BiomesA drought makes vegetation

scarce

What is a biome?

Group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms

What are the 6 major biomes?

Rain forestDesertGrasslandDeciduous forestBoreal forestTundra

How do we categorize biomes?

Climate-temperature and precipitation

Types of organisms

Rainforest Biomes

Lots of rainThick vegetation-lots of plantsLeaves block much of the sunlight

from reaching the forest floor2 types of rainforest biomes-

temperate and tropical

Temperate Rainforest

Northwest U.S.Huge trees like cedars, redwoods,

and Douglas firsModerate temperatureOver 300 centimeters of rain each

yearMule deer, pileated woodpecker,

golden buprestid beetle

Tropical Rainforest

Found close to Equator

Warm and humid year round

A lot of rain- over 350cm per year in Costa Rican rainforest

Canopy-leafy roof formed by tall trees

Understory-shorter layer of trees and vines

Abundant life- over 300 kinds of trees in 100-square meters

Probably contain more species than all other land biomes combined

Orangutans, spider monkeys, tigers, sloth

Desert

Less than 25cm of water per yearEvaporation rate greater than

precipitation rateVery hot during the day and very

cold at nightSaguaro cactus, Gila monsters,

vipers, jack rabbits

Grassland Biomes

Tall grasses

25-75 cm of rain each year, but savannahs can receive as much as 120 cm of rain

Fires and draughts common

Prairies and savannahs

Elephants, bison, antelope, zebras, rhinos, giraffes, kangaroos

Deciduous Forest

Deciduous trees-maple, oak

Seasons-warm in summer, snow in winter

Trees lose leaves in fall

Salamanders, black bears, white-tailed deer, squirrel, fox

Boreal Forest

Evergreen trees-spruce, pine

Coniferous trees- have seeds in cones

Winters cold, lots of snow

Summers warm and rainy

Red squirrels, finches, snowshoe hares, moose, owls, lynx, wolves

Tundra

Cold and dry

Permafrost-ground continuously frozen

Many ponds, marshy

In the Arctic circle, the sun does not set in summer

Mosses, grasses, shrubs, very small trees

Insect-eating birds, caribou, foxes, wolves, Arctic hares

Mountains and Ice

Mountain ranges, land that is covered with thick ice

Mountains have a range of biomes as you ascend

Antarctica and Greenland are covered in ice

Penguins, polar bears, and leopard seals

Freshwater Ecosystems

Streams and Rivers-insects, trout, frogs, algae

Ponds and Lakes- dragonflies, catfish, sunfish, turtles, snails, algae, bacteria

Marine Ecosystems

Estuary- freshwater meets salt water, crabs, worms, clams, fish

Intertidal Zone- Between high and low tide lines, varying water and temperatures, barnacles, sea stars, clams, crabs

Neritic Zone- Shallower ocean near continents, sardines, algae, coral

Open Ocean- light only reaches a few hundred meters, tuna, swordfish, whales

Deep Zone- Almost totally dark, scavengers, giant squid, angler fish