Biomes

Energy Transfer The sun heats the earth unequally, causing differences in temperature. Evaporation and precipitation of water occurs because of the unequal heating. Because of these two main things, solar energy and precipitation, energy is transferred throughout the globe.

Weather vs. Climate Energy transfer causes the weather; the state of the atmosphere at a given time or place (temperature, precipitation, humidity, air pressure) Wind & Rain Clouds, lightning, & thunder Disasters: hurricanes, tornadoes Weather is different from climate; the long term average of weather.

What affects climate? Climate in an area is affected by two main things Direct sunlight (heat) Precipitation Climate directly affects the type of biome Biome is an environment with specific vegetation and organisms If it is cold, you have organisms that are suitable to the ____

Sunlight Sunlight gives off different wavelengths Greenhouse Effect Sunlight gives off different wavelengths When it strikes the earth, different wavelengths get reflected while others are absorbed, heating the Earth. Some of it escapes into space, some reflects back to earth due to greenhouse gases Sunlight Some heat escapes into space Greenhouse gases trap some heat` Atmosphere Earth’s surface

Latitude The amount of direct light can affect the temperature. 90°N North Pole Low Sunlight 66.5°N Arctic circle Sunlight Tropic of Cancer 23.5°N Equator Most direct sunlight 0° Tropic of Capricorn 23.5°S Sunlight Arctic circle 66.5°S Low Sunlight 90°S South Pole The amount of direct light can affect the temperature. Remember that the equator gets the most sunlight, and polar regions gets the least.

Precipitation The amount of water falling in the given area can greatly affect the type of climate Remember that precipitation falls at 0° and 60°

Biomes Because of these two factors combined, we get specific biomes at specific areas. For example, at the equator, there is a lot of sunlight, and a lot of precipitation, so there is a tropical rainforest. At 30°, there is a lot of sunlight, but little or no precipitation, so there is a desert.

Overview Sunlight and precipitation affect the climate Climate over an environment produces a biome A biome has organisms suited to the climate Biomes generally occur on the same latitudes

Biomes There are two main types of biomes Land Aquatic (water)

Land Biomes Most land biomes are named after their climax community. Some of the land biomes Tundra Taiga (TIGH-guh) Temperate deciduous forest Grassland Tropical rain forest Desert

Tropical rain forest Temperate grassland Temperate forest Tundra Tropical dry forest Desert Northwestern coniferous forest Mountains and ice caps Tropical savanna Temperate woodland and shrubland Boreal forest (Taiga)

Aquatic biomes There are 3 main types of aquatic biomes. The amount of salt determines the type of biome. The 3 main types of aquatic biomes Freshwater Marine (saltwater) Estuaries

Tundra Tundra Located near the poles Treeless biome covered by moss, lichens, and grasses Permafrost – a layer of permanently frozen subsoil

Taiga Taiga Covered by coniferous (cone bearing) trees. Bears, wolves, moose, elk are some of the typical animals

Temperate Deciduous Forest Plants change during the seasons (leaves change color)

Grasslands Grasslands Most of the rainfall occurs in one part of the season Hot summers, cold winters

Tropical Rain Forest Tropical rain forest Located at equator Receive 200-400 centimeters of rain a year Constant temperature. Home of the most types of animals than any other biome. Many colorful

Deserts Deserts Located at 30° latitude Less than 25 cm of rain falls a year Both plants and animals must be able to retain moisture. Birds, lizards, snakes, insects are typical Cactus and sagebrush sparsely cover the area

Freshwater biomes Rivers, streams, and lakes

Marine Biomes Includes all of the ocean Marine biomes are divided into 4 subcategories Intertidal zone Neritic zone Open-sea zone Deep-sea zone

Estuaries Estuaries are the boundaries between freshwater and saltwater. Since it is a mix of the two, a variety of organisms can be supported. Examples of estuaries Delta, swamp, lagoon

Biome Project In groups of 4-5, create a biome presentation Give information about the biome, including: Temperature range (graph) Precipitation (graph) Location (latitudes/areas) Plants (vegetation) Animals Brief Description (Examples) Koppen climate classifications Posterboard or Powerpoint acceptable More visuals, the better 500000000 points

To help you out… A Biology Textbook http://mbgnet.mobot.org/ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Laboratory/Biome/

Preplan… What kind of presentation will you do? Powerpoint? Posterboard? Who is doing what? Research? Picture finding? Who’s good with computers? Who’s bringing materials? When do you want to meet up? Contact info? Anything else you can think of…