Biomes EQ: How are the Earth’s terrestrial biomes alike and different?

Biomes  A biome is a large area characterized by its abiotic and biotic factors  Abiotic: climate  Biotic: plants and animals.  A biome contains related ecosystems  Biomes are classified as either terrestrial (land) or aquatic (water)

Abiotic Factors  A biome is characterized by its climate, plants and animals  Climate is the long-term weather patterns for an area determined by its temperature and precipitation.  In biomes where the climate is characterized by high temperatures and high levels of rainfall, you will find abundant life.  Example: Rainforest  In biomes where the climate is characterized by either low temperatures and/or low amounts of precipitation, life is more scarce.  In general, the closer to the equator the biome is, the more life will exist

The Earth’s Terrestrial (Land) Biomes  There are seven major terrestrial (land)biomes:  Tundra  Coniferous Forest/Taiga  Desert  Grassland/Prairie  Grassland/ Savanna  Deciduous Forest  Rainforest

Tundra  Alaska, Northern Canada  Long cold winters  Cool summers.  “Frozen desert”  Little plant and animal life.  Permafrost

Desert  SW United States, Mexico, Africa, Australia, Middle East  Little rainfall  Extreme temp differences  Succulents  Nocturnal animals

Prairie/Grasslands  Midwest US,  Moderate precipitation  Wide range of temperatures  Windy  Flat terrain  Covered in grass

Savannas  Africa, India, S. America  Wet/Dry seasons  Wide range of temperatures  Deep rooted grasses  Hooved animals

Coniferous Forest/Taiga  Canada, N.Europe, Asia  Long, cold winters  Moderate summers  Precipitation is mostly snow  Conifers

Temperate/Deciduous Forest  Eastern US, W. Europe, E. Asia  Our biome!  Four seasons  Moderate temperatures  Moderate rain  Trees lose leaves

Tropical Rainforest  Equatorial regions  inches of rain  High temps  Layers of vegetation  Most species!  /watch?v=m4bNrIIe0bk& safety_mode=true&persi st_safety_mode=1 /watch?v=m4bNrIIe0bk& safety_mode=true&persi st_safety_mode=1

Aquatic Biomes  Water covers ¾ of the Earth, and is home to both the largest and the smallest organisms.  There are two types of aquatic biomes:  Marine (Ocean)  Freshwater (lakes, rivers, streams, etc)

Aquatic Biomes  Cover ¾ of the Earth  Smallest organisms  Largest organisms  Marine (Ocean)  Freshwater