what are biomes?. biomes (terrestial) an interdependent system of plants, animals and land large...
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What Are Biomes?
Biomes (Terrestial)
An Interdependent system of plants, animals and land
Large regions with similar Ecosystems
Tundra Taiga Desert Savanna Grassland Temperate forest Temperate rain forest Tropical rain forest
Biomes of the World
Biomes: Characterized by their
dominant vegetation & also by animals adapted to that environment
Distribution of biomes is determined mostly by temperature & rainfall
Figure 50.24 The distribution of major terrestrial biomes
Biomes &
Climate
Tropical Rainforests
Occur near the equator Warm temperatures Days 11 – 12 hours
long Rainfall is variable Very biodiverse (up to
300 species of trees) Poor soil
Tropical Rainforest
Savannas
Grasslands with scattered trees
Can be temperate or tropical
Grasses main vegetation
Animals include: giraffes, zebra, antelope, baboons, lions, cheetahs
Figure 50.25b Savanna
Deserts
Hot during the day, cold at night
Under 30 cm of rain per year
Large deserts found near 30o N and 30o S latitude
Deserts
Desertification: conversion of other biomes (especially savannas) to deserts
Is a major ecological problem
Plants include yucca & cactus
Animals include snakes, birds, insects, lizards, rodents
Chaparral
Region of dense spiny shrubs
Mild, rainy winters & long, hot, dry summers
Vegetation is adapted to periodic fires
Animals include deer, fruit eating birds, seed eating rodents, lizards, & snakes
Figure 50.25d Chaparral
Temperate Grasslands
Are mostly treeless except along rivers & streams
Keys to persistence of grasslands: seasonal drought, fires & grazing by large mammals
Amount of annual rainfall determines the height of the grassland vegetation
Temperate Deciduous Forests
Grow in latitudes between 35o and 50o
Areas must have sufficient moisture to grow trees
Deciduous: leaf bearing trees (ex: oak, maple, cherry, hickory)
Cold winters, hot summers
Temperate Deciduous Forests
High precipitation year round
Trees have a distinct annual rhythm
Rich soil Animals include deer,
bear, squirrels, raccoons, birds, insects
Taiga: Coniferous Forests
Conifers: cone bearing trees (ex: pine, spruce, fir)
Taiga: northern coniferous forests
Taiga is cold, but many coniferous forests are temperate
Figure 20.25g Coniferous forests
Tundra
Near the North Pole Little vegetation, but
mostly mosses, lichens, & small shrubs
Very cold Permafrost: layer of soil
that remains permanently frozen
Tundra
Very little precipitation, but swampy in the summer
Animals include: artic fox and hare, insects (in summer), musk oxen, caribou
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