1. Lesson Overview
4.4 Biomes

2. The Major Biomes abiotic factors climate and soil type
What abiotic and biotic factors characterize biomes?
abiotic factors climate and soil type
biotic factors  plant and animal life.

3. Factors that affect global climate
Latitude
heat
area’s proximity to an ocean or mountain range.

4. Defining Biomes tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest,
Biomes  Classification of Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems based on regional climate communities.
Major biomes include:
tropical rain forest,
tropical dry forest,
tropical grassland/savanna/shrubland,
desert,
temperate grassland,
temperate woodland and shrubland,
temperate forest,
northwestern coniferous forest,
boreal forest,
tundra.

5. Defining Biomes
The map shows the locations of the major biomes.

6. TROPICAL RAIN FOREST
home to more species than all the other biomes combined.
get at least 2 meters of rain a year!

7. 50 to 80 meters above the forest floor.
TROPICAL RAIN FOREST
Canopy:
Tall trees
dense, leafy covering
50 to 80 meters above the forest floor.
Understory:
below the canopy,
shorter trees and vines

8. TROPICAL RAIN FOREST
Epiphytic plants grow on the branches of tall plants as opposed to soil.
This allows the epiphyte to take advantage of available sunlight while obtaining nutrients through its host.

9. TROPICAL RAIN FOREST Biotic Factors – Animal Life
Leaf Insects
TROPICAL RAIN FOREST Biotic Factors – Animal Life
active all year.
Many use camouflage to hide from predators or to match their surroundings.
Animals that live in the canopy have adaptations for climbing, jumping, and/or flight.

10. TROPICAL DRY FOREST Abiotic Factors
warm year-round, with alternating wet and dry seasons.
rich soils which are subject to erosion.

11. TROPICAL DRY FOREST Biotic Factors – Plant Life Adaptations:
extra thick waxy layer on leaves to reduce water loss,
or they store water in their tissues.
seasonal loss of leaves to survive the dry season.
A plant that sheds its leaves during a particular season is called deciduous.
TROPICAL DRY FOREST

12. Emigration of animals in dry season
Biotic Factors – Animal Life
Adaptaions:
Emigration of animals in dry season
reduce need for water by estivation.
Estivation long period of inactivity.
similar to hibernation, but typically takes place during a dry season.
TROPICAL DRY FOREST
Snails in estivation

13. TROPICAL GRASSLAND/SAVANNA/SHRUBLAND
Abiotic Factors
warm, with seasonal rainfall.
Compact soil
frequent fires set by lightning.

14. TROPICAL GRASSLAND/SAVANNA/SHRUBLAND
Biotic Factors – Plant Life
Adaptations
waxy leaf coverings to prevent water loss.
seasonal leaf loss.
Some grasses have a high silica content that makes them less appetizing to grazing herbivores.

15. TROPICAL GRASSLAND/SAVANNA/SHRUBLAND
Biotic Factors – Animal Life
Adaptations:
Migration in dry season to search for water.
Some smaller animals burrow and remain dormant during the dry season.

16. DESERT Abiotic Factors low precipitation and variable temperatures.
Their soils are rich in minerals, but poor in organic material.
Biotic Factors – Plant Life
Adaptations:
Plants like cacti store water in their tissues
Small leaf surface area to cut down on water loss.
Cactus spines are actually modified leaves.

17. DESERT
Biotic Factors – Plant Life
Modified photosynthesis-- some plants leaf pores open only at night, so they can conserve moisture on hot, dry days.
Biotic Factors – Animal Life
get the water from the food they eat.
nocturnal—to avoid the day time heat.
Large or elongated ears, many blood vessels close to the surface to help the animal lose body heat and regulate body temperature.
Long-eared Jerboa,

18. Honey pot ants & Camels Desert animals
Get nectar from plants
The ants feed some particular ants in the colony with nectar until their whole abdomen swells up with honey.
During the drought, other ants will feed on the honey, and the ants' abdomens shrink back to its normal size.
The honey-pot ants save food in this way.
They are also a source of food supply for other desert animals, including humans!

19. TEMPERATE GRASSLAND
Plains and prairies once covered vast areas of the midwestern and central United States.
Periodic fires and heavy grazing by herbivores.
Abiotic Factors
Soil is rich in nutrients and is ideal for growing crops.
warm to hot summers
cold winters,
moderate seasonal precipitation.

20. TEMPERATE GRASSLAND Biotic Factors – Animal Life
Biotic Factors – Plant Life
Grasses are resistant to grazing and fire.
Wind dispersal of seeds
grassland plants help establish and retain deep, rich, fertile topsoil.
Biotic Factors – Animal Life
Open, exposed environments make predation a constant threat for smaller animals.
Camouflage and burrowing are two common protective adaptations.

21. TEMPERATE WOODLAND AND SHRUBLAND
Communities that are more shrubland than forest are known as chaparral.
Abiotic Factors
hot dry summers
cool moist winters.
thin, nutrient-poor soils
periodic fires.

22. TEMPERATE WOODLAND AND SHRUBLAND
Biotic Factors – Plant Life
tough waxy leaves that resist water loss.
Some seeds are fire resistant
Some seeds need fire to germinate.
Biotic Factors – Animal Life
varied diets of grasses, leaves, shrubs etc.
camouflage is common.

23. TEMPERATE FOREST cold to moderate winters and warm summers.
Abiotic Factors
cold to moderate winters and warm summers.
year-round precipitation and fertile soils.
The fertile soils are rich in humus material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter.
Biotic Factors – Plant Life
Deciduous trees drop their leaves and go into a state of dormancy in winter.
Conifers have needlelike leaves that minimize water loss in dry winter air.
Biotic Factors – Animal Life
Some animals hibernate,
Others migrate to warmer climates.
Animals that do not hibernate or migrate may be camouflaged to escape predation in the winter.

24. NORTHWESTERN CONIFEROUS FOREST
moist air from the Pacific Ocean influenced by the Rocky Mountains provides abundant rainfall to this biome.
Due to the lush vegetation it is sometimes called a “temperate rain forest.”

25. NORTHWESTERN CONIFEROUS FOREST
Biotic Factors – Plant Life
Trees  among the world’s tallest.
Biotic Factors – Animal Life
Camouflage helps insects and ground-dwelling mammals avoid predation. .
Many animals eat a varied diet—an advantage in an environment where vegetation changes seasonally.
Abiotic Factors
mild temperatures
abundant precipitation in fall, winter, and spring.
Summers cool &dry.
Soils rocky & acidic.
Variation in seasonal temperature results in less diversity.

26. BOREAL FOREST
Also called taiga.
Occurs mostly in the northern part of the Northern Hemisphere.
The word boreal comes from the Greek word for “north.”

27. conical shape of conifers sheds snow,
Biotic Factors – Plant Life
conical shape of conifers sheds snow,
wax-covered needlelike leaves prevent excess water loss.
dark green color of most conifers absorbs heat energy.
Biotic Factors – Animal Life
Most have small extremities and extra insulation in the form of fat or downy feathers.
Migrate in winter.
BOREAL FOREST
Abiotic Factors
long cold winters and short mild summers.
moderate precipitation and high humidity.
soil is acidic and nutrient- poor.

28. TUNDRA characterized by permafrost
permafrost a layer of permanently frozen subsoil.

29. TUNDRA Abiotic Factors strong winds and low precipitation.
Biotic Factors – Plant Life
mosses and other low-growing plants.
Seed dispersal by wind.
legumes, which have symbiotic bacteria on their roots that fix nitrogen to the soil
Biotic Factors – Animal Life
Some migrate to warm areas.
Those that live here year- round display adaptations such as
natural antifreeze,
small extremities that limit heat loss,
a varied diet.
Abiotic Factors
strong winds and low precipitation.
short and soggy summers
long, cold, and dark winters
Poorly developed soil

30. not easily classified into a biome
Mountain Ranges
not easily classified into a biome
exist on all continents and in many biomes.
temperature, precipitation, exposure to wind, and soil types all change with elevation, and so do organisms.
Yaks and Sherpas at the Foot of Himalayan Mountain Range

31. Polar Ice Caps not easily classified into a biome
border the tundra and are cold year-round.
Plants are few, though some algae grow on snow and ice.
mosses and lichens may grow where ground is exposed
Marine mammals, insects, and mites are the typical animals.