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Arizona Biomes Biomes are major ecosystems that have distinctive temperatures, precipitation and organisms.

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Presentation on theme: "Arizona Biomes Biomes are major ecosystems that have distinctive temperatures, precipitation and organisms."— Presentation transcript:

1 Arizona Biomes Biomes are major ecosystems that have distinctive temperatures, precipitation and organisms

2 Biomes are defined by… Temperature
Precipitation – time of year that it falls, how much, and in what form Plant life Animal life

3 Factors that “create” biomes
Elevation Latitude – how far north or south Mountains – create rain shadows Wind patterns – influence weather Soil Types Soils determine the plants that can grow. The plants determine the animals that live in an area.

4 Arizona has all the biomes except tropical rainforests.
Tundra (Arctic, Alpine) Taiga (aka Coniferous Forest) Deciduous Forests Grasslands Deserts (Great Basin, Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonoran) Riparian

5 Tundra Arctic – found in the northernmost reaches of the Earth Alpine – found at highest elevations

6 Tundra Characteristics
Extremely cold, long winters Permafrost –permanently frozen soil layer Most precipitation as snow in winter Short plants, short summer growing season, dormant in winter Lichens, no trees

7 Arizona has tundra at……
Tundra Animals Mostly small rodents Insects and predators migrate up during warm times of the year Survival adaptations include; dense fur, hibernate or migrate Arizona has tundra at……

8 Mount Humphrey’s and

9 The San Francisco Peaks.

10 Taiga (Coniferous Forest) Characterized by…
Cone bearing, evergreen trees like pines, spruce, and fir Most precipitation falls as snow Just below the tundra Short trees in the ecotone, withstand cold Trees get larger (300 ft) as you go south Tree shape facilitates snow removal

11 Taiga (Coniferous Forest) cont.
Soils – acidic from needle decomposition Animals include; elk, porcupine, wolves, spotted owls, Stellar’s Jays Adaptations include heavy fur, hibernation, sleeping in nesting holes Taiga are found in Flagstaff, Pinetop, Payson, and Alpine

12 Flagstaff

13 Pinetop

14 Payson

15 and Alpine

16 Deciduous Forests characterized by…
Trees that drop their leaves in the fall Found near Taiga Precip as rain or snow year-round Milder, Shorter Winters, but still below freezing Summers are warmer (usually 80’s) Soil is rich and fertile because of leaf decomposition and summer humidity

17 Deciduous Forests (continued)
Animals include mule and white-tailed deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and acorn woodpeckers Adaptations include hibernation, thick fur in fall, storing food underground or in trees Deciduous forests are found in Flagstaff, Oak Creek Canyon, Ramsey’s Canyon and Portal

18 Oak Creek Canyon

19 Grasslands- semi arid region characterized by..
Warm, humid summers and cool dry winters Mainly grass, few trees and shrubs due to fire Deep grass roots aid in fire & winter survival Soils fertile & deep; usually converted to farms Rain falls in summer with storms from rim country Arizona Grassland towns include…

20 Patagonia

21 Camp Verde

22 Deserts characterized by low rainfall with high evaporation; large daily temp fluctuations (40 degrees) … 4 types of Deserts Great Basin Desert Mojave Desert Chihuahuan Desert Sonoran Desert

23 Great Basin Desert Cold desert (winters), highest elevation, northernmost desert Plants low-growing, small leafed shrubs (sage) protect from hard freezes Winter rains, some summer storms Animals include ground squirrels, jack rabbits, golden eagles Adaptations include burrowing, limited water use NE AZ; Page and Tuba City

24 Great Basin Desert

25 Mojave Desert Hottest US desert Only winter rains from California
Plants – low shrubs, schlerophylous leaves, drop in drought Dominant Plant – Joshua Tree Animals, Mojave rattlesnakes, kangaroo mice, scorpions, Recycle water, extract from foods eaten NW AZ - Kingman, Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City

26 Mojave Desert

27 Chihuahuan Desert SE AZ - Douglas
Higher elevations, winter freeze common Plants – shrubs, small cacti, yucca; can store water during extreme seasons Animals include; ground squirrels, chihuahuan desert whiptailed lizards and rattlesnakes –burrow during the heat Rains during summer monsoons SE AZ - Douglas

28 Chihuahuan Desert

29 Sonoran Desert – our home
Receives the most rain 2 rainy seasons – summer and winter Dominant Plant – Saguaro Cactus; 2000 other species, withstand high temps, absorb and store water Animals; Diamondback rattlesnakes, Harris Hawks, Roadrunners, gila monster Mexican Border to Central AZ Phoenix, Tucson

30 Sonoran Desert

31 Riparian Habitats – along streams and rivers
Many rivers underground, run after winter snowmelts Most endangered AZ habitat Rivers dammed, pumped, contaminated Huge cottonwood trees, fill from flash floods Animals; frogs, salamanders, birds migrate Temps 10 degrees cooler here Major AZ rivers; San Pedro, Colorado, Salt, Gila

32 Gila River

33


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