Unit 15: Terrestrial Biomes

Overview

biome

large geographic areas that have similar climates and ecosystems (the types of organisms that live there)

deciduous

trees that have flat leaves that change color and fall off before winter

climate

includes the average yearly temperature and amount of rainfall an area receives

coniferous

trees with cones and thin, needle-shaped leaves; evergreen trees such as pine, fir, and spruce

• An ecosystem consists of a biological community and its physical environment.

• Terrestrial ecosystems include, temperate deciduous forest, temperate grassland, savanna, taiga, tundra, and desert.

• Marine and freshwater aquatic ecosystems include oceans, lakes, rivers, and wetlands.

• All of Earth's ecosystems together constitute the biosphere.

Tropical Rainforest

Tropical Rainforest

Latitude AverageTemperatures

AverageRainfall

10° S to 25 ° N

20 °C-34 °C(68 °F-93 °F )

125 to 660 cm(50 to 260 in )

Tropical Rainforest

tropical rain forest

• A biome with warm temperatures and large amounts of rainfall; most are located near the equator

• Ferns, orchids, and tall (canopy) trees• Parrots, snakes, frogs, monkeys, lizards

canopy

fern

orchids

Savannah

Latitude AverageTemperatures

AverageRainfall

15 ° to 25 ° N and S

16 °C (60°F)

Dry 70° F

4 inches dry season 15 to 25 inches wet season

Tropical Grasslands

savanna or tropical grassland

• a grassland biome near the equator• Warm temperatures• Wet/dry seasons• Grasses, shrubs, and a few small trees• Animals like zebras, giraffes, wildebeest,

gazelles, lions, leopards

meerkats

wildebeest

Desert

Latitude AverageTemperatures

AverageRainfall

15° - 25° N and S

25° C.-49° C.

77° F-120 ° F

0.25 cm (0.1 in)

Desert

deserts

• A warm biome that receives less than (10 in.) 25 cm of rain each year

• Some have cold winters, some have cold nighttime temperatures, but they have high daytime temperatures

• Creosote bush, saguaro cactus• Owls, hawks, roadrunners, rattlesnakes, and

lizards

cacti

creosote

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Latitude AverageTemperatures

AverageRainfall

30° - 55° N and S(Europe: 45° - 60° N)

31 °C (56 ° F)

81 cm (32 in)

Temperate Deciduous Forest

temperate deciduous forest

• A biome with trees that lose their leaves in the fall

• 4 distinct seasons• Rainfall is spread out across the entire year• Trees like maple, oak, elm • Animals include white-tailed deer, raccoons,

foxes and squirrels

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Temperate Grasslands

Latitude AverageTemperatures

AverageRainfall

30° - 55° N and S

31 °C (56 ° F)

81 cm (32 in)

Temperate Grasslands

temperate grassland

• A biome found at the same latitude as temperate deciduous forests

• Covered with grasses, not trees; with rich fertile soil (Great Plains in the US/prairie)

• Also called pampas, steppe or veldt• Grazing animals like antelope, prairie dogs,

coyotes, bison/buffalo

prairie dog

Taiga

Taiga

Latitude AverageTemperatures

AverageRainfall

50° - 70° N and S

41 °C (74 °F),-25 °C to 16 °C (-14 °F to 60 °F)

31 cm (12 in).

Taiga

taiga (ty-guh)

• a cold biome with long winters with a lot of snow

• Some animals migrate to warmer climates in the winter; some hibernate

• Plants include evergreen trees such as pine, fir, and spruce (coniferous forests)

• Animals include moose, bear, wolves and lynx.

Tundra

Tundra

Tundra

Latitude AverageTemperatures

AverageRainfall

60° - 75° N -22 °C to 6 °C (-10 °F to 41 °F)

20 cm (8 in).

Tundra

tundra

• a cold biome that does not support trees • the largest biome covering about 1/5 of

Earth’s land• receives little rainfall• made up of permafrost—a layer of

permanently frozen soil• includes mosses, lichens and caribou, arctic

foxes and snowshoe hares

lichen

• composed of a fungus in symbiotic union with an alga (protist)

• have a greenish, gray, yellow, brown, or blackish areas that grow in leaflike, crustlike, or branching forms on rocks, trees, etc.

lichen

lichen

lichen

HO

T

T

EMPE

RATU

RE

CO

LDTUNDRA

SAVANNA- Tropical Grasslands

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

TAIGA

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

LOW RAINFALL HIGH