Recommended reading for tonight: 52.1-52.2

Crash Course

FACTORS AFFECTING BIOMES

▸ Temperature and precipitation- why?

▸ Boundaries vary- ecotone

▸ Vegetation type used as an indicator

TROPICAL RAINFOREST▸ High precipitation;

always warm

▸ Equatorial

▸ Most biodiversity

▸ Human impacts?

SAVANNA (TROPICAL GRASSLANDS)▸ Seasonal (dry and

wet); always warm

▸ Equatorial

▸ Fire-adapted plants; drought tolerant; many herbivores

▸ Human impacts?

DESERT▸ Very little precipitation

▸ Variable temperatures; cold at night (why?)

▸ Sparse vegetation; drought tolerant

▸ Animal adaptations

TEMPERATE GRASSLAND▸ Seasonal precipitation

(dry/wet)

▸ Seasonal temperatures (cold/hot)

▸ Fire-adapted grasses; herbivores; fertile soil

▸ Human impacts?

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST▸ Summer rain and winter

snow

▸ Seasonal; moderate warm/cold

▸ Many mammals; fertile soil

▸ Deciduous?

CONIFEROUS FOREST/TAIGA/BOREAL▸ High latitude

▸ Adequate to try precipitation

▸ Cool year round

▸ Conifers

TUNDRA▸ Highest latitudes

▸ Dry; cold

▸ Permafrost

▸ Adaptations

▸ Human Impact

CHAPPARAL (MEDITERRANEAN)▸ Mild winters

▸ Hot, dry summers

▸ Shrub land

▸ Human impact