Biomes

Rainforest

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Taiga

Savanna

Temperate Grassland

Chaparral

Desert Tundra

Biomes of the World

Figure 1 page 143

• Biomes - large regions characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities.

• Climate is the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time.

• Temperature and Precipitation are the most important factors of a climate.

• The higher the temperature and precipitation are, the taller and denser the vegetation is.

Figure 3 page 144

• Latitude is the distance north or south from the equator

• Altitude is the height of an object above sea level.

• Climate varies with latitude and altitude.

Figure 4 page 145

Bell Questions 12/16/11

1. What is a biome?

2. What is climate?

Forest Biomes

• Most widespread and the most diverse.

• Found where temperatures are mild to hot and where rainfall is plenty

Tropical Rain Forests

• Tropical rain forests are forests or jungles near the equator

• Large amounts of rain, (200-450 cm) little variation in temperature, greatest diversity of organisms.

Tropical Rainforests

Figure 5 page 147

• Most nutrients are within the plants, not the soil.

• There are four main layers of the rain forest:• The Emergent Layer – bats, snakes, eagles• The Upper Canopy• The Lower Canopy• The Understory

Figure 7 page 148

Most animals live in the canopy layers

Threats to Rainforests

• Every minute of every day, 100 acres of tropical rainforest are cleared for logging operations, agriculture, and oil exploration.

• If the habitat that an organism depends on is destroyed, the organism is at risk of disappearing

• Change of lifestyle of native people

Temperate rain forests

• Temperate rain forests - characterized by cool, humid weather and abundant rainfall, tree branches are draped with mosses, and the forest floor is covered with ferns. Found in North America and Australia

Bell Questions 12/19/11

1. A forest with the greatest species diversity would be located near the ___________.

2. The ____________ layer of a tropical rain forest receives the most sunlight.

3. The climate of a biome is determined mostly by average _______________ and precipitation.

Temperate Forests

• Temperate deciduous forests - characterized by trees that shed their leaves in the fall, and located between 30º and 50º north latitude.

Temperate deciduous forests

•They receive 75 to 125 cm

of precipitation annually

Temperate deciduous forests (cont.)

• Plants in the deciduous forests grow in layers with tall trees, such as birch, dominating the canopy while shrubs cover the understory.

• Have harsh winters so birds migrate south for the winter and mammals and insects reduce their activity so they don’t need as much food for energy.

Taiga

• The taiga is the region of evergreen, coniferous forest below the arctic and subarctic tundra regions.

• Located near the Arctic circle

Taiga

Has long winters and a short growing season.

Plants and Animals of the Taiga

• Plants dominated by conifers adapted to cold weather.

• Birds attracted to lakes and swamps for insects, migrate south in winter.

• Shrews and rodents burrow underground

Bell Questions 12/20/11

1. Many forest biomes are experiencing ______________destruction, when land inhabited by an organism is destroyed or altered.

2. Which biome has long winters and a short growing season?

Savannas• Savannas are plains full of grasses and

scattered trees and shrubs that are found in tropical and subtropical habitats.

Savanna

• Have a wet and a dry season

Plants and animals of the Savanna

• Some plants have large horizontal root systems to help them survive the dry season.

• Grazing herbivores, like the elephant, have adopted migratory ways of life, following the rains.

Temperate Grasslands

• Temperate grasslands - dominated by grasses, have few trees, and are characterized by hot summers and cold winters.

Temperate Grasslands

Temperate Grasslands

• Have the most fertile soil.

• The roots system of prairie grasses form dense layers that survive drought and fire allowing the plants to come back from year to year.

Animals of grasslands

• Grazing animals have large flat teeth for chewing prairie grasses

• Prairie dogs and owls live in underground burrows to avoid predators

Threats to Temperate Grasslands

• Biggest threat is Erosion

• Grains crops cannot hold the soil in place as well as native grasses

• Erosion is also caused as the grasses are constantly eaten and trampled.

Chaparral

• Chaparral - vegetation that includes broad leafed evergreen shrubs and is located in areas with hot or warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Chaparral

Chaparral Plants and Animals

• Plants have small, leathery leaves that contain oils that promote burning, can resprout from small bits of surviving plant tissue.

• A common adaptation of chaparral animals is camouflage, shape or coloring that allows an animal to blend into its environment.

Threats to Chaparral

• Worldwide, the greatest threat to chaparral is human development.

• Developed for commercial and residential use because it has a mild climate year round.

Bell Questions 12/17/10

1. Most _______________ plants are low-lying evergreen shrubs and trees with small, leathery leaves.

2. What biome is characterized by trees that shed their leaves in the fall?

3. What is the biggest threat to the Temperate Grassland biome?

Deserts

• Deserts are regions that have little or no vegetation, long periods without rain, and extreme temperatures.

• Deserts are often located near large mountain ranges that block moisture.

Desert

Less than 25 cm of precipitation annually

Plants of the Desert

• Plants called succulents, such as cactuses, have thick, fleshy stems and leaves that conserve water.

• When conditions are too dry, these plants die and drop their seeds that stay dormant until the next rainfall.

Animals of the Desert

• Reptiles have thick, scaly skin that prevents water loss.

• In addition, most desert animals are nocturnal, meaning they are active mainly at night or dusk when it is cooler.

Tundra

• The tundra is a treeless plain that is located in the Arctic or Antarctic, very low winter temperatures, short, cool summers,

• Permafrost is the permanently frozen layer of soil or subsoil

Tundra

Tundra Plants

• Short grasses

• Mosses and lichens, which can grow without soil, cover vast areas of rocks in the tundra.

• perennial herbs and are short and grow flat along the ground

Animals of the Tundra

• Millions of migratory birds fly to the tundra to breed in the summer when food is abundant.

• Caribou migrate throughout the tundra in search of food and water.

Threats to the Tundra

• The tundra is one of the most fragile biomes on the planet. The food chains are relatively simple so they are easily disrupted.

• Oil exploration