Transcript Let it Rain!

Regions of our planet
Biomesdistinguished
by their climate and
vegetation
Types of Biomes:
•Aquatic
•Desert
•Forests
•Grasslands
•Tundra
Biomes are the various regions of our planet which can
be distinguished by their climate, fauna and flora.
Tundra
The tundra biome encircles the North Pole. Below a
thin layer of tundra soil is its permafrost, a
permanently frozen layer of ground.
During the brief summers, the top section of the soil may thaw
just long enough to allow plants and microorganisms to grow
and reproduce. Mosses and lichens are common vegetation.
highland climate
Mountain areas where the air
temperature cools as
altitude increases.
19,800 ft
9°F
Snow cap
16,500 ft
21°F
13,200 ft
34°F
Tundra
9,900 ft
49°F
*Quito
6,600 ft
Cold Zone
Temperate Zone
3,300 ft
1,000 ft
Sea Level
57°F
70°F
77°F
*Guayaquil
Hot Zone
81°F
highlands
Alpine tundra
The alpine tundra,
which is a biome that
exists at the tops of
high mountains, above
the tree line.
The growing season is
about 180 days, and
nighttime temperatures
are usually below
freezing.
Rocky Mountain high
Forests
Represent the largest and
most diverse
 Trees – take in carbon dioxide
and produce oxygen
 Boreal, Taiga, and
Temperate Deciduous

Taiga
A biome is
characterized
by its
coniferous
forests. In
Canada, the
term boreal
forest is used to refer to the southern
part of this biome; the term taiga is
used to describe the more barren
northern areas south of the Arctic
tree-line.
boreal forest winter
Orographic effect - rain shadow
This shows why one side of a mountain range may be
a rainforest while the other is a desert.
The mighty Columbia River drains the temperate
rain forest of the western United States.
Rain Shadow
Because rain-bearing storms typically come from the
west, east of the Sierran crest the climate is drier. This
is effect is known as a "rain shadow" and is reflected in
the steppe biomes that develop here.
Canadian Rocky Mountains
Alpine tundra
The alpine tundra is
a biome that exists
at the tops of high
mountains, above
the tree line.
The growing season
is about 180 days,
and nighttime
temperatures are
usually below
freezing.
Rocky Mountain high
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests are a temperate and
humid biome. Typically, they occur in warm and rainy
climates, sometime with a distinct dry season.
Deciduous trees lose their leaves every fall, but before
they do, early frosts produce magnificent colorbursts.
Vast deciduous forest once covered nearly the entire
eastern seaboard of North America. This view is from
the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
Deciduous forest animals
Whitetailed deer
Bald eagle
raccoon
Grasslands
savanna – tall; prairie – medium
and tall; steppe - short
Grasslands
Grass is dominant
 Prairie-mostly grass, few trees
 Steppe-dry
 Savanna-hot and dry

Prairie
Much of the Great
Plains principally
supports medium
grasses, with few trees,
and a generally
temperate or
moderate climate.
Herds of bison once covered the Great Plains.
Steppe grassland
Steppe is defined as a
plain without trees
Desert
mesa
Animals/plants adapt
arid, semi-arid, coastal,
and cold deserts
Sand dunes
deserts
deserts
This image shows world’s deserts in yellow. Notice
there are none in Europe.
Windows Original
Desert
The Sonoran Desert is an arid region covering 120,000
sq. mi. in Arizona, California, most of Baja California
and the western half of the state of Sonora, Mexico.
Savanna
Savanna
Grassland dotted with trees; occurs in several types of
biomes. In savannas, grasses form the predominant
vegetation type, usually mixed with herbs and shrubs,
with trees scattered individually or in small clumps.
Savanna
Africa’s Serengeti
Tropical rainforests
Green areas locate the world’s most lush rain forests.
rain forest
Tropical rain forests are mainly the product of climatic
interactions, particularly temperature and rainfall. In
general, tropical rain forests occur where a mean
monthly temperature of between 20 and 28 degrees C
is combined with an annual rainfall of between 1.5 and
10 metres, evenly distributed throughout the year.
Tropical rain forest
Bananas
visible in
the
foreground
of this
picture are
planted in
the tropical
wet-dry forest near San Blas, Mexico in the state of
Nayarit. The tall trees of the original forest along with
their heavy burden of vines can be seen in the
background on these tall trees.
Tropical Rain Forest animals
Toucan
Mandrill
While
covering less
than 6
percent of
Earth's
surface, rain
forests are
home to more
than 50
percent of the
world's plant
and animal
species.
Tree Frog
Boa
Constrictor