1. Earth’s Biomes

2. Biomes
Are large geographical regions with a particular climate

3. Their climate determines the types of organisms that will survive
Are open systems ….. (exchanging both matter and energy with the surroundings)

4. The types are:
Tundra
Taiga
Deciduous
Grassland
Rainforest
Desert

5. Tundra Is in arctic regions
It is covered by ice and snow most of the year
Plants are small and flower quickly
Animals have large amounts of blubber or thick fur

6. Taiga (Boreal) located south of the tundra Contains mostly conifers
needles are covered in resin to prevent freezing
Large animals E.g. moose, bear, fox, wolves

7. Deciduous Forest
Moderate climate
Has trees that lose their leaves in the winter (deciduous)
The forest floor consists of lichens, ferns and mosses
It has smaller animals E.g. squirrels, weasels, foxes

8. Grassland Are dry regions
Grasses have extensive root system obtain as much water as possible
Animals are rodents and grazers

9. Two Examples Prairie – North America
warm summers, cold winters
E.g. buffalo, deer, elk, antelope
Savanna– Africa, Central America, Australia
wet and dry seasons
E.g. elephants, zebras, rhinoceros

10. Rainforest Has the greatest diversity of organisms Lots of rain
Broad leafed plants and vines
Animals such as gorillas, chimpanzees,
Brightly coloured birds and reptiles

11. Desert Very little precipitation Hot days & cold nights
Plants store water and have small leaves
Animals have adaptations to store water and cool
Lots of insects E.g. spiders

12. Canada’s Biomes
There are 4:
Tundra
Taiga
Grassland
Deciduous

13. D2.5
Analyzing Energy Flow
in Global Systems

14. A climatograph is a summary of the average temperature and precipitation for each month of the year.
Average precipitation is always plotted as a bar graph.
Average temperature is always plotted as a line graph.

15. Climatographs tell us information about what biome a particular region might be in.
For example, Manokwari, Indonesia is in a rainforest biome.

16. Climatographs are often used to compare one region to another.
In order to do this, the scale on the vertical axes must be the same on each climatograph.

17. Factors Affecting Climate
Insolation: mostly related to latitude. Has biggest effect on climate.
Global Winds: Patterns can determine short term weather and long term patterns. ie: Chicago (The ________ City)
Ocean Currents: Direction and temperature of the current have significant effects.