1. BIOMES

2. What is a Biome?
Biome: A group of land ecosystems with similar climates and organisms.
Ecosystem: The community of organisms that live in a particular area, along with their nonliving surroundings.

3. How many biomes are there and what are they?
There are 6 major biomes
Rain Forests
Desert
Grassland
Deciduous forest
Boreal forest
Tundra

4. Rain Forest Biome Two types:
Temperate Rain Forests found in the Northwestern United States.
Tropical Rain Forests found along the equator. Sometimes called Jungles.

5. Temperate Rain Forest Over 300cm of rain per year Huge hardwood trees
Moderate temperatures

6. Tropical Rain Forest Close to the equator.
Climate is warm and humid year round
Several distinct tree layers in the tropical forest.
Have more plant and animal species than any other biome!

7. Desert Biome Less than 25cm of rain per year.
Evaporation exceeds precipitation.
Large shifts in temperature from night to day.
Located just outside of the equatorial regions.
Organisms need special adaptations to survive.

8. Grassland Biome Middle Latitudes
Prairie: An area populated mostly by grasses and other non-woody plants.
25-75cm of rain per year.
Savanna: up to 120cm of rain per year. Has grasses and small shrubs and small trees.
Home to largest animals on Earth.

9. Deciduous Forest Biomes
Deciduous trees loose their leaves and grow new ones annually.
About 50cm per year.
Large variation in temperatures over the year.

10. Boreal Forest Biomes Also known by its Russian name: Taiga
Located in colder regions in the upper middle latitudes
Trees are coniferous.
Seeds are in cones and leaves are needle shaped.

11. Tundra Biome Extremely dry and cold
Soil is frozen year round and is called permafrost
Plants include mosses, grasses, shrubs and some dwarf variety of trees.
Shallow ponds and marshy areas in the summer.
Only located in the Northern Hemisphere and north of the Arctic Circle.