1. 6-2 Forest Biomes

2. Tropical Rain Forests

3. Tropical Rain Forests Characteristics: High humidity
cm rainfall/year (400 inches)
Warm, constant temperature year-round
Greatest specie diversity (half world’s specie)
Poor soil
Near equator
Helps regulate world climate & mineral cycles

4. Tropical Rain Forest Nutrients: Decay is rapid
Uptake by plants is rapid for quick growth
Soil is poor in nutrients

5. Tropical Rain Forest Layers:
Plants adapted to growing in layers & to different
amounts of sunlight
Emergent layer – top layer grows in direct sun
Canopy layer – gets 95% of sunlight. Primary layer – most animals live here
Understory – little light, adapted to shade (source of house plants) large flat leaves

8. Leaf adaptations

16. Tropical Rain Forest Threats: Used to occupy 20% of Earth’s surface
Today occupies 7% of Earth’s surface
100 acres/minute/day lost to logging, agriculture, oil exploration
Results in habitat destruction & loss of biodiversity (also exotic plant & animal export)

17. Temperate Forests Two kinds: Temperate Rain Forests
Temperate Deciduous Forests

19. Temperate Rain Forests
Found along the northwest coast of the US (N. California, Washington, Oregon), the mountains of North Carolina, Australia, and New Zealand.

20. Temperate Rain Forest Large amounts of precipitation High humidity
Moderate temperatures
Dominate trees in northwest are evergreens 90 m tall – Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, hemlock
Mosses and ferns cover forest floor

23. Temperate Deciduous Forest

24. Temperate Deciduous Forest

26. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Eastern Us, Europe, Asia
Located between 30 – 50 degrees north latitude
Broadleaf trees that change color and lose their leaves in fall
Wide range of temperatures, seasons (4)
Decomposition slower than rain forest, so soil is richer

27. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Animals: adapted to use forest plants for food and shelter
Birds are migratory.

28. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Plants: dominate trees
maple
oak
birch

29. Temperate Deciduous Forest
Plants are adapted to seasonal change

30. Taiga

32. Taiga Northern coniferous forest below arctic circle.
Long winters (6-10months). Summers have constant daylight
Average temperature below freezing
Plant growth most abundant during summer
Permafrost – ground frozen year round, top part thaws in summer

33. Taiga Plants: Conifers: needle-like leaves with
waxy covering to prevent water
loss
Shape of tree (cone shape) helps
trees shed snow without breaking
branches

34. Taiga
Soil – acidic from decay of needles. Plants & bacteria do not like acidic soil
Decomposition slow
Little plant variety

35. Taiga Animals: Many waterfowl (lots of lakes & marshes)
Birds migrate south in winter
Food scarce, many animals burrow & hibernate
Some animals (snowshoe hare) shed brown fur & grow white fur for camouflage