1. The World’s Biomes

2. Tundra
The tundra is located north of the Arctic Circle.

3. Tundra: Climate Short summers that have bogs and swamps
Long winters with icy winds
EXTREME conditions
Most Fragile Biome
Simple food chains
Land easily damaged
Oil is a major threat

4. Tundra: Vegetation Grasses, herbs, and lichens common
Tough shrubs and mosses
Vegetation can grow without soil
Wide, shallow roots
Plants are short

5. Tundra: Soil Thin soil - Only top few centimeters thaw in summer
Permafrost
Vast areas of rock

6. Tundra: Interesting Information
Bogs and swamps provide great breeding grounds for insects
Also provides breeding grounds for many birds, caribou and their predators
Most rodents burrow
Many animals have great camouflage and good insulation

7. Taiga(Boreal Forest) The taiga is also known as the Boreal Forest
It is found just below the Arctic circle in the Northern Hemisphere
Largest terrestrial biome

8. Taiga: Climate Long winters (6-10 months)
Average temperatures are below freezing in the winter
Receives little precipitation

9. Taiga: Vegetation Forest floor has little vegetation
Straight “Pole Trees”
Mostly conifers (pines, spruces, firs)
Short growing season (50 days)

10. Taiga: Soil
Acidic
Forms slowly

11. Taiga: Interesting Information
Many lakes and swamps provide habitat for many species in the summer
Many species migrate
Others burrow underground or change color according to season

12. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Located between 30° and 50°N latitude in North America, Europe, and Asia

13. Temperate Deciduous Forest: Climate
Temperatures may be extreme
Hot summers
Cold winters
Temperatures vary according to season
Moist; abundant precipitation
cm rainfall/year

14. Temperate Deciduous Forest: Vegetation
Short growing season
Adapted to survive seasons
Shed leaves
Seeds, bulbs, and underground stems remain dormant during winter
4-6 month growing season

15. Temperate Deciduous Forest: Soil
Rich, deep soil

16. Temperate Deciduous Forest: Interesting Information
Animals adapted to use forest plants for food and shelter
Many animals migrate or reduce activity in winter

17. Temperate Rainforest
Located in some coastal areas of North America; Australia, New Zealand

18. Temperate Rainforest: Climate
A lot of precipitation
High humidity
Moderate temperatures year round
Cool and moist
Rarely freezes

19. Temperate Rainforest: Vegetation
Evergreen trees with mosses and lichens
Lush ferns

20. Temperate Rainforest: Soil
Slow decay
Fertile
Supports many mosses, lichens, and ferns that cover the forest floor

21. Temperate Rainforest: Interesting Information
Trees can be more than 90 m tall
Many are old-growth forests
Provide habitat to endangered species
World’s tallest trees

22. Tropical Rainforest Located along the belt near the equator
About 7% of the Earth’s surface

23. Tropical Rainforest: Climate
Always humid and warm
Lots of rainfall
Receives about cm of rain/year
Strong sunlight all year
Relatively constant temperatures

24. Tropical Rainforest: Vegetation
More species of plants than any other biome
Trees have above ground roots
Grow in layers

25. Tropical Rainforest: Soil
Thin soil
Few nutrients because of rapid decay

26. Tropical Rainforest: Interesting Information
Helps regulate the climate
Plays a vital role in the nitrogen, and carbon cycles
Greatest species diversity
More animals live in the canopy
Mass deforestation
Approximately 100 acres/minute are destroyed by clearing

27. Temperate Grasslands Located in the interiors of continents
North American prairies
Russian steppes
South American pampas

28. Temperate Grasslands: Climate
Hot summers
Cold winters
Moderate rainfall
50-88 cm/year
Often “victims” of the rainshadow effect
Heavy precipitation rare
Fires are common in summer
Constant winds

29. Temperate Grasslands: Vegetation
Mostly grass
Very few trees
Roots form dense layers
Rainfall determines the type of plants in an area

30. Temperate Grasslands: Soil
Most fertile soil of any biome
Erosion is a common problem

31. Temperate Grasslands: Interesting Information
May have been replaced by agricultural crops, farming, and grazing areas
Few natural grasslands remain
Some say less than 1%
Animals have large, flat teeth for grazing
Other live underground

32. Savanna
Found in parts of Africa, Western India, Northern Australia, and parts of South America
Located between the tropical rainforest and the desert

33. Savanna: Climate Little precipitation throughout the year
Have a wet and dry season

34. Savanna: Vegetation Mostly grasses with shrubs and scattered trees
Horizontal root systems
Vertical leaves
Thorns or sharp leaves
Shed leaves

35. Savanna: Soil
Grass fires occur during the dry season and help restore the nutrients to the soil

36. Savanna: Interesting Information
Large variety of grazing animals and their predators
Many active only during wet season
Migratory
Follow rains
Feed according to height

37. Chaparral Located in the middle latitudes
30° N and S of the equator
Found along coastal areas with Mediterranean climates

38. Chaparral: Climate
Warm, dry summers
Mild, wet winters

39. Chaparral: Vegetation
Broad-leaved evergreens
Shrubs
Low-lying
Grow in dense patches
Adapted to fire

40. Chaparral: Soil
Dry, sandy mix

41. Chaparral: Interesting Information
Animals are camouflaged by color, shape, or movement
Human development (residential and commercial) are threatening this area

42. Desert Both hot and cold deserts exist
Hot deserts are found closer to the equator
Often near large mountain ranges

43. Desert: Climate Driest places on Earth Extreme temperatures
Less than 25 cm of rain/year
Extreme temperatures
Often created by the rainshadow effect

44. Desert: Vegetation Little or no vegetation
Vegetation that does live there has thick, fleshy stems and leaves that store water
Have waxy coating
Sharp spines
Roots spread out near surface
Dormant seeds
New plants grow and bloom quickly

45. Desert: Soil
DRY

46. Desert: Interesting Information
Animals have thick, scaly skin
Most animals are nocturnal

47. Marine Largest biome Includes: 97% of Earth’s water Coral reefs
Open ocean
Frozen seas
Abyss
Coastal areas
Estuaries

48. Marine: Climate
Salt water
Temperature varies according to depth

49. Marine: Vegetation
Ocean is filled with phytoplankton, algae, and kelp forests

50. Marine: Interesting Information
Coastal areas protect inland from flooding
Filter pollution and sediments
Some areas are productive fisheries
Many species not yet discovered
Chemosynthetic organisms
Organisms with bioluminescence
Great biodiversity