Slide 1

Slide 2

W hat is a Biome? A biome is a distinct and biologically diverse community of certain plants and animals with a certain environmental climate. The amount of these biomes vary, but there are eight basic biomes, six on land, two in water, each of which I have traveled to: A biome is a distinct and biologically diverse community of certain plants and animals with a certain environmental climate. The amount of these biomes vary, but there are eight basic biomes, six on land, two in water, each of which I have traveled to: Tundra, Tundra, the place of never-ending cold, where permafrost is formed. Taiga, Coniferous Forests Taiga, or Coniferous Forests, dominated by their fur and evergreen trees and dotted with bogs and marshes. Temperate Deciduous Forests Temperate Deciduous Forests, where the trees are hard, and change color to the seasons. Tropical and Temperate Rain Forests Tropical and Temperate Rain Forests, home of not only the meanest critters, but some of the harshest weather. Grasslands Grasslands, flat and barren, and easy for fires. Deserts Deserts, the hottest place in the world, ugly and twice as deadly. Freshwater Freshwater, your lakes and ponds, small to large. Saltwater, Saltwater, the big blue. Ive sailed the seven seas, and they are home to quite a few things.

Slide 3

The Tundra The tundra: the coldest environment there is. Under definition, it counts as a desert; a place where very little life can grow, and with little rainfall. But unlike the deserts we all know the tundra is a barren wasteland of snow, so cold that it develops permafrost (ice that never can melt). Mountains dot some landscapes, but mostly tundra's are large and flat fields of snow, with the occasional hill. The diversity of life here is low, very few adapting to the freezing temperatures. Animals such as caribou, small arctic hares and terns feed off small patches of reindeer mosses, scarce grasses under snow and lichens. There is a very amount of predators in the area, including wolves and arctic foxes. Cod, salmon, and trout swim in the rivers and ponds that aren't layered in ice. You find the tundra on the top hemisphere of the Earth.

Slide 4

The Taiga Taigas, located in a belt going across the top of North America through Eurasia, is the largest terrestrial biome. They are areas of coniferous (or fir) trees, where temperatures are low and the soil is poor. Most precipitation is in the form of snow. Plants here are adapted to this, staying full on leaves all year long. They are known as evergreens. Other than trees there is scarce grass and some shrubbery, but the area is dominated by pine, fir, and spruce trees. It is home to such creatures as woodpeckers, moose, bears, and your common deer. It is hard to say what the biome specifically looks like, considering it covers such a large area of land.

Slide 5

The Temperate Deciduous Forest This biome is one of the most recognized: your basic, run of the mill forest. They are mostly found in the eastern US, northern Asia and Europe, a fairly large area of land. This is where the trees shed their leaves in the winter months to preserve their common health, revealing the rich array of colors in Autumn. The soil is fertile, making home to many plant species, from oak and hickory trees to spring flowering herbs. The temperatures arent as cold as the taiga, allowing animals such as mountain lions, squirrels, skunks, foxes and other bear breeds to live more comfortably. The terrain is generally mountainous, reaching higher altitudes.

Slide 6

The Tropical and Deciduous Rain Forests These are personally my favorite biomes. They consist of the areas in South America and parts of Africa and Asia, with a humid and constant temperature year round. They are by far the most organically diverse biomes of any, being home to TONS of different species of animal unlike anywhere else. Trees are large and have waxy leaves for storing water, like palm and banana trees, and hide an undergrowth of mosses and vines. Most of the animals there are birds, like toucans, and other tree living animals like monkeys and apes. It is also home to a wide variety of snake species. Rain is almost nonstop in this biome, making plant growth go through the roof, and causing animals to learn to adapt to the constant rain.

Slide 7

The Grasslands The most boring of biomes, the grasslands biome stretches across the Midwest of America and in parts of Asia, Europe, and Africa (savannah). It is nothing but flat lands of grass with scarce trees and other vegetation. The summers are hot, and the winters are cold, creating an environment that animals need to adapt well too. The area is also very open to flash fires, the place being so dry. Species include bison, wild horses, prairie dogs, and in Africa animals like lions, cheetahs, rhinos, zebras, and water buffalo.

Slide 8

The Desert The desert! The most cruel of biomes. This is where the temperatures rise the highest in the world! Plants and animals have to adapt to the long periods of drought and extremely high heats. The plants, all covered in spines and leafless, have shallow roots and incredible water storing capabilities, and the animals have changed to live with these plants. You see these areas around the southwest of the US, most of Africa and parts of Asia, and are generally flat with mountains all around. Plants include cacti, Palo Verde trees, and desert shrubs, with animals such as desert tortoises, jack rabbits, many different species of snake and reptile, and bobcats.

Slide 9

The Freshwater This is the first of the aquatic biomes, in places such as rivers, ponds, and lakes. They have no set climate, considering they are all over the world. Schools of salmon and trout swim through their rivers, and a large assortment of fish make their homes in the lakes, from catfish to Amazon Dolphins! They are also home to all amphibian species of animals, from frogs to salamanders. Algae grows in shallow pools, and water weeds grow deep underwater.

Slide 10

The Salt water The largest of all biomes: the saltwater biomes. This is your seas and oceans, the water that makes up over 70% of our Earths surface. Its a tropical climate most of the way through, but is unpredictable. It consists of many parts, from the intertidal zone (where crab and starfish thrive on algae and sponges) to the abysmal zone (where no sun shines, and animals like angler fish and umbrella mouth eels feed off of small fish and micro organisms that feed off of volcanic residues.), to the main ocean (where whales and sharks are!). It also includes the bright and beautiful coral reefs, living fields of color.