Biomes

TUNDRA

  • LOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
  • LITTLE PRECIPITATION
  • GROUND CONTAINS PERMAFROST
  • FOUND IN ARCTIC AND HIGH MOUNTAIN REGIONS
  • PLANTS HAVE SHALLOW ROOTS
  • ANIMALS HAVE THICK FUR AND FAT DEPOSITS TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE COLD
  • SOME ANIMALS MIGRATE TO WARMER AREAS OR HIBERNATE DURING WINTER MONTHS

TAIGA

  • AKA BROEAL FOREST
  • LOW AVERAGE TEMPS
  • MORE PRECIPITATION THAN TUNDRA
  • THIN, ACIDIC, NURTIENT-POOR SOIL
  • FOUND IN CANADA, NORTHERN EUROPE AND ASIA
  • INCLUDE CONIFEROUS TREES (EVERGREEN, NEEDLELIKE TREES). THESE THIN LEAVES LET TREES CONSERVE WATER AND PRODUCE FOOD YEARLY
  • MIGRATORY BIRDS IN SUMMER, WOLVES, OWLS, ELK ALL YEAR ROUND

DESERT

  • VERY DRY – SOME RECEIVE LESS THAN 8 CM OF PRECIPITATION EACH YEAR
  • SOIL IS ROCKY OR SANDY
  • HOT DURING THE DAY AND COLD AT NIGHT
  • PLANTS AND ANIMALS HAVE ADAPTED TO CONSERVE WATER AND SURVIVE EXTREME TEMPS
  • MANY ANIMALS ACTIVE ONLY AT NIGHT
  • SOME ANIMALS BURROW UNDERGROUND OR MOVE INTO SHADE TO COOL OFF

GRASSLANDS – A BIOME THAT HAS GRASSES AND FEW TREES

TROPICAL GRASSLAND

  • AFRICAN SAVANNA
  • HIGH TEMPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
  • HAVE WET AND DRY SEASONS
  • THIN SOILS SUPPORT SOME GRASSES AND SOME TREES
  • GRAZING ANIMALS, SUCH AS ZEBRAS AND ANTELOPE, FEED ON GRASSES
  • PREDATORS SUCH AS LIONS HUNT GRAZING ANIMALS
  • ANIMALS MIGRATE TO FIND WATER DURING DRY SEASON
  • PLANTS ARE ADAPTED TO SURVIVE PERIODIC FIRES

TEMPERATE GRASSLAND

  • NORTH AMERICAN PRAIRIES
  • MODERATE PRECIPITATION
  • HOT SUMMERS AND COLD WINTERS
  • DEEP SOILS THAT ARE RICH IN NUTRIENTS
  • GRASSES ARE THE DOMINANT PLANTS
  • BISON, ANTELOPE, PRAIRIE DOGS, AND COYOTES ARE COMMON ANIMALS
  • PERIODIC FIRES – GRASSES AND OTHER NONWOODY PLANTS ARE ADAPTED TO FIRE

FORESTS

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

  • MODERATE PRECIPITATION
  • HOT SUMMERS AND COLD WINTERS
  • LOCATED IN NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, EAST ASIA, AND MUCH OF EUROPE
  • HAS DECIDUOUD TREES, WHICH ARE BROADLEAF TREES THAT DROP LEAVES AS WINTER APPROACHES
  • FALLEN LEAVES DECAY AND ADD ORGANIC MATTER TO THE SOIL, MAKING IT NUTRIENT RICH
  • BIRDS NEST IN THE FOREST DURING SUMMER, BUT MIGRATE DURING WINTER
  • DEER AND BOBCATS ARE ACTIVE YEAR-ROUND

TEMPERATE RAIN FOREST

  • LONG, COOL WET SEASON AND RELATIVELY DRY SUMMER
  • EXIST IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND WESTERN COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA
  • HOME TO MANY CONIFEROUS TREES, INCLUDING DOUGLAS FIR AND CEDAR
  • FOREST FLOOR IS COVERED IN MOSSES AND FERNS AND CONTAIN NURTIENT RICH SOIL
  • PLANTS GROW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN THE TEMPERATE FOREST
  • ANIMALS INCLUDE SPOTTED OWLS, SHREWS, ELK, AND COUGARS

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

  • LOCATED NEAR EARTH’S EQUATOR – WARM AND DRY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
  • RECEIVES MORE RAIN THAN ANY OTHER BOIME ON EARTH
  • SOIL IS ACIDIC AND LOW IN NUTRIENTS
  • DENSE LAYERS OF PLANTS DEVELOP – THEY BLOCK SUNLIGHT FROM REACHING FOREST FLOOR
  • SOME PLANTS GROW ON TREE BRANCHES INSTEAD OF THE FLREST FLOOR
  • BIRDS, MONKEYS, AND SLOTHS LIVE IN THE UPPER LAYERS OF THE RAIN FOREST – LEAF-CUTTER ANTS, JAGUARS, SNAKES, AND ANTEATERS LIVE IN THE LOWER LAYERS