1. Taiga or Coniferous Forest
Found in parts of Canada, Alaska, and Russia

2. Taiga or Coniferous Forest

3. Taiga Russian for “Mountain” Long, cold dry winters
Largest terrestrial biome
Very short growing season
Source of lumber, being logged at unsustainable rates

4. Taiga or Coniferous Forest
Latitudes between 50ºN and 60ºN

5. Taiga- Warmer and wetter than the Tundra
35 to 40 cm of precipitation yearly (mostly snow)

6. Plants of the Taiga
There is no permafrost, so trees can grow. Mosses and lichens grow on the forest floor.
Examples:
Cone-bearing Evergreen trees

7. Plants of the Taiga
Fir tree

8. Plants of the Taiga
Spruce tree

9. Plants of the Taiga
Hemlock tree

10. Plants of the Taiga
Liverwort (a moss)

11. Plants of the Taiga
Mosses

12. Animals of the Taiga
Many animals live in the Taiga.

13. Animals of the Taiga
Moose

14. Animals of the Taiga
Black bear

15. Animals of the Taiga
Lynx

16. Animals of the Taiga
Wolf

17. Animals of the Taiga
Badger

18. Animals of the Taiga
Wolverine

19. Temperate Deciduous Forest
temperate deciduous forests have sufficient rainfall to support large populations of deciduous trees (lose leaves annually)

20. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Found in Europe, the eastern part of the U.S.A., and China

21. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Found below 50ºN latitude
75 to 150 cm precipitation yearly

22. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Wide range of temperatures with 4 seasons
Below freezing in winter to 30ºC in summer

23. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Soil is rich in nutrients from layers of decomposing leaves

24. Layers of Vegetation
Canopy- tree tops that shade the ground below
Understory- shrub layer
Forest floor- dark and moist layer of dead leaves, twigs, and seeds

25. Layers of Vegetation
Canopy

26. Layers of Vegetation
Understory

27. Layers of Vegetation
Forest floor

28. Life in the Temperate Deciduous Forest
The mild climate and rich soil of the temperate deciduous forest supports a wide variety of plant and animal life.

29. Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Plant life is abundant.

30. Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Oak tree

31. Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Hickory tree

32. Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Maple tree

33. Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Shrubs (Azalea)

34. Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Shrubs (Holly)

35. Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Wildflowers

36. Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Wildflowers

37. Plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Ferns

38. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Animal life is diverse.

39. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Deer

40. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Fox

41. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Snakes (Eastern Garter Snake)

42. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Snakes (Copperhead)

43. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Black bear

44. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Birds (Bald Eagle)

45. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Birds
(Barn Owl)

46. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Birds
Woodpecker Cardinal

47. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Raccoon

48. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Amphibians
Wood frog Leopard Frog

49. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Amphibians
Spotted Salamander Jefferson Salamander

50. Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest
Small Mammals
Field Mouse Squirrel

51. Tropical Rain Forest
Found near the equator in Africa, South America, Australia, and the Pacific Islands

53. Tropical Rain Forest Found near the equator
200 to 225 cm precipitation yearly

54. Tropical Rain Forest Hot and humid all year
Temperatures are fairly constant around 25ºC

55. Tropical Rain Forest Soil is nutrient poor and acidic
Most plants have shallow roots

56. Tropical Rain Forest Layers of Vegetation

57. Life in the Tropical Rain Forest
The tropical rain forest is a lush, productive ecosystem containing more than half of all the species that live on Earth.

58. Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
A rain forest may contain more than 700 species of trees and over 1000 species of flowering plants.

59. Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Mahogany tree
Notice how the roots rise above the ground to help support this giant tree!

60. Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Bromeliads

61. Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Orchids

62. Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Giant ferns

63. Plants of the Tropical Rain Forest
Flowering plants

64. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
The rain forest is home to a huge number of animals.

65. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Monkeys

66. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Exotic birds
Toucan Parrots

67. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Exotic birds
Cockatoo Hummingbird

68. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Snakes (Anaconda)

69. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Snakes
Albino Ball Python Green Mamba

70. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Sloths

71. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Bat (Fruit bat)

72. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Insects
Butterfly Beetle

73. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Large Cats (Jaguar)

74. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Large Cats (Sumatran Tiger)

75. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Large Cat (Ocelot)

76. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Exotic mammals
Paca Peccary

77. Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest
Exotic mammals
Agouti Nutria

78. Grassland

79. Temperate Grassland

80. Grasslands
Grasslands also called plains or prairies Maintained by grazing (large herbivores) and periodic fires or become forest
Most grasslands are converted to agriculture

81. Grassland Grasslands are known by many names.
U.S.A. – Prairie or Plains
Asia – Steppe
South America – Pampas

82. Grassland Wet seasons followed by a season of drought
25 to 75 cm precipitation yearly

83. Grassland The soil is rich and fertile.
The grass has extensive root systems, called sod.

84. Plants of the Grassland
Grassland regions of the world are important farming areas. Cereal and grains grow here.

85. Plants of the Grassland
Wheat

86. Plants of the Grassland
Rye

87. Plants of the Grassland
Barley

88. Plants of the Grassland
Corn

89. Animals of the Grassland
The most noticeable animals in grassland ecosystems are usually grazing mammals.

90. Animals of the American Grassland
Bison

91. Animals of the American Grassland
Prairie Dog

92. Animals of the American Grassland
Pronghorn

93. Animals of the American Grassland
Coyote

94. Savanna

95. Savanna

96. African Savanna
Reduced rainfall with prolonged dry seasons Open grassland with scattered shrubs and trees Maintained by periodic fires
Large herbivores and their predators dominate

97. Animals of the African Savanna
Gazelle

98. Animals of the African Savanna
Wildebeest

99. Animals of the African Savanna
Lion

100. Animals of the African Savanna
Elephant

101. Animals of the African Savanna
Giraffe

102. Desert
Found on every continent.
The driest biome on Earth

103. Desert
Extreme temperatures- Very hot during the day and cool at night

104. Desert
Very little rainfall
Less than
25 cm precipitation yearly

105. Deserts
All great deserts at or near 30 degrees latitude N or S Other deserts on leeward side of mountain ranges Rain shadow effect: drier on leeward side of mountain
Both cold and hot deserts
Special adaptations by both plants and animals

106. Deserts

107. Desert
The soil ranges from gravel to sand.
Soil is nutrient poor.

108. Plants of the Desert
Desert plants and animals have evolved adaptations to help them survive in the extreme temperatures and dryness of this biome.

109. Plants of the Desert
Cactus
Saguaro Prickly Pear

110. Plants of the Desert
Mesquite

111. Plants of the Desert
Joshua tree

112. Plants of the Desert
Wildflowers

113. Plants of the Desert
Creosote

114. Animals of the Desert
Lizards
Desert Iguana Frilled Lizard

115. Animals of the Desert
Camel

116. Animals of the Desert
Snakes
Diamondback Rattlesnake Sidewinder

117. Animals of the Desert
Scorpion

118. Animals of the Desert
Kangaroo rat

119. Animals of the Desert
Gila Monster

120. Animals of the Desert
Predatory birds
Great Horned Owl Kestrel

121. Animals of the Desert
Tarantula

122. Aquatic Biomes

123. Aquatic biomes
aquatic biomes occupy the largest part of the biosphere

124. Aquatic Biomes The limiting factors in water biomes are:
Amount of salt (salinity)
Amount of dissolved oxygen
Sunlight

125. 2 Types of Water Biomes Freshwater Marine (Saltwater)
Rivers and Streams
Lakes and Ponds
Marine (Saltwater)
Ocean
Estuaries
Seashores (tidal areas)

126. Freshwater Biomes
Freshwater contains little or no salt, so it has a LOW salinity.
Flowing freshwater = rivers and streams
Still Freshwater = lakes and ponds

127. Freshwater Biomes Aquatic Communities Lymnetic Littoral Profundal
Benthic

128. Freshwater communities
Four zones of life—
littoral – shore, light reaches the bottom
limnetic – top layer, light penetrates but doesn’t reach the bottom
profundal – deeper water, light not as abundant
Benthic - bottom

129. Flowing Freshwater Streams
The faster a stream flows the greater the amount of dissolved oxygen in it.
Faster water flows = oxygen

130. Flowing Freshwater Streams
The fish that live in streams are adapted to fast moving water

131. Flowing Freshwater Rivers
Water moves slower in a river and debris settles on the bottom.
Because of this, rivers tend to have more nutrients and less dissolved oxygen.
nutrients and oxygen

132. Flowing Freshwater
Rivers

133. Freshwater Ponds Small, shallow bodies of water
Sunlight penetrates all the way to the bottom
Most completely filled with plant material
Very high amount of nutrients

134. Freshwater
Ponds

135. Freshwater Lakes Larger and deeper than ponds
Plant growth is limited to the shoreline
Sunlight does NOT penetrate to the bottom= no plants after a certain depth!

136. Freshwater
Lakes

137. Water Biomes
Plankton are microscopic algae, plants, and other organisms that float on the surface of water biomes.
They need sunlight to survive.

138. Water Biomes Phytoplankton are important producers in water biomes.
They are the first step in many aquatic food chains

139. fresh water biomes have a salt concentration less than 1%, marine biomes > 3%

140. Marine Biomes
c. oceans cover 75% of earth’s surface and contain the marine biomes

141. d. evaporation from oceans provides most rainfall

142. e. oceans buffer temperature changes on land

143. f. marine algae and bacteria consume large amounts of the world’s carbon dioxide and produce a major portion of the earth’s oxygen

144. Saltwater Biomes
About 95% of the water on Earth has a high concentration of salt. (High salinity)

145. Saltwater Estuaries (Wetlands) Area where a river meets an ocean
Mix of salt and freshwater
Located near coastlines, border land
Extremely fertile
Nutrient levels are higher than both salt and freshwater

146. Saltwater
Estuaries
Chesapeake Bay

147. Saltwater Seashores Tides have a huge influence on life here
INTERTIDAL ZONE- portion of the shoreline that is covered with water at high tide and exposed to the air at low tide.

149. Intertidal Zone Can be sandy or rocky
Small fish, clams, crabs, other mussels are trapped in the TIDAL POOLS during low tide

150. Intertidal Zone

151. Saltwater Oceans 1. Photic zone- sunlight penetrates
Can be divided into 2 main life zones
1. Photic zone- sunlight penetrates
2. Aphotic zone- NO sunlight

153. Photic Zone- above 200m Made up of the euphotic & disphotic zones
Sunlight penetrates
Plant life and animal life is abundant

154. Aphotic Zone- below 200m Sunlight DOES NOT penetrate
There are no plants
Animal life is highly specialized

155. Aphotic Zone- below 200m
Many of the animals of the deep ocean have a special adaptation known as bioluminescence

156. Benthic Zone
Benthos Greek “depths of the sea”