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Land Biomes
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Land Biomes Biomes are large regions characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities. Each biome is made up of many individual ecosystems.
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Biomes are described by their vegetation because plants that grow in an area determine the other organisms that can live there. Plants in a particular biome have characteristics, specialized structures, or adaptations that allow the plants to survive in that biome. These adaptations include size, shape, and color. For example, plants in the tundra tend to be short because they cannot obtain enough water to grow larger.
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Climate is the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time.
Climate is the main factor in determining which plants can grow in a certain area, which in turn defines the biome. Temperature and precipitation are the two most important factors that determine a region’s climate.
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Most organisms are adapted to live within a particular range of temperatures and will not survive at temperatures too far above or below their range. Precipitation also limits the organisms that can be found in a biome because all organisms need water, and the bigger the animal, the more water it needs.
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Latitude is the distance north or south from the equator, and is expressed in degrees.
Altitude is the height of an object above a reference point, such as sea level or the Earth’s surface. Climate varies with latitude and altitude. For example, climate gets colder as latitude and altitude increase. This is why it gets colder as you move further up a mountain.
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Land Biomes The 6 most common biomes are: Tundra Taiga
Temperate Deciduous Forest Tropical Rain Forest Grassland (Prairie, Tropical Savanna, Chapparal) Desert
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Land Biomes
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Tundra Found in parts of Canada, Alaska, and Siberia
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Tundra – “The Cold Desert” Found at latitudes around the North Pole
Less than 25 cm precipitation yearly Very cold year round (-40ºC in winter) Cold, dry, treeless region
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Tundra – “The Land of the Midnight Sun”
Winter lasts 6 to 9 months with no daylight Summer is short and cold with 24 hours of sunlight a day
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Tundra- Soil is poor Permafrost Layer of permanently frozen soil
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Plants of the Tundra Tundra plants are resistant to drought and cold
Examples:
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Plants of the Tundra Reindeer moss – It’s a lichen!
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Plants of the Tundra Lichens
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Plants of the Tundra Lichen
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Plants of the Tundra True Mosses
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Plants of the Tundra Small shrubs and flowers
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Plants of the Tundra Grasses
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Animals of the Tundra Many animals of the tundra migrate there during the short summer Examples:
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Animals of the Tundra Biting insects Mosquito Blackfly
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Animals of the Tundra Snowy owl
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Animals of the Tundra Arctic hare
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Animals of the Tundra Caribou – “Reindeer”
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Animals of the Tundra Musk oxen
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Animals of the Tundra Lemmings
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Threats to the Tundra The tundra is one of the most fragile biomes on the planet. The food chains are relatively simple so they are easily disrupted. Until recently these areas have been undisturbed by humans. But oil was located in parts of the tundra, and oil exploration, extraction, and transport has disrupted many tundra habitats. Pollution caused by spills or leaks of oil and other toxic materials may also poison the food and water sources of organisms of the tundra.
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Taiga or Coniferous Forest
Found in parts of Canada, Alaska, and Russia
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Taiga or Coniferous Forest
World’s largest land biome Latitudes between 50ºN and 60ºN
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Taiga- Warmer and wetter than the Tundra Winters are long and cold
35 to 40 cm of precipitation yearly (mostly snow)
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Plants of the Taiga There is no permafrost, so trees can grow. Mosses and lichens grow on the forest floor. Examples: Cone-bearing Evergreen trees A conifer is a tree that has seeds that develop in cones. Their leaves’ arrow shape and waxy coating helps them to retain water in the winter. The conifer’s shape also helps the tree shed snow to the ground and not get weighed down.
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Plants of the Taiga Fir tree
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Plants of the Taiga Spruce tree
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Plants of the Taiga Hemlock tree
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Plants of the Taiga Liverwort (a moss)
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Plants of the Taiga Mosses
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Animals of the Taiga Many animals live in the Taiga. Examples:
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Animals of the Taiga Moose
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Animals of the Taiga Black bear
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Animals of the Taiga Lynx
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Animals of the Taiga Wolf
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Animals of the Taiga Badger
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Animals of the Taiga Wolverine
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Temperate Deciduous Forest
Found in Europe, the eastern part of the U.S.A., and China (This is our biome!!!)
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Temperate Deciduous Forest
Found below 50ºN latitude 75 to 150 cm precipitation yearly
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Temperate Deciduous Forest
Wide range of temperatures with 4 seasons Below freezing in winter to 30ºC in summer
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Temperate Deciduous Forest
Soil is rich in nutrients from layers of decomposing leaves
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Temperate Deciduous Forest
Layers of vegetation Canopy Understory Forest floor
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Layers of Vegetation Canopy- tree tops that shade the ground below Understory- shrub layer Forest floor- dark and moist layer of dead leaves, twigs, and seeds
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Layers of Vegetation Canopy
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Layers of Vegetation Understory
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Layers of Vegetation Forest floor
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Life in the Temperate Deciduous Forest
The mild climate and rich soil of the temperate deciduous forest supports a wide variety of plant and animal life.
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Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Plant life is abundant. Examples:
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Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Oak tree
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Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Hickory tree
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Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Maple tree
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Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Shrubs (Azalea)
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Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Shrubs (Holly)
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Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Wildflowers
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Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Ferns
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Animal life is diverse. Examples:
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Deer
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Fox
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Snakes (Eastern Garter Snake)
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Black bear
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Birds (Bald Eagle, Barn owl, woodpecker, cardinal)
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Raccoon
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Amphibians Wood frog Leopard Frog
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Amphibians Spotted Salamander Jefferson Salamander
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Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Small Mammals Field Mouse Squirrel
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Tropical Rain Forest Found near the equator in Africa, South America, Australia, and the Pacific Islands
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Tropical Rain Forest Found near the equator
200 to 225 cm precipitation yearly
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Tropical Rain Forest Hot and humid all year
Temperatures are fairly constant around 25ºC
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Tropical Rain Forest Soil is nutrient poor and acidic
Most plants have shallow roots
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There are four main layers of the rain forest:
The Emergent Layer The Upper Canopy The Lower Layer The Understory
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Tropical Rain Forest Layers of Vegetation
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Life in the Tropical Rain Forest
The tropical rain forest is a lush, productive ecosystem containing more than half of all the species that live on Earth.
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Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
A rain forest may contain more than 700 species of trees and over 1000 species of flowering plants. Examples:
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Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Mahogany tree Notice how the roots rise above the ground to help support this giant tree!
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Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Bromeliads
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Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Orchids
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Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Giant ferns
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Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Flowering plants
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
The rain forest is home to a huge number of animals. Examples:
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Monkeys
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Exotic birds
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Snakes
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Sloths
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Bat (Fruit bat)
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Insects Butterfly Beetle
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Large Cats
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Exotic mammals Paca Peccary
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Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Exotic mammals Agouti Nutria
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Grasslands Tropical Savannas Prairies Chapparal
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Tropical Savanna
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Characteristics of the Savanna
Tropical, rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees Not enough rainfall to support forests Long dry winter with 4” rainfall and rainy summer with 15 – 50 inches of rainfall annually 90oF in dry season; 70oF in summer Clay and sand mixed soils
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Savanna Producers Tall, wild grasses Acacia trees Small shrubs
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Savanna Consumers Large herbivores such as antelope, gazelles, giraffes, elephants, zebras, wildebeests Large carnivores such as lions, hyenas, and leopards
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Grassland - Prairie “The Bread Basket of the World”
Found on every continent.
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Grassland Grasslands are known by many names.
U.S.A. – Prairie or Plains Asia – Steppe South America – Pampas Africa –Veldt or Savanna Australia - Savanna
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Grassland Wet seasons followed by a season of drought
25 to 75 cm precipitation yearly
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Grassland The soil is rich and fertile.
The grass has extensive root systems, called sod.
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Plants of the Grassland
Grassland regions of the world are important farming areas. Cereal and grains grow here. Examples:
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Plants of the Grassland
Wheat
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Plants of the Grassland
Rye
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Plants of the Grassland
Barley
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Plants of the Grassland
Corn
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Animals of the Grassland
The most noticeable animals in grassland ecosystems are usually grazing mammals. Examples:
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Animals of the American Grassland
Bison
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Animals of the American Grassland
Prairie Dog
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Animals of the American Grassland
Pronghorn
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Animals of the American Grassland
Coyote
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Animals of the Australian Grassland
Long Nosed Bandicoot
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Animals of the Australian Grassland
Wallaby
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Animals of the Australian Grassland
Wombat
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Chapparal (Scrub)
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Chapparal Characteristics
Cross between a grassland and a forest May contain mountain slopes and plains Hot, dry summers and mild winters Average winter temperature ~ 46oF Average summer temperature ~ 72oF Annual rainfall inches Nutrient poor soil with low moisture
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Chapparal Organisms Producers Consumers Trees such as oak
Shrubs with thick waxy coverings to conserve water Aardvark Coyotes Lynx Chipmunks
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Chapparals
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Desert Found on every continent. The driest biome on Earth
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Desert Extreme temperatures- Very hot during the day and cool at night
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Desert Very little rainfall Less than 25 cm precipitation yearly
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Desert The soil ranges from gravel to sand. Soil is nutrient poor.
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Plants of the Desert Examples:
Desert plants have evolved adaptations to help them survive in the extreme temperatures and dryness of this biome. Examples:
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Plants of the Desert Cactus Saguaro Prickly Pear
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Plants of the Desert Mesquite
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Plants of the Desert Joshua tree
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Plants of the Desert Wildflowers
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Plants of the Desert Creosote
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Animals of the Desert The animals of the desert are adapted to the hot temperatures. Examples:
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Animals of the Desert Lizards Desert Iguana Frilled Lizard
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Animals of the Desert Camel
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Animals of the Desert Snakes Diamondback Rattlesnake Sidewinder
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Animals of the Desert Scorpion
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Animals of the Desert Kangaroo rat
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Animals of the Desert Gila Monster
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Animals of the Desert Predatory birds Great Horned Owl Kestrel
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Animals of the Desert Tarantula
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