Transcript Biome Notes

Land Biomes
Chapter 20
Biomes
• Geographic area characterized by certain
types of plant and animal communities
• Contains smaller ecosystems
• Rainfall and temperature are the major
factors determining what biome is in a
region
• Not specific to a place
– Ex. Desert biome doesn’t refer to one desert
in particular but to any of them
Forests
• Needs enough rain and right temperature
– Not too hot, not too cold
• Three types
– Temperate Deciduous forest
– Coniferous forest
– Tropical Rain forest
Temperate Deciduous
• This is where you live
• Deciduous = leaves
that fall off
• Producers include
trees, grass, moss,
ferns
• Animals include
bears, birds, rodents
and even the platypus
Temperate Deciduous
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Rain
75-125 cm a year
Temperature
Summer 28 C
Winter 6 C
Coniferous Forest
• Don’t change much
from winter to
summer
• Long cold winters
• Coniferous = pine
trees with cones
Coniferous Forest
• Producers include
pine trees mostly and
some flowers, moss,
wild potato
• Animals include yak,
llamas, goats, birds,
snow leopards
Coniferous Forest
• Rain – 35-75 cm
• Temperature 14 C in
summer, -10 C in
winter
• Also called Boreal
forest or Tiaga
Tropical Rain Forest
• More diversity than
any other biome
• Some animals only
live in the tree tops
(canopy) while others
live on the ground.
• Most nutrients are
found in the
vegetation
Tropical Rain Forest
• Producers include
bamboo, various
trees such as
coconut, lianas or
vines, flowers and
strangler fig
• Animals include
elephants, tigers,
monkeys, bats and
insects
Tropical Rain Forest
• Rain – up to 400 cm a
year
• Temperature -> 34 C
during the day
• 20 C at night
• Also called the jungle
Grasslands
• Also called steppes,
pampas, prairies
• Found between
deserts and forests
• Found on every
continent
• Most are flat with
rolling hills
Temperate Grassland
• Prairie
• Rain 25-75 cm a year
• Temperature – 30 C
in summer
• 0 C in winter
Temperate Grassland
• Producers include
GRASS, and small
flowering plants
• Animals include
prairie dogs, birds,
mice, foxes, bobcats,
coyotes, insects
Savanna
• Tropical Grassland
• 150 cm in rain a year
• Temperature –
– Dry season 34 C
– Wet season 16 C
Savanna
• Producers include
GRASS with
scattered trees
• Animals include
elephants, giraffes,
zebras, gazelles,
wildebeests,
leopards, lions and
hyenas
Savanna
• Think of the Lion King
Desert
• Hot, dry area
• Plants and animals
have adapted to gain
and conserve water
• Rain – less than 25
cm a year
• Temperature- 38 C in
the summer, 7 C in
the winter
Desert
• Producers include
cactus, small
flowering plants such
as aster, and bushes
• Animals include
rodents, birds,
bobcats, reptiles such
as snakes, lizards,
tortoise and gila
monsters
Desert
Tundra
• Far North on tops of
mountains
• Too cold for trees to
grow
• Permafrost –
permanently frozen
ground below the
surface
– Keeps water from
draining keeping
surface soggy and wet
Tundra
• Producers include
moss, grasses,
berries, tea, small
willow shrubs and
lichens
• Animals include
caribou, musk oxen,
lemmings, shrews,
hares, birds, bears,
fox and wolves
Tundra
• Rain – 30-50 cm a
year
• Temperature
– 12 C in summer
– -26 C in winter