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Kate P. Samaniego Biology Teacher Nmr-Tup

This document discusses the major biomes of the world. It defines a biome as a large terrestrial region with similar climate, soil, plants and animals. It then profiles 8 biomes - tundra, boreal forest, temperate rainforest, temperate deciduous forest, grasslands, chaparral, deserts, savannas, and tropical rainforests. For each biome it provides details on temperature, precipitation, soils, dominant vegetation and common animal life. The document is intended to teach about the different biomes and how climate and geography define their characteristics.

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Kate Pura Samaniego
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188 views

Kate P. Samaniego Biology Teacher Nmr-Tup

This document discusses the major biomes of the world. It defines a biome as a large terrestrial region with similar climate, soil, plants and animals. It then profiles 8 biomes - tundra, boreal forest, temperate rainforest, temperate deciduous forest, grasslands, chaparral, deserts, savannas, and tropical rainforests. For each biome it provides details on temperature, precipitation, soils, dominant vegetation and common animal life. The document is intended to teach about the different biomes and how climate and geography define their characteristics.

Uploaded by

Kate Pura Samaniego
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 4

KATE P. SAMANIEGO
BIOLOGY TEACHER
NMR-TUP
How many biomes are there?

Temperate
Rainforest

Savanna
What is a biome?
– large, distinct
terrestrial
region
– with a similar
climate soil,
plants, and
animals,
regardless of
where it occurs
in the world
How do we know the biome?

– Temperature
(varies with
both latitude
and elevation)
– Precipitation
– Winds, rapid
temperature
changes, fires,
floods, etc
Vertical Zonation

■ Increasing in
elevation has
similar effect
on ecosystem
as traveling to
higher
latitudes
Tundra
■ Treeless biome in the far north with harsh, cold
winters and extremely short summers
■ Precipitation
– 10-25 cm/yr
■ Temperature
– Short growing season
– 50-160 days
Tundra
■ Nutrient poor soils with little organic material
– Permafrost present
o Low species richness
• Veg is mostly grasses and
sedges
• Very simple food web
o Low primary
productivity
Boreal Forests

■ A region of coniferous forests in the northern


hemisphere
– Just south of tundra
■ Covers 11% of earth’s
land
■ Growing Season
– A little longer than
tundra
■ Precipitation
– ~ 50 cm/yr
Boreal Forests
■ Soils are acidic and mineral poor
■ Vegetation comprised of drought resistant conifers

• White spruce
• Balsam fir
• Eastern larch
o Mostly small animals and
migrating birds
o Some large animals are
present
• Wolves, bear, moose
White Spruce Balsam Fir Eastern Larch
Temperate Rainforest
■ Coniferous biome with cool weather, dense fog and
high precipitation
– Ex: Northwest US
■ Precipitation
– > 127 cm/yr
– Heaviest in winter
■ Temperature
– Winters are mild
– Summers are cool
Temperate Rainforest
■ Soils are nutrient-poor, but high in organic material (dropped
needles)
– Cool temperatures slow decomposition
■ Dominant Vegetation
– Large evergreen trees
– Old-growth forest
■ Variety of cool
climate animal life
■ Very high species
richness
■ Heavily logged
Temperature Deciduous
Forests
■ Forest biome that occurs in
temperate areas with a
moderate amount of
precipitation
■ Precipitation
– 75-150 cm/yr
■ Temperature
– Seasonality
– Hot summers and cold winters
Temperate Deciduous
Forest
■ Topsoil is rich in organic material and underlain by clay

o Vegetation is primarily deciduous


• Oak, maple, beech
o Animals
• Deer, bear and small animals
o Most of this biome land area has
been regenerated after farming &
timber harvest
Grassland
■ Grasslands with hot summers,
cold winters and too little
precipitation to support trees
■ Precipitation
– 25-75 cm/yr
■ Tall grass prairies
■ Short grass prairies
■ 90% of this biome has been lost
to farmland
Grassland
■ Soil has thick, organic material
rich organic horizon.
■ Periodic fires keep the dominant vegetation

grasses
o Animals
• Once covered with
bison- no longer true
• Smaller animals are
still present (ex:
prairie dogs)
Chaparral
■ Also called a Mediterranean Climate
– Ex: Southern California
– Ex: Greece
■ Temperature
– Mild, moist winters
– Hot, dry summers
■ Frequent fires
Chaparral
■ Soil is thin and often not
fertile
■ Vegetation
– Dense growth of
evergreen shrubs
– Lush during the growing
season
■ Animals
– Mule deer, chipmunks,
many species of birds
Deserts
■ Biome where lack of
precipitation limits plant
growth
■ Temperature
– Can very greatly in 24-hr
period, as well as yearly
(based on location)
■ Precipitation
– < 25 cm/yr
Deserts
■ Soils low in nutrients, high in salts
■ Vegetation sparse
– cactus and sagebrush
■ Animals are very small to regulate temperature
Sonoran Desert
Savanna
■ Tropical grassland with
widely scattered trees
■ Temperature
– Varies little throughout
the year
■ Precipitation
– Seasons regulated by
precipitation, not
temperature
– 76-150 cm/yr
Savanna
■ Soil low in nutrients due to leaching
■ Vegetation
– Wide expanses of grass
– Occasional Acacia trees

• Have fire adaptive


characteristics
o Animals
• Herds of hoofed
animals
• Large predators- lions,
hyenas, etc.
Tropical Rainforest
■ Lush, species-rich biome that occurs
where climate is warm and moist
throughout the year
■ Precipitation
– 200-450 cm/yr
■ Very productive biome
■ Most species-rich biome
Tropical Rainforest
■ Ancient, weathered,
nutrient-poor soil
– Nutrients tied up in
vegetation, not soil
■ Vegetation
– 3 distinct canopy layers
■ Animals
– Most abundant insect,
reptiles and amphibians
on earth

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