1. BIOMES

2. What is a Biome?
A biome is a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plants & animal communities.
Described by their vegetation.
Plants that grow in an area determine the other organisms that can live there.

3. Tropic of
Cancer
Equator
Tropic of
Capricorn
Semidesert,
arid grassland
Tundra (polar grasslands)
Desert
Tropical Rain Forest,
Tropical Evergreen Forest
Mountains
(complex zonation)
Taiga (northern coniferous forest )
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Tropical deciduous forest
Ice
Temperate Grassland
Tropical scrub forest
Chaparral
Savanna

4. Consider this hierarchy model:
BIOSPHERE BIOMES SMALLER ECOSYSTEMS

5. What factors determine which plants can grow in a certain area?
Remember that biomes are defined by their plant life
Climate
Refers to the weather conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, & winds, in an area over a long period of time.
Temperature & Precipitation
Determines a region’s climate
All organisms need water, and the larger an organism is, the more water it needs.

6. Polar Subpolar Temperate Tropical
Tundra
Subpolar
Temperate
Coniferous forest
Desert
Deciduous
forest
Grassland
Chaparral
Tropical
Desert
Savanna
Rain forest
Tropical
seasonal
forest
Scrubland

7. Latitude & Vegetation
Biomes, climate, and vegetation vary with latitude & altitude.
Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator and is measured in degrees.
Altitude is the height of an object above sea level.

8. Easterlies
(from the east)
Westerlies
(from the west)
60°N
Northeast
tradewinds
30°N
(Doldrums)
equator
Southeast
tradewinds
30°S
Westerlies
60°S
Easterlies
Initial pattern of
air circulation
Deflections in the
paths of air flow
near the earth’s surface 

9. Cold Tropical (equator) Tropical Cold Climate type
Cool Temperate
Warm Temperate
Tropical
(equator)
Tropical
Warm Temperate
Cool Temperate
Cold
Fig. 6.6a, p. 125
Climate type

10. Temperate Deciduous Forest
MTNs (Ice & Snow)
Low
Tundra
Taiga
Elevation
Deciduous
Forest
Tropical
Rain Forest
High
Tropical Rain Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Taiga
Tundra
Polar Ice
High
Moisture Availability
Low

11. Polar (ice)
Warm temperate
Highland
Warm ocean current
Subarctic (snow)
Dry
Major upwelling zones
Cold ocean current
Cool temperate
Tropical
River
Fig. 6.4, p. 124

12. Review
Why is it hard for trees to survive at the tops of very high mountains?
Which biome would you expect to find a warm to hot conditions with a large amount of moisture?
Coniferous trees can be found in both the subartic taiga and in warm chaparral regions. What kind of conditons have these trees in these areas adapted to?