3.2 Terrestrial Biomes

Today’s Objectives Objective #1: Relate latitude and the three major climate zones Objective #2: Describe the major abiotic factors that determine the location of a terrestrial biome Objective #3: Distinguish among terrestrial biomes based on climate and biotic factors

Effects of Latitude and Climate Regardless of where you live, you are affected by weather and climate Give examples Weather The condition of the atmosphere at a specific place and time Latitude and climate are important

Latitude Latitude The distance of any point on the surface of Earth north or south from the equator Spans from 0 degrees at equator to 90 degrees at the poles: Bellbrook is 39.635N

Latitude What is the Earth’s primary source of heat? radiation from the sun-solar radiation Because Earth is a sphere, different levels of solar radiation reach different parts of its curved surface

Latitude What determines the climate (different seasons) Earth’s tilt

Climate Climate The average weather conditions in an area, including temperature and precipitation Latitude has a large effect on climate Also greatly effected by elevation, continental landmasses, ocean currents, and wind

Biome A large group of similar ecosystems containing distinctive types of plants and other organisms; determined by climate Many regions of the world do have similar climate conditions

For the Test… Make sure you know the tan boxes containing information about each biome Know the following defining characteristics

Tundra Exhibits a layer of permanently frozen soil below the surface called permafrost May thaw up to a couple of centimeters during the summer

Boreal Forest Dense evergreen forest Still cold, but summers are longer and somewhat warmer than the Tundra’s

Temperate Forest Composed mostly of broad-leaved, deciduous trees- trees that shed their leaves in autumn Winters are cold, while spring is warm with plenty of rain to restart the growth cycles of plants and trees

Temperate Woodland and Shrubland Found in areas with less annual rainfall than in temperate forest Areas dominated by shrubs are called Chaparral

Temperate Grassland Contain fertile soil that are able to support a thick cover of grasses Underground stems and buds are protected from fires Drought, grazing animals, and fires prevent the creation of forests

Desert Rate of evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation

Tropical Savanna Contains grasses and scattered trees in climates that receive less precipitation that some other tropical areas

Tropical Seasonal Forest Like temperate deciduous forests, during the dry season almost all the trees drop their leaves to conserve water Much warmer though

Tropical Rain Forest Warm temperatures and large amounts of rainfall Most diverse species

Tropical Rain Forest Tall, broad-leaved trees with branches heavy with mosses, ferns, and orchids make up the canopy

Tropical Rain Forest Shorter trees, shrubs, and plants make up another layer called the understory

Other Terrestrial Areas Polar regions are not considered true biomes they are ice masses and are not true land areas with soil Mountains do not fit the definition of a biome Animals/Plants depend on elevation

Mountains Biotic communities change with increasing elevation Due to different temperatures and amounts of precipitation

Polar Regions Cold all year Average winter temperature of -30 degrees Celsius Inhabited by colonies of penguins, polar bears, arctic foxes