blanket of mud that consists of fine particles that have settled from the overlying water and accumulated over millions of years.