1. Terrestrial Biomes - Forests, Deserts and Grasslands

2. What is a biome? Biome – a major ecological community type Conifer forest Deciduous forest Temperate forest Tropical rainforest Shrubland Grassland Desert Tundra Taiga

3. Coniferous Forests Long, extremely cold winters with 6-8 hours of sunlight Short, cool summers with 19 hours of sunlight Annual precipitation (both rain and snow) 14-30”.

4. Coniferous Forest - Plants Primarily conifers Also called evergreens Stiff needles instead of leaves Deep green color Shed their needles slowly Cone shaped seed cases Cones must open to release the seeds

5. Coniferous Forests – Animals Populations are scarce, mostly herbivores Large herbivores Reach high into trees or dig into deep snow Seed eaters Pull seeds from cones Eat fallen seeds on the ground Carnivore size varies Lynx, wolf

6. Temperate Forests - Facts Also called deciduous forests drop leaves completely every winter Found in eastern N. America, western Europe and eastern Asia Long, very warm summers Cold winters (not severe) Forest soil is thick and very fertile

7. Deciduous Forest - Plants High biodiversity from canopy to ground Canopy is primarily deciduous trees Includes maples, birches and oaks

8. Plant Adaptations Leaves – broad and flat for maximum photosynthesis Excess carbohydrates made during photosynthesis is stored in the sap Leaves are dropped in winter

9. Plant Adaptations - Seeds Seeds can’t grow in shadow, so they must be dispersed. Done by: Brightly colored fruit Hard shells Wings

10. Deciduous Forest - Animals High biodiversity Includes: Birds Small and large herbivores Small and large carnivores High degree of resource partitioning

11. Tropical Rainforests - Facts Found along or near the equator Amazon River (S. America), Indonesia, Africa and Central America Currently covers about 2% of the earth’s land surface Believed to be the major source of the world’s fresh air

12. Tropical Rainforest - Climate Hot all year…very little variation in temperature No true seasons Humidity is always high Rains almost every day, usually in the afternoon. Annual precipitation – 80-160”

13. Rainforest Vegetation Trees are very tall (180’) with broad, evergreen leaves. Mahogany Leaf cover is very dense, restricting growth of competing plants Roots are shallow to increase absorption of soil nutrients

14. Rainforest Animals Highest biodiversity in the world Contains at least ½ of the entire world’s plant and animal species Species are highly stratified. There is very little competition between species. Most animals live in the canopy because of the presence of sunlight.

15. Shrublands - Facts Shrublands usually get more rain than grasslands and deserts but less than forests. Rainfall is between 7.8” to 39”. Rain is unpredictable, varying from month to month, with distinct dry and rainy seasons. Found around the Mediterranean Sea, SW Africa and Australia and Mexico.

16. Shrubland - Plants Mostly shrubs and short trees. Grasses and short plants grow between the shrubs.  Many plants have small needle-like leaves or waxy coatings on the leaves to help them adapt to drought like conditions during the dry season.

17. Shrublands - Animals Animals have adapted to the heat by only coming out in the early morning, late afternoon, or night to find food and hunt. Many get their water directly from their food.

18. Deserts - Facts “An area where evaporation exceeds precipitation”. Make up about 30% of earth’s land surface. Daytime temperatures can be 100 o F.  Soils are hard, dry and sandy with few nutrients.  Most are found on either side of the equator.

19. Desert There are three categories of desert based on: temperature range amount of precipitation vegetation/animal species Tropical deserts Driest places on earth (<5” rain/year) Temperate deserts Sometimes caused by rainshadow effect Cold deserts Also called interior deserts

20. Desert Plants Called xerophytes Adaptations: Require few nutrients Require little water Leaves are small, thick and waxy or have become spines Can expand to hold extra water

21. Desert Animals - Adaptations Usually nocturnal Usually small Hard shells or thick skins Poisonous Hibernate or enter suspended animation during droughts Can conserve water

22. Tropical Grassland Also called savanna Cover large areas of Africa, South America and Australia Warm weather year round 3 Seasons – 1 dry season, 1 rainy season and 1 wet season Mostly grasses with individual stands of trees and shrubs

23. Savanna - Animals Many species of small animals Rodents, birds Large populations of herbivores Africa – Gazelles, wildebeest Australia - kangaroo

24. Savanna Animals – Herbivore Adaptations Evolution of eating strategies to minimize competition By food type By migration By food height Giraffes  Elephant  Zebra  Gazelle  Wildebeest

25. Savanna Animals – Carnivore Adaptations Eat both small and large animals Small animals require more individuals per meal Hunting strategy Cooperative – lion Solo – cheetah Ambush – lion Pursuit – cheetah Scavenge – hyena, vulture, eagle

26. Temperate Grasslands Vast expanses of grasses without trees Summer hot/dry. Winter bitterly cold. Wildfires common in summer and fall. Soils are thick and fertile. Found in interior of N. and S. America, and China

27. Temperate Grasslands - Plants Similar to tropical grassland plants Evolved to fit the environment Drought tolerant Extensive root systems Reproduce by seed or rhizome Regrow from bottom – very important to survival

28. Temperate Grasslands - Animals Complex food webs Animals are mostly small Herbivores – prairie dogs, squirrels Carnivores – coyotes, snakes, foxes Large carnivores eliminated by hunters and farmers

29. Arctic Tundra Also called polar grasslands because of their location near the North Pole Winter is bitterly cold, with ice, snow, high winds and weeks of total darkness.

30. Arctic Tundra - Facts Treeless. Covered with a thick, spongy layer of low-growing plants Summer lasts 2 months. Gets warm enough to melt the upper soil layer allowing plant growth.

31. Arctic Plants Small, low–growing with most of the plant underground as roots and bulbs Thick, waxy leaves above ground Some dehydrate to prevent freezing Do all of their growing, blooming and seeding in the 2 month long summer.

32. Tundra - Animals Temporary residents Migrating/nesting birds Migrating herbivores and carnivores Adaptations Thick coats Live underground Small size Don’t hibernate