Lesson Overview Biomes - Enfield High...

Lesson OverviewLesson Overview BiomesBiomes

Lesson OverviewLesson Overview4.4 Biomes4.4 Biomes4.4 Biomes4.4 Biomes


Biomes – Background

Biome = Ecosystems that have the same type of climax community

Similar ecosystems (biomes) will have a similar climate and similar organismssimilar organisms



The differences in climate are due to latitude (the curvature of the Earth creates an unequal distribution of solar energy), the heat transported by winds, and an area’s proximity to an ocean or mountain range.



Biomes are described in terms of abiotic factors like climate and soil type, and biotic factors like plant and animal life.

Ecologists classify Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems into at least ten different groups of regional climate communities called ten different groups of regional climate communities called biomes.



Each biome is associated with seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation that can be summarized in a graph called a climate diagram.

A climate diagram shows the average temperature and precipitation at a given location during each month of the year. On this climate diagram, temperature is plotted as a red line, and precipitation is shown as vertical blue bars.


Locations of Major Biomes


TUNDRATUNDRATUNDRATUNDRA

LOCATIONLOCATION�South of the polar ice cap in

the Northern Hemisphere



ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Soggy summers

�Permafrost (permanently frozen ground)

�Cold and dark much of the year

�Soil is poorly developed



OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�Treeless biome (due to the permafrost)

�Many animals migrate to avoid the long harsh winters

�Most of the vegetation includes shallow-rooted plants due to the poor topsoil and the permafrost


TIAGATIAGATIAGATIAGA

LOCATIONLOCATION�Northern part of North

America, Europe, and Asia



ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Summers are short and moist (summers are long enough to

allow the ground to thaw – no permafrost)

�Winters are long, cold, and dry

�Soil is acidic and nutrient-poor



OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�Also known as the Boreal Forest (Boreal comes from the Greek

word for “north”) or the Northern Coniferous Forest

�Coniferous trees produce seed-bearing cones, and have needle-shaped leaves coated in a waxy substance that helps reduce water loss

�The conical shape of conifers shed snow


TEMPERATETEMPERATETEMPERATETEMPERATE

RAINRAINRAINRAIN

FORESTFORESTFORESTFOREST

LOCATIONLOCATION�Northwestern coast of North

America, southern Chile, parts of northwestern Europe, southeastern Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan’s Pacific Coast, and southwest Japan



RAINRAINRAINRAIN


ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Mild temperatures and abundant precipitation in fall, winter, and

spring

�The summers are cool and dry

�Soils are rocky and acidic



RAINRAINRAINRAIN


OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�Also called the Northwestern Coniferous Forest

�Ample water and nutrients support lush, dense plant growth



DECIDUOUSDECIDUOUSDECIDUOUSDECIDUOUS


LOCATIONLOCATION�South of the taiga in eastern

North America, eastern Asia, Australia, and Europe





ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Well-defined seasons

�Summers are hot

�Winters are cold

�Fertile soil rich in humus (material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter)





OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�Contains broad-leaved, deciduous trees (lose their leaves in the

fall to retain water in the winter months)

�Also contains some coniferous (evergreen) trees – needle-like leaves that minimize water loss in dry winter air

�During the winter, animals hibernate or migrate (others need camouflage – bare trees expose them)



WOODLAND /WOODLAND /WOODLAND /WOODLAND /

SHRUBLANDSHRUBLANDSHRUBLANDSHRUBLAND

LOCATIONLOCATION�Surrounds the Mediterranean

Sea, western coasts of North and South America, South Africa, and Australia





ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Summers are very hot and dry

�Winters are cool and wet

�Soil is thin and nutrient-poor





OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�Found in areas with less rainfall than temperate forests

�Areas dominated by shrubs, such as in California, are called the chaparral

�Dense low plants that contain flammable oils make fire a constant threat



GRASSLANDGRASSLANDGRASSLANDGRASSLAND

LOCATIONLOCATION�North America (prairies)�South America (pampas)�Asia (steppes)�Africa (savannas) [can be separate biome]

�Australia (rangelands)




ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Summers are hot and winters are cold

�Moderate rainfall (has a dry season)

�The soil is fertile




OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�Many of the grasses grow from their bases, making them

resistant to grazing

�Drought, grazing animals, and fires keep grasslands from becoming forests

�Many herd animals present


DESERTDESERTDESERTDESERT

LOCATIONLOCATION�Every continent except for

Europe



ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Varying temperatures (low temperatures at night means there is

no humidity to trap the heat)

�Low rainfall – Driest of the biomes

�Soil is rich in minerals, but poor in organic material



OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�A desert is any area in which the annual rate of evaporation

exceeds the rate of precipitation

�Plant adaptations include narrow leaves (minimize leaf surface), waxy coatings, spines, thorns, poisons, germinate quickly, and thick stems and branches to store water


TROPICALTROPICALTROPICALTROPICAL

SAVANNASAVANNASAVANNASAVANNA

LOCATIONLOCATION�Africa, South America, and

Australia




ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Summers are hot and rainy

�Winters are cool and dry

�Soil is compact, with only a thin layer of nutrient-rich matter




OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�Receives less rainfall than other tropical areas

�Plant adaptations include waxy leaf coverings and seasonal leaf loss

�During the dry season, some animals migrate in search of water and other animals burrow and remain dormant



SEASONALSEASONALSEASONALSEASONAL


LOCATIONLOCATION�Africa, Asia, Australia, and

South and Central America





ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Rainfall is seasonal (has a dry season)

�Warm year-round

�Rich soil (subject to erosion)





OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�Also called a tropical dry forest

�Resembles the temperate deciduous forest because of the dry season (most trees

lose their leaves to conserve water)

�Some plants have an extra thick waxy layer on their leaves to reduce water loss

�Some animals reduce their need for water by entering long periods of inactivity

(called estivation – like hibernation, but typically takes place during a dry

season)



RAINRAINRAINRAIN


LOCATIONLOCATION�Central and South America,

southern Asia, western Africa, and northeastern Australia



RAINRAINRAINRAIN


ABIOTIC FACTORSABIOTIC FACTORS�Humid all year long

�Hot and wet

�Thin, nutrient-poor soil (decay is rapid)



RAINRAINRAINRAIN


OTHER INFORMATIONOTHER INFORMATION�The most diverse of all land biomes (home to more species than all the other

biomes combined)

�Tall trees form a dense, leafy covering called a canopy (the tall trees have buttress

roots, which grow out from the base of the trunk, for support due to the thin

soil)

�Shorter trees and vines form a layer called the understory (they must have large

leaves that maximize capture of limited light – due to the canopy)


Other Terrestrial Areas

Because they are not easily defined in terms of a typical community of plants and animals, mountain ranges and polar ice caps are not usually classified into biomes.


Other Terrestrial Areas – Mountain Ranges

Abiotic conditions (temperature and precipitation) change with increasing elevation

This allows many communities to exist on a mountain


Other Terrestrial Areas – Mountain Ranges


Other Terrestrial Areas – Polar Ice Caps

Polar ice caps are ice masses and not true land areas with soil

Polar regions are found on the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and Greenland (northern polar region) and Antarctica (southern Greenland (northern polar region) and Antarctica (southern polar region) and are cold year-round.

Lesson Overview Biomes - Enfield High...

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