1. Chapter 6 Biomes

2. Section 1 What is a Biome?

3. Biome  A biome is a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plants and animal communities.

4. Biomes and Vegetation  Biomes described by vegetation because they are the most noticeable characteristics. –Plants determine organisms that can live there. –Plants have adaptations to allow them to survive.  Cacti conserve and retain water.

5. Biomes and Climate  Climate refers to the weather conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, and winds, in an area over a long period of time.  Temperature and Precipitation –Biomes where rainfall is not frequent – cacti and desert shrubs –Biomes with rainfall – large trees  Latitude and Altitude –Latitude – the distance north or south of the equator –Altitude – height of an object above sea level –As both increase, biomes and vegetation change –Rainforests – close to equator

6. Section 2 Forest Biomes

7. Tropical Rain Forests  Located in a belt around the Earth near the equator.  Help regulate world climate and play vital roles in the nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon cycles.  Always humid and warm

8. Tropical Rain Forests  Nutrients –Most nutrients in the plants, not in the soil. –Organic matter decays quickly in hot, wet conditions. Plants quickly take up nutrients. –Removed so efficiently that water running out of the soil may be as clear as distilled water.

9. Tropical Rain Forests  Layers –Emergent Layer – tallest trees. Trees emerge into direct sunlight. –Canopy – Primary layer of rain forest. Trees can grow to more than 90 feet.  Lower canopy – receives less light. –Epiphytes, organisms that grow on tall trees, live here. –Orchid –Understory – very little light  Many of our house plant are native to tropical rain forests. Because they adapted to low levels of light, they are able to grow indoors.

10. Collared Anteater Wreathed Hornbill Costa Rican Mantis Orchid

11. Threats to the Rain Forests  Habitat Destruction – occurs when land inhabited by an organism is destroyed or altered. –Every minute – 100 acres of rain forest cleared  Exotic Pet Trading –Illegally trapping animals and selling at high prices –Planet in Peril

12. Temperate Forests  Temperate rain forests - occur in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. –Olympic National Park – Washington state –Large amount of precipitation, high humidity, and moderate temperatures.

13. Temperate Deciduous Forests  Trees drop their broad, flat leaves each fall.  Located between 30 degrees and 50 degrees north latitudes.  Temperature and vegetation changes  Plants –Maple, Oak, small shrubs, ferns, mosses  Animals –Squirrels, bears, grasshoppers, deer –Many birds are migratory – fly south to warmer weather and more food.

14. Taiga  Northern coniferous forest that stretches in a broad band across the Northern Hemisphere just below the Arctic Circle  Plants –Conifer – tree with needle-shaped leaves and seeds that develop in cones  Animals –Snowshoe hares, lynx, wolves

15. Section 3 Grasslands, Desert, and Tundra Biomes

16. Savannas  A tropical biome dominated by grasses, shrubs, and small trees  Rain falls mainly during wet season, which last for only a few months of the year.  Animals –Elephants, giraffe, cheetah, lion, hyena

17. Temperate Grasslands  Cover large areas of the interior continents, where there is moderate rainfall, but still too little for trees to grow.  Plants –Grasses and wildflowers – roots form dense layers to survive drought and fire  Animals –Pronghorn antelope, bison, prairie dogs  Threats – farming and overgrazing

18. Chaparral  A temperate shrubland biome that is found in all five parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate. –Moderately dry, coastal climate, with little or no rain in summer  Plants –Low-lying, evergreen shrubs and small trees –So well adapted to fire that they can resprout from small bits of surviving plant tissue.  Animals –Quail, lizards, chipmunk, mule deer – brownish-gray to blend in with brush  Threats –Human development

19. Desert  Areas that have widely scattered vegetation and receive very little rain.  Plants –Succulents – cacti– thick, fleshy stems and leaves that store water.  Spines on cacti keep thirsty animals from devouring plant  Animals –Gila monsters, rattlesnakes

20. Tundra  Located in northern arctic regions  Winter too cold and dry to permit growth of trees. –Permafrost – deeper layers of soil that are permanently frozen throughout the year.  Vegetation –Mosses and lichens – plants that grow close to the ground  Animals –Caribou, wolves, moose, arctic foxes  Threats –Oil exploration disrupts habitats of plants and animals –Planet in Peril – Polar Bears