Biomes: An Overview Question:What is a biome? Answer:Large group of ecosystems that share the same type of climax community Climax community= stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species. Question:How many types of biomes are there? Answer:2: Aquatic and Terrestrial

Ocean/Marine Covers ¾ of the earth’s surface Highest level of biomass (living material) Two zones a:photic=shallow levels with light b:aphotic=deep waters with no light

Freshwater Rivers, lakes and ponds Living things are near to the warmer surface Less biomass than the ocean Spring / Fall Overturn

Tundra South of the north pole Long summer days Short winter sunlight Treeless terrain, with little other plant-life Permafrost=permanently frozen under the topsoil Few living animals (oxen, snowshoe hares, reindeer)

Taiga South of the tundra Northern Coniferous forest Poor soil for growth due to coniferous needles (lacks permafrost) and slow decay Long winters, short summers (warmer than tundra) More living organisms than the tundra

Desert Driest region (less than 25cm of precipitation) Almost nonexistent plant life Can be Cold!!!! Living things have adaptations to survive (cacti=thorns) Example animals=owls, kangaroo rat, coyotes. Example plants=shrubs, mesquite trees, cacti

Grassland Moderate precipitation (25-75cm) Covered with grasses and small plants Largest terrestrial biome (bison, wolves, humans) Called prairies (Canada/U.S.A), savannas in Africa, steppes in Russia More area than any other biome in the world 4 seasons!

Temperate Forests Approximately cm of precipitation Broad-leaf trees (lose foliage) Top layer of soil is rich Deep layer made of clay 4 seasons Birds, mice, deer, bears make up common animals

Tropical Rain Forest More species than any other biome on earth…why? This area was never covered with ice during the Ice Age, so large scale extinction did not occur Typically warm in temperature due to proximity to the equator Wet=more than 200cm of rainfall Poor soil due to large amount of decomposers