1. Chapter 9 Forest Biomes By Faith Lawless & Ryan Smith

2. Coniferous Forests
9.1

3. Coniferous Forests Located far from the equator
Generally limited to Northern Hemisphere
Summers:
Warm
Last 2-5 months
Period of daylight increases
Winters
Very cold
Last 7-10 months
Period of daylight decreases

4. Precipitation In Coniferous Forests
Receive cm of precipitation per year
Precipitation falls as rain in summer
Precipitation falls as snow in winter

5. Conifers = Trees That Produce Seed Cones
Have unusual type of leaf called a needle
Needles
Long and thin
Covered in thick, waxy substance
Help trees conserve water
Are evergreen - don’t lose their leaves during certain periods of the year
Lose and replace their leaves slowly throughout the year
Examples
Pine Tree
Fir Tree

6. Not Many Plants On Forest Floor
Why?
Trees often grow in dense stands, prevent sunlight from reaching forest floor
Soil is poor and acidic because conifer needles prevent plants from growing on forest floor
Lack of sunlight and poor soil prevent plants from growing on forest floor

7. Snow In Coniferous Forests
Snow acts like an insulating blanket which
Traps heat
Prevents ground from freezing solid
Protects roots of forest trees
Small animals would freeze to death above snow, can survive underneath ground

8. Animals In The Winter In Coniferous Forests
Mammals Have Adapted For Winter
Migrate
Hibernate
Live underneath snow
Most have thick body fat
Mouse
Lives under snow in winter
Moose
Has thick body fat for winter

9. Deciduous Forests
9.2

10. Weather In Deciduous Forests
Summers can be as high as 30 degrees celsius
Winters can be as low as -30 degrees celsius
Receive about cm of precipitation a year

11. Deciduous Trees
Deciduous Tree - tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season of the year
Growing season lasts about 6 months
Grows quickly
Produces & stores large amount of food
Lose leaves
Triggered by shortening daylight & cooling temperatures
Enables tree to conserve water in winter
Are dormant in winter
Photosynthesis stops
Survive on food stored in trunk
Beech Tree
Maple Tree

12. Canopy Of Deciduous Forest
Highest layer of deciduous forest
Made up of upper branches and leaves of tall trees
Captures most of sun’s direct light, filters some down to lower levels

13. Understory Of Deciduous Forests
Made up of trees that are younger and smaller than those of the canopy
Trees receive less sunlight than trees in the canopy
Beneath is a layer of shrubs

14. Human Consumption Of Deciduous Forests
Why?
Soil
Rich and fertile
Good farming land
2. Trees
Have harder wood than coniferous trees
Good building material
Used for paper products
Used for fuel
Fertile soil used for farming
Wood used to make furniture

15. 9.3 Rain Forests Objectives
Describe the characteristics of the tropical zone and of the rain forest.
Illustrate the complexity and diversity of the rain forest ecosystem.

16. 9.3 Rain Forests
Tropical zone is located at latitudes near the equator.
Receives direct rays from the sun most of the year.
25° C all year.

17. 9.3 Rain Forests
Precipitation falls as rain except on tops of high mountains.
cm of rain a year.

18. Constant warmth and abundant rain. Covers 6% of Earth’s land surface.
40% of Earth’s land biomass.
Rainforest Structure

19. Rainforest Structure Trees are basis of rain forest.
Cyprus, balsa, teak, mahogany species grow here.
Topsoil is thin and poor.
Fallen trees, other organic matter decomposes in days or weeks.
Rainforest Structure

20. Constant moisture ideal for fungi, insects, bacteria.
Each species occupies a niche in the trees.
Many organisms lie without ever touching the ground.
Rainforest Structure

21. Organisms and Diversity
Animal diversity in the rain forest is caused by two factors:
1) Diversity of rainforest plants. .
Organisms and Diversity

22. Organisms and Diversity
2) Wide variety of habitats exist in different forest levels.
Habitats in the rainforest vary from tree to tree from one part of a tree to another.
Organisms and Diversity

23. In 1950: 10% of Earth’s land surface covered by rainforests
In 1950: 10% of Earth’s land surface covered by rainforests. Now: 6% and decreasing.
Destruction of rainforests is due to human’s need for space and wood.
Deforestation

24. Rainforest trees are exported and burned to make farmland, grazing land, and living space for people.
Habitats in the canopy and lower levels of vegetation are also destroyed.
Deforestation

25. Deforestation Animals that have evolved to live there become extinct.
If a rainforest is burned, it may be able to regenerate after hundreds of years if there’s more rainforest around.
If bulldozed, it cannot regenerate, it will only grow weeds.
Deforestation

26. Key Terms Conifers- Trees that produce seed cones.
Deciduous Trees- Tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season of the year.
Rain Forest- Biome with a dense canopy of evergreen, broadleaf trees supported by about 200cm of rain a year.
Deforestation- Destruction of forest as a result of human activity.

27. Coniferous Forest
Deciduous Forest
Rainforest