BIOMES!

Are totally awesome, because I like MAPS and GEOGRAPHY

Do Now 35What is this graph about? ID the X and Y axes.

The Tundra has ______ temperature and ______ precipitation.

The Rainforest has ______ temperature and _____ precipitation.

Tundrabecause let’s start at the top!

awwwwwwwwww

What does it take to survive in the tundra?

PERMAFROST: just what it sounds like – permanent frost

How to survive in the Tundra…

• If you’re an animal:– Fur, or some way of protecting yourself from the

elements – STAY WARM– Ability to hibernate – PROVIDE NOURISHMENT– Otherwise - MIGRATE

• If you’re a plant:– Shallow roots – roots can only go as deep as the

ground thaws (permafrost!)– Grow close together and low to the ground– Don’t be a tree! You won’t survive the winds!

Moving South – The Coniferous Forest/Taiga/Boreal Forest

The Taiga/Coniferous Forest/Boreal Forest

• Winters are long and cold, and the summers are short and cool. Precipitation is moderately high throughout the year with snow occurring during the winter months.

• Most of the taiga in North America was once covered with glaciers that have receded, leaving gouges and depressions in the topography. Since there is moderately high precipitation, these gouges and depressions are frequently filled with water, creating bogs and lakes.

Animals, Plants, Etc. of the T/CF/BF• The cold climate of the taiga prevents many animals from living there

year-round. Some of the large animals found in the taiga include moose, deer, and bears. Examples of small animals include bobcats, squirrels, chipmunks, and moles.

• Many migratory birds come to the taiga to nest and feed on the huge insect population.

• Evergreens use a wide variety of physical adaptations. Some of these adaptations include their shape, leaf type, root system, and color. Because they don't drop their leaves when temperatures cool, they don't have to regrow them in the spring.

• Although there is high precipitation, the ground freezes during the winter months and plant roots are unable to get water.

• If the snow can't pile up on the branches, there is less risk of broken branches due to the weight of the snow.

Savannah/GrasslandSkipping the Deciduous Forest –saving HOME for last…

A camel I saw on the side of the road in Niger

This picture was taken from a boat in the Niger river in a little town near the border with Mali called Ayourou in Niger.

This picture is of baobab tree taken in rural Senegal.

This was taken on a road near Natitingou, Benin. This was one of the GOOD roads!

Grasslands – they’re everywhere!

Savanna/Grasslands

• tall grasses and occasional trees• 6 to 8 month wet summer season and a dry

winter season, dry season is marked by months of drought and fire which are essential to the maintenance of savannas

• Animals: think African Safari• Plants: peanuts, acacia trees, baobab trees

(which are so cool because they only grow leaves during the rainy season)

OH AND BY THE WAY…

The acacia tree has developed very useful physical and behavioral adaptations to discourage animals from eating its leaves. It developed long, sharp thorns and a symbiotic relationship with stinging ants. The ants live in acacia thorns they have hollowed out, and they feed on the nectar produced by the tree. When an animal takes a bite of leaves (and thorns), it also gets a mouthful of angry, stinging ants. The ants defend their homes from other insects as well, thus protecting the acacia tree.

Let’s go to the DESERT

Yep! That’s me in the middle of nowhere, Mali!

Ancient ruins in Hombori, Mali (we’re talking 500 A.D.)

Welcome to Timbuktu!

This was our tour guide in the desert north of Timbuktu. Check out that house!

The Sahara isn’t the ONLY desert in the world – this one is in Peru. That’s my friend Julia and me. Look at that oasis!

Deserts (not desserts, those are chocolate)

• DRY: <10 in rain per year• Animals DO live there: camels, obviously – but

they have to be able to store water and fat and be able to burrow or hide from the heat

• Plants: Short grasses, sagebrush, creosote bushes, and cacti. Some have really long taproots that go 20-30 feet below the ground to find water!

RAINFORESTSThis picture was taken in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India.

This was taken on the beach in Axim, Ghana near the border with Cote d’Ivoire

Rainforests…

Mango stand near Cape Coast, Ghana

•50% of all living organisms, <5% of land surface• Matter QUICKLY decomposes on forest floor• Animals: sloths, toucans, monkeys•Plants: Although tropical rainforests receive 12 hours of sunlight daily, less than 2% of that sunlight ever reaches the ground. The tropical rainforest has dense vegetation, often forming three different layers--the canopy, the understory, and the ground layer. People think of the tropical rainforest as a "jungle" where plant growth is dense even at ground level. However, the canopy created by the tall trees (100-120 feet) and the understory, prevents sunlight from reaching the ground. The soil is, therefore, always shaded, and very little vegetation is able to survive at ground level.

The Deciduous Forest, home sweet home

OUR forest, the deciduous one:

• "Deciduous" means to fall off, or shed, seasonally. Just as the name implies, these deciduoustrees shed their leaves each fall (like, NOW!). Lying on the forest floor, the leaves decay. As the leaves decompose, the nutrients contained in the leaves are absorbed by the soil. For this reason, the soils of this biome tend to be very fertile. Because this biome has fertile soil and a long, 5 to 6 month, growing season, many deciduous forests have been converted into agricultural regions.

• Animals: bears, raccoons, squirrels• Plants: maple, oak, hickory, beech

Let’s talk about a trip…

So clean!

Taped together, and dirty

Here is a map showing where many of my pictures were taken. I started out in Ghana (on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea), and drove north to Timbuktu in Mali (in between Mauritania and Niger). What biomes did I drive through?