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BIOMES

Earth can be divided into geographic regions based on climate.

The kind of climate that develops is called a biome.

There are two types of biomes:

Terrestrial Biome – land based

Aquatic Biomes – water based

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Biomes of the world

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Terrestrial Biomes•Major land plant and animal biomes are determined by climate zones. •Climate zones are determined mostly by geographic factors like latitude and altitude. •Location to large bodies of water, mountain ranges, and deserts also modify climate.•A regions climate includes the temperature range, the average amount of precipitation it receives, and the amount/angel of solar radiation it receives over the course of a year.

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Terrestrial Biomes are named for the kind of climax vegetation found there. The table below describes the 6 major land biomes. They are the Tundra, Taiga, Temperate Forest, Tropical, Grassland, and Desert.

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Effects of Latitude and Altitude on Land Biomes

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Aquatic Biomes

•Aquatic Biomes make up the largest ecosystem on Earth. •More than 70 % of the Earth’s surface is covered in water.•Most living things are water dwellers.•Aquatic Biomes are more stable than Land Biomes, b/c of less variation over time.•Water temperature, % dissolved O2 and CO2, intensity of light, and dissolved minerals all effect life in the water.

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Marine Biomes

•These are made of saltwater•This includes all of the oceans on the Earth, which is really one big body of water.•Oceans have the most stable biome on Earth b/c water absorbs/releases heat very slowly, has a large variation of organisms, has a constant supply of nutrients, and is where most of the planet’s photosynthesis occurs.

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Freshwater Biomes

•Freshwater is defined as having a low salt concentration (less than 1%). •Plants and animals in freshwater regions are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of high salt concentration.•Freshwater biomes include ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and wetlands, which are all very different.•Ponds and lakes tend to fill over time, b/c dead plants and sediment accumulate on the bottom.•Wetlands are areas of standing water that support aquatic plants. Marshes, swamps, and bogs are all wetlands.