1. Chapter #6 Major Ecosystems/Biomes of the World

2. Earth’s Major Biomes Biome
A large, relatively distinct terrestrial region with a similar climate soil, plants, and animals, regardless of where it occurs in the world
Nine major biomes
Location of each biome is primarily determined by:
Temperature (varies with both latitude and elevation)
Precipitation
Biomes can also be defined by
Winds, rapid temperature changes, fires, floods, etc.

6. What is the Taiga Biome?
The taiga is located in Canada, Northern Europe, and Asia.
The taiga full of mainly coniferous forests.
The taiga is very cold in the winter and warm in the summer.
It contains trees such as the black spruce, and animals such as the snowshoe hare.

7. Abiotic factors of the taiga.
The taiga gets between 12 and 33 inches of precipitation each year.
The temperatures vary from -58 degrees to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Because the plants are mostly evergreen, the growing season lasts all year.

8. Plants of the taiga.
Balsam Fir- the balsam fir (or Canadian Balsam) is native to Eastern Canada and the Northwestern United States.
Black Spruce- native to North America, Newfoundland, and Alaska (also called Swamp Spruce.)
Douglas Fir- can get ft. wide and ft. tall. One of the most important lumber trees

9. Tundra
Treeless biome in the far north with harsh, cold winters and extremely short summers
Precipitation
10-25 cm/yr
Temperature
Short growing season
days

10. Tundra Nutrient poor soils with little organic material
Permafrost present
Low species richness
Veg is mostly grasses and sedges
Very simple food web
Low primary productivity

11. Rainforest
Coniferous biome with cool weather, dense fog and high precipitation
Ex: Northwest US
Precipitation
> 127 cm/yr
Heaviest in winter
Temperature
Winters are mild
Summers are cool

12. Rainforest
Soils are nutrient-poor, but high in organic material (dropped needles)
Cool temperatures slow decomposition
Dominant Vegetation
Large evergreen trees
Old-growth forest
Variety of cool
climate animal life
Very high species
richness
Heavily logged

13. Temperature Deciduous Forests
Forest biome that occurs in temperate areas with a moderate amount of precipitation
Precipitation
cm/yr
Temperature
Seasonality
Hot summers and cold winters

15. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Topsoil is rich in organic material and underlain by clay
Vegetation is primarily deciduous
Oak, maple, beech
Animals
Deer, bear and small animals
Most of this biome land area has been regenerated after farming & timber harvest

16. Deserts Biome where lack of precipitation limits plant growth
Temperature
Can very greatly in 24-hr period, as well as yearly (based on location)
Precipitation
< 25 cm/yr

17. Deserts Soils low in nutrients, high in salts Vegetation sparse
cactus and sagebrush
Animals are very small to regulate temperature
Sonoran Desert

18. Tropical Savanna Tropical grassland with widely scattered trees
Temperature
Varies little throughout the year
Precipitation
Seasons regulated by precipitation, not temperature
cm/yr

19. Savanna Soil low in nutrients due to leaching Vegetation Animals
Wide expanses of grass
Occasional Acacia trees
Have fire adaptive characteristics
Animals
Herds of hoofed animals
Large predators- lions, hyenas, etc.

20. Tropical Rainforest
Lush, species-rich biome that occurs where climate is warm and moist throughout the year
Precipitation
cm/yr
Very productive biome
Most species-rich biome

21. Tropical Rainforest Ancient, weathered, nutrient-poor soil Vegetation
Nutrients tied up in vegetation, not soil
Vegetation
3 distinct canopy layers
Animals
Most abundant insect, reptiles and amphibians on earth

22. Aquatic Ecosystem Fundamental Division
Freshwater
Saltwater
Aquatic Ecosystems also affected by
Dissolved oxygen level, light penetration, pH, presence/absence of currents
Three main ecological categories of organisms
Plankton- free floating
Nekton- strong swimming
Benthos- bottom dwelling

23. Freshwater Ecosystems
Includes:
Rivers and streams
Lakes and ponds
Marshes and swamps
Represent 2% of earth’s surface
Assist in recycling water back to the oceans (Biogeochemical Cycling)

24. Rivers and Streams Changes greatly from headwater to mouth Headwaters
Shallow, cool, swiftly flowing, high oxygenated
Mouth
Not as cool, slower flowing, less oxygen in water

25. Human Impacts on the Ocean

26. prairies, steppes, pampas, veldt…..
Temperate grasslands
prairies, steppes, pampas, veldt…..

27. Temperate grasslands
Prairies and steppes have continental climates characterised by large annual range of temperature, cool - cold winters, with most of precipitation as snow, and hot, commonly droughty summers because of high evapotranspiration rates.

28. North American grasslands
Calgary
Chicago
Cheyenne
Omaha
Abilene
Note isolated areas, and peninsula extending eastwards from Omaha