Chapter 6 – Biomes

Living World Unit

Major world biomes

• Desert

• Tropical Rain Forest• Deciduous Forest (temperate and tropical)

• Savannah/Grasslands (temperate and tropical)

• Taiga (aka Boreal forest, coniferous forest)

• Tundra

• Mountains

Dry woodlands and shrublands (chaparral)

Temperate grassland

Temperate deciduous forest

Boreal forest (taiga), evergreen coniferousforest (e.g., montane coniferous forest)

Arctic tundra (polar grasslands)

Tropical savanna,thorn forest

Tropical scrub forest

Tropical deciduous forest

Tropical rain forest,tropical evergreen forest

Desert

Ice

Mountains(complex zonation)

Semidesert,arid grassland

Tropic ofCapricorn

Equator

Tropic ofCancer

Biomes

Biomes

MountainIce and snow

Altitude

Tundra (herbs,lichens, mosses)

ConiferousForest

Tropical Forest

DeciduousForest

Tropical Forest

DeciduousForest

ConiferousForest

Tundra (herbs,lichens, mosses)

Polar iceand snow

Latitude

DesertGeneral Geographic region:

Climate information:

Typically near 30oN and 30oS latitude

Near interior of continents

30% of Earths surface

Evaporation exceeds precipitation

Tropical desert: hot and dry year round

Temperate desert: cooler in winter; more vegetation; more precipitation than tropical

Cold desert: cold winters/hot summers

DesertGeneral fauna:

General flora:

Lizards, snakes, kangaroo rat, roadrunner, jack rabbit

Most animals are small, active during cool parts of day and night, wastes contain little water

Cactus, yucca, agave

3 adaptations: no leaves, store water, open stomata only at night.

Lifecycles: bloom, seed, and die quickly

DesertEnvironmental concerns:

Pictures:

Deserts are expanding (desertification)

Storage of toxic wastes

Testing for nuclear weapons

GrasslandsGeneral Geographic region:

Climate information:

Continent interiors

Enough precipitation to support grasses and shrubs, but fewer trees

Can be tropical, temperate, or polar

General fauna:

General flora:

Grasslands

Hoofed herbivores, grazing animals

Giraffe, elephant, warthog, gazelle, tiger

Mostly grasses with deep roots, fewer trees that are drought tolerant

Plants must be able to re-grow after frequent fires

Environmental concerns:

Grasslands

Frequent fires, overgrazing, desertification

Pictures:

Tropical Rain ForestGeneral Geographic region:

Climate information:

Found near equator.

Covers 2% of Earth

Lots of warmth and direct sunlight

Lots of precipitation

General fauna:

General flora:

Tropical Rain Forest

HUGE biodiversity

Monkeys, frogs, snakes, macaw, etc

Stratification to reduce competition

Contains half of terrestrial species

HUGE biodiversity

Ground layer, shrub layer, understory, canopy, emergent layer

Environmental concerns:

Tropical Rain Forest

Deforestization,

Slash and burn agriculture

Pollution/resource depletionPictures:

Harpyeagle

Tocotoucan

Woolyopossum

Braziliantapir

Black-crownedantpitta

Shrublayer

Canopy

Emergentlayer

UnderstoryUnderstory

GroundlayerGroundlayer

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45H

eigh

t (m

eter

s)

Tropical Rain Forest

Deciduous ForestGeneral Geographic region:

Climate information:

Further from equator

Between 30o and 60o N and S latitude

Significant change in temperatures during seasons.

Precipitation fairly evenly spread over year.

Warm summers, cold winters

General fauna:

General flora:

Deciduous Forest

Many top predators have been extirpated (wolves, cougars, bear)

Deer, raccoons, squirrel, (our area animals)

Trees drop leaves in winter

Fewer tree species than TRForests, but more ground level plant life

Environmental concerns:

Deciduous Forest

Loss of biodiversity

Large predators removed

Deforestization

Pictures:

Taiga (Boreal Forest)General Geographic region:

Climate information:

Found in the north

Just south of the arctic tundra

Winters are long, dry, and very cold.

Winter sunlight is 6-8 hours a day.

Mild summers with 19 hours of sunlight a day.

General fauna:

General flora:

Taiga (Boreal Forest)

Moose, wolves, rabbits, bear, eagles

Coniferous trees, some wildflowers and grasses

Environmental concerns:

Taiga (Boreal) Forest

Drilling for oil

Deforestization

Air pollution

Pictures:

MountainsGeneral Geographic region:

Climate information:

Frequently on continent edges; where tectonic plates collide

25% of Earth’s surface

Varies depending on elevation.

Higher elevation = colder

Leeward side of mountains gets less precipitation

General fauna:

General flora:

Mountains

Big horn sheep, mountain goats, taiga animals at lower elevations

Little flora at high elevation, lichen, conifers as you go down in elevation

Environmental concerns:

Mountains

Air pollution

Mining

Pictures: