Biomes Lecture Materials

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Biomes

• What are biomes?– Groups of ecosystems with the same

climax communities

– There are divided into 2 catagories:• Terrestrial biomes—those on land• Aquatic biomes– those in water

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Biomes

• What is a climax community?– A community where the organisms are

stable and mature, undergoing little or no change over time.

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Biomes• What are the different

biomes?– Aquatic: – ≈75% of Earth is covered

in water. – Not all water is created

equal. – There are 3 major aquatic

biomes:• marine, • estuaries, and • freshwater.

• Then there are some minor biomes: wetland, swamps, marshes, bogs

All images are found at www.nasa.gov

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Biomes

• Terrestrial biomes are those found on land

• They include:– Coniferous forests– Temperate

Deciduous forests– Tundra– Deserts– Rainforests– Grasslands– Shrubland

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Marine Biomes I

• Salt water environment• Made up of different zones• Intertidal zone– along

shorline, have wave action, lots of light so many producers

• Neretic zone– ocean water above continental shelf, coral reefs found here, surrounds continents and receives light in upper layers

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/marine.php

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Marine Biomes II

• Oceanic zone– beyond continental shelf, deepest area, bottom doesn’t receive light, animals adapted to darkness

• Deepest area – abyss• Upper area – photic zone• Floaters – plankton• Swimmers – fish called

nekton• Bottom dwellers --

benthos

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/marine.php

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Estuary Biomes

• Where fresh and salt water meet.

• Wetlands near oceans have brackish water (mixture of fresh and salt waters)

• Often polluted by man’s activities

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/marine.php

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Freshwater Biomes

• Freshwater • Part of the water cycle• Oligotrophic –lakes that are

nutrient poor• Eutrophic – lakes that are

nutrient rich• Animals and plants live in

different layers of deep lakes

• Phototrophic organisms live in the upper layers for light

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/freshwater.php

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Coniferous Forest Biome• Temperatures between

-40°C to 20°C• Cold, snowy, long

winters• Trees that produce

cones and needles, some needles stay on trees all year long

• Found in Canada, Asia, and the US

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Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome

• Hot summers and cold winters (-30°C to 30°C)

• Oaks, maples, beeches, shrubs, perennials, mosses

• Found in East US, Canada, Europe, China, and Japan

• Notable for color changes of leaves during fall.

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Desert Biome

• Temperature averages: day(38°C) and night(-3.9°C)

• Very little rainfall• Cacti, small bushes,

short grasses• Found between 15° and

35° latitude

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Grassland Biome• Temperatures between

-20°C to 30°C• Grasses such as oats,

wheat, barley, and prairie clover

• Found in Great Plains of N. America, pampas of S. America, veldt of S. Africa, Steppes of Central Eurasia, and surrounds deserts in Austrailia

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Rainforest Biome

• Warm, frost-free temperatures

• Lots of rainfall per year• Vines, orchids, ferns,

palm trees• Found between the

Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

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Shrubland Biome• Summer- hot, dry• Winter – cool, moist• Contains aromatic herbs

(rosemary, sage, and thyme), shrubs, chamise, acacia, grasses

• Found on west coastal regions between 30° and 40°N/S latitude

• Plants adapted to fire because of frequent lightning

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Tundra Biome

• Very cold temperatures (-40°C to 18°C)

• Permafrost and short growing season leaves almost no trees.

• Found South of the ice caps of the Arctic and on high mountaintops of North America, Siberia, and Europe

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THE END

All pictures in this presentation, unless otherwise noted ,can be found at www.nasa.gov and are available for educational use.