Transcript BIOMES - Burnaby School District

BIOMES
Summary of the 8
Terrestrial Biomes
BOREAL
FOREST
(Largest Biome in the World)
BOREAL FOREST

WHERE?
◦ Northern Hemisphere
(45 – 65° N)

FEATURES:
◦ Very cold winters
◦ Rainy, humid summers (short)
◦ Rough terrain

CLIMATE
◦ Precipitation = 30 to 85 cm/yr
(snow)
◦ Temp = freezing ½ the year
(lows -40°C)
BOREAL FOREST
Russian Boreal Forest

WHO LIVES HERE?
Animals are able to adapt for warm summers
and cool winters; thick fur, change from brown to winter white, reptiles
are rare.
◦ Insect-eating birds (finch), chipmunk, shrew,
moose, black and grizzly bears, wolverine

PLANT LIFE:
◦ Coniferous trees (evergreens)
Waxy needles
(resist water loss,
snow slides off).
BOREAL FOREST
TEMPERATE
DECIDUOUS
FOREST
TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

WHERE?
◦ Eastern Canada/US,
◦ Western Europe

FEATURES:
◦ 4 distinct seasons
◦ Long growing season
◦ Rich soil (fallen leaves)

CLIMATE
◦ Precipitation = even throughout
year (75 -180 cm)
◦ Temp = -30 to 30°C
TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

WHO LIVES HERE?
A large variety due to the abundance of
various habitats. Some hibernate, others migrate during winter.
◦ Rabbits, squirrels, skunks, cougars, deer, wolves,
bears...

PLANT LIFE:
◦ Four to five layers (mosses -> berries -> shrubs
-> short trees -> deciduous trees)
Deciduous trees
(Maple, Oak, Birch) –
lose leaves in fall.
TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST
TEMPERATE
RAINFOREST
TEMPERATE RAINFOREST

WHERE?
◦ Coastal BC, New Zealand,
Australia, coast of Chile

FEATURES:
◦ Along coastlines, backed by
mountains
◦ Very tall trees (up to 60m)

CLIMATE
◦ Heavy rainfall (>200 cm/yr)
◦ Coastal fog
◦ Temp = 5 to 25°C
Temperate Rainforest

WHO LIVES HERE?
Many animals live on forest floor where they
are protected from wind and rain. Eat seeds and insects.
◦ Small mammals (chipmunks), birds (eagle),
amphibians, bears...

PLANT LIFE:
◦ Tall, large evergreens (due to rain)
◦ Mosses and lichens on tree trunks to
reach light. Mosses, fungi on forest
floor
Temperate Rainforest
TROPICAL
RAINFOREST
TROPICAL RAINFOREST

WHERE?
◦ Along the equator: Northern
South America, Central Africa,
Southeast Asia, Central America

FEATURES:
◦ Poor soil (heavy rains wash
nutrients away)
◦ Dark forest floor

CLIMATE
◦ Heavy rainfall (>250 cm/yr)
◦ Warm temp = 20 to 25 °C
Tropical Rainforest

WHO LIVES HERE?
Large diversity but not many large
mammals. Most animals live in trees as little vegetation on ground.
Most are specialists to decrease competition. Some secrete poison.
◦ Small animals, few large mammals, birds
(toucan, parrots), insects...
Poison arrow frog

This biome has the greatest
diversity of animals on Earth
Tropical Rainforest

PLANT LIFE:
◦ This biome also has the greatest plant diversity
 Leaves have narrow tips so rain runs off
 Tall trees form a canopy and block the light
 Some plants grow on the tall trees to reach the
sunlight (vines and orchids)
 Shrubs adapted to low light can grow in the forest
floor
Jambu
Tropical Rainforest
Bengal Bamboo
GRASSLANDS
GRASSLANDS

WHERE?
◦ Temperate (Prairies, Russia)
◦ Tropical (Africa, S America, N
Australia)

FEATURES:
◦ Flat, rich fertile soil
◦ Rain followed by long dry periods
◦ Grass fires can occur

CLIMATE
◦ Rainfall = 25 to 100 cm/yr (Temp)
50 to 130 cm/yr (Trop)
◦ Temp = -10 to 30°C (Temp)
20 to 30°C (Trop)
GRASSLANDS
WHO LIVES HERE? Grazing and scavenging animals – lots of grass
◦ Large grazing animals (antelope, giraffes, zebras,
wolves, coyotes, rabbits, snakes, lions,
cheetahs...)


PLANT LIFE:
◦ Grasses (adapted for drought; well developed roots – collect
water, grow after fire); flexible stalks don’t break in wind).
Some grasses are sharp & taste bad.
◦ Few trees
GRASSLANDS
DESERT
DESERT

WHERE?
◦ Kalahari and Sahara of Africa,
◦ Simpson of Australia...Cold
deserts in North America
(Great Basin Desert),
Argentina (Patagonian Desert)

FEATURES:
◦ Hot, dry
◦ Salty soil (minerals don’t get
washed away)

CLIMATE
◦ Rainfall = < 25 cm/yr
◦ Temp = hot days, cold nights
DESERT

WHO LIVES HERE?
Thick skin and scales to prevent water loss.
Large adapted excretory systems (to preserve water). Large extremities.
Not active during day (heat) , busy at night (cold) -- some burrow.
◦ Reptiles, scorpions, desert spadefoot toads,
lizards, foxes, coyotes, jackrabbits...

PLANT LIFE: few species
◦ Cacti, sagebrush
◦ Long roots help absorb water
◦ Spines/ chemicals help protect
from being eaten
DESERT
THE TUNDRA
TUNDRA

WHERE?
◦ Upper Northern Hemisphere (60
– 70° N)

FEATURES:
◦ Cold and dark
◦ Short Summers (24 hrs of
daylight)
◦ Layer of permanently frozen soil
(permafrost)

CLIMATE
◦ Precipitation = less than 25
cm/yr
◦ Summer temp = 3 to 12 °C
◦ Winter temp = -20 to - 30 °C
TUNDRA

WHO LIVES HERE?
For animals to prevent heat loss, they have
small bodies and shorter legs and ears (less space to lose heat from the
body). They grow slowly and reproduce infrequently (less energy).
Some turn white for camoflauge. Lots migrate away during winter.
◦ Foxes, caribou, snowy owl, seals, walrus, polar
bear, walrus, beluga whale...

PLANT LIFE:
◦ No trees (short summer, permafrost)
◦ Plants grow close to
ground:
mosses, lichens, grasses.
TUNDRA

Teachers' Domain: Arctic Tundra
PERMANENT
ICE (POLAR)
PERMANENT ICE (POLAR)

WHERE?
◦ Polar ice caps of Arctic,
Greenland, Antarctica

FEATURES:
◦ Strong winds, little soil
◦ Most freshwater is frozen in ice
◦
CLIMATE
◦ Precipitation = <50 cm/yr
(snow)
◦ Summer temp = up to 14 °C
(Arctic summer)
◦ Winter temp = down to -30 °C
(As low as -89 °C in Antarctica)
Permanent Ice

WHO LIVES HERE?
Large terrestrial and marine mammals with
lots of fat layers and tightly packed feathers to prevent heat loss. Some
have fur and some lie close together (walrus/seal)
◦ Polar bears, walruses, seals, arctic foxes,
penguins, leopard seals.

PLANT LIFE:
◦ Lichens (fungi + algae)
◦ Moss
◦ 100 species of flowering plants
in Arctic
Permanent Ice