Biomes EQ: How are the Earth’s terrestrial biomes alike and different? .
Land Biomes of the World Chapter 6. Earth’s Major Biomes Tundra.
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Transcript of Land Biomes of the World Chapter 6. Earth’s Major Biomes Tundra.
Land Biomes of the World
Chapter 6
Earth’s Major BiomesTundra
Tundra• Very short growing season
• Little precipitation (10-25 cm / yr)
• Very cold (only summer gets above freezing) and windy
• Permafrost
• Dry
• Low species diversity
Earth’s Major BiomesBoreal Forest (Tiaga)
Boreal Forest (Taiga)
• Short growing season
• Low precipitation (~50 cm / yr)
• Dominated by conifers (spruce, fir), but also has aspen, birch
Earth’s Major BiomesTemperate Rain Forest
Temperate Rain Forest
•Cool; high precipitation (~127 cm / yr)
•Dominated by evergreens (hemlock, spruce, cedar)
•Heavily logged
Earth’s Major BiomesTemperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
•Hot summers, cold winters
•Moderate precipitation (75-150 cm / yr)
•Dominated by oaks, hickory, maple
•Commonly converted to agriculture
Earth’s Major BiomesGrasslands
Grasslands• Hot summers, cold winters
• Low to moderate precipitation (25-75 cm / yr)
• Dominated by tallgrass or shortgrass prairies
• Heavily converted to agriculture
Earth’s Major BiomesChaparral
Earth’s Major BiomesChaparral
Characterized by:
•Dry summers, mild winters
• Frequent fires
•Dominated by short pines, evergreen shrubs, scrub oak (but varies worldwide)
Earth’s Major BiomesDeserts
Earth’s Major BiomesDeserts
Characterized by:
•Wide daily variations in temperature
• Very dry (<25 cm precipitation / yr)
• Sparse plant coverage
Earth’s Major BiomesSavanna
Earth’s Major BiomesSavanna
Characterized by:
• Precipitation 76-150 cm / yr, but very seasonal with extended dry periods
•Dominated by grasses, with occasional trees
•African most famous for herds of wildebeest, antelope, zebra
Earth’s Major BiomesTropical Rain Forests
Earth’s Major BiomesTropical Rain Forests
Characterized by:
• Very high precipitation 200-450 cm / yr
• Very nutrient-poor soil
• Extremely high primary productivity
• Extremely high species richness