1. Summary of the 8 Terrestrial Biomes

2. BOREAL FOREST (Largest Biome in the World)

3. BOREAL FOREST

4. BOREAL FOREST WHERE? FEATURES: CLIMATE Northern Hemisphere
Very cold winters
Rainy, humid summers (short)
Rough terrain
CLIMATE
Precipitation = 30 to 85 cm/yr (snow)
Temp = freezing ½ the year (lows -40°C)
Russian Boreal Forest
BOREAL FOREST

5. BOREAL FOREST PLANT LIFE:
WHO LIVES HERE? Animals are able to adapt for warm summers and cool winters; thick fur, change from brown to winter white, reptiles are rare.
Insect-eating birds (finch), chipmunk, shrew, moose, black and grizzly bears, wolverine
PLANT LIFE:
Coniferous trees (evergreens)
Waxy needles
(resist water loss,
snow slides off).
BOREAL FOREST

6. TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

7. TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

8. TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST
WHERE?
Eastern Canada/US,
Western Europe
FEATURES:
4 distinct seasons
Long growing season
Rich soil (fallen leaves)
CLIMATE
Precipitation = even throughout
year ( cm)
Temp = -30 to 30°C
TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

9. TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST
WHO LIVES HERE? A large variety due to the abundance of various habitats. Some hibernate, others migrate during winter.
Rabbits, squirrels, skunks, cougars, deer, wolves, bears...
PLANT LIFE:
Four to five layers (mosses -> berries -> shrubs -> short trees -> deciduous trees)
Deciduous trees
(Maple, Oak, Birch) –
lose leaves in fall.
TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

10. TEMPERATE RAINFOREST

11. TEMPERATE RAINFOREST

12. Temperate Rainforest WHERE? FEATURES: CLIMATE Coastal BC, New Zealand,
Australia, coast of Chile
FEATURES:
Along coastlines, backed by
mountains
Very tall trees (up to 60m)
CLIMATE
Heavy rainfall (>200 cm/yr)
Coastal fog
Temp = 5 to 25°C
Temperate Rainforest

13. Temperate Rainforest PLANT LIFE:
WHO LIVES HERE? Many animals live on forest floor where they are protected from wind and rain. Eat seeds and insects.
Small mammals (chipmunks), birds (eagle), amphibians, bears...
PLANT LIFE:
Tall, large evergreens (due to rain)
Mosses and lichens on tree trunks to
reach light. Mosses, fungi on forest
floor
Temperate Rainforest

14. TROPICAL RAINFOREST

15. TROPICAL RAINFOREST

16. Tropical Rainforest WHERE? FEATURES: CLIMATE
Along the equator: Northern
South America, Central Africa,
Southeast Asia, Central America
FEATURES:
Poor soil (heavy rains wash nutrients away)
Dark forest floor
CLIMATE
Heavy rainfall (>250 cm/yr)
Warm temp = 20 to 25 °C
Tropical Rainforest

17. Tropical Rainforest This biome has the greatest
WHO LIVES HERE? Large diversity but not many large mammals. Most animals live in trees as little vegetation on ground. Most are specialists to decrease competition. Some secrete poison.
Small animals, few large mammals, birds (toucan, parrots), insects...
Poison arrow frog
This biome has the greatest
diversity of animals on Earth
Tropical Rainforest

18. Tropical Rainforest PLANT LIFE:
This biome also has the greatest plant diversity
Leaves have narrow tips so rain runs off
Tall trees form a canopy and block the light
Some plants grow on the tall trees to reach the sunlight (vines and orchids)
Shrubs adapted to low light can grow in the forest floor
Tropical Rainforest
Jambu
Bengal Bamboo

19. GRASSLANDS

20. GRASSLANDS

21. GRASSLANDS WHERE? FEATURES: CLIMATE Temperate (Prairies, Russia)
Tropical (Africa, S America, N Australia)
FEATURES:
Flat, rich fertile soil
Rain followed by long dry periods
Grass fires can occur
CLIMATE
Rainfall = 25 to 100 cm/yr (Temp)
50 to 130 cm/yr (Trop)
Temp = -10 to 30°C (Temp)
20 to 30°C (Trop)
GRASSLANDS

22. GRASSLANDS PLANT LIFE:
WHO LIVES HERE? Grazing and scavenging animals – lots of grass
Large grazing animals (antelope, giraffes, zebras, wolves, coyotes, rabbits, snakes, lions, cheetahs...)
PLANT LIFE:
Grasses (adapted for drought; well developed roots – collect water, grow after fire); flexible stalks don’t break in wind). Some grasses are sharp & taste bad.
Few trees
GRASSLANDS

23. DESERT

24. DESERT

25. DESERT WHERE? FEATURES: CLIMATE Kalahari and Sahara of Africa,
Simpson of Australia...Cold deserts in North America (Great Basin Desert), Argentina (Patagonian Desert)
FEATURES:
Hot, dry
Salty soil (minerals don’t get washed away)
CLIMATE
Rainfall = < 25 cm/yr
Temp = hot days, cold nights
DESERT

26. DESERT PLANT LIFE: few species
WHO LIVES HERE? Thick skin and scales to prevent water loss. Large adapted excretory systems (to preserve water). Large extremities. Not active during day (heat) , busy at night (cold) -- some burrow.
Reptiles, scorpions, desert spadefoot toads, lizards, foxes, coyotes, jackrabbits...
PLANT LIFE: few species
Cacti, sagebrush
Long roots help absorb water
Spines/ chemicals help protect
from being eaten
DESERT

27. THE TUNDRA

28. TUNDRA

29. TUNDRA WHERE? FEATURES: CLIMATE Upper Northern Hemisphere (60 – 70° N)
Cold and dark
Short Summers (24 hrs of daylight)
Layer of permanently frozen soil (permafrost)
CLIMATE
Precipitation = less than 25 cm/yr
Summer temp = 3 to 12 °C
Winter temp = -20 to - 30 °C
TUNDRA

30. WHO LIVES HERE? For animals to prevent heat loss, they have small bodies and shorter legs and ears (less space to lose heat from the body). They grow slowly and reproduce infrequently (less energy). Some turn white for camoflauge. Lots migrate away during winter.
Foxes, caribou, snowy owl, seals, walrus, polar bear, walrus, beluga whale...
PLANT LIFE:
No trees (short summer, permafrost)
Plants grow close to
ground:
mosses, lichens, grasses.
TUNDRA

31. Teachers' Domain: Arctic Tundra

32. PERMANENT ICE (POLAR)

33. PERMANENT ICE (POLAR)

34. Permanent Ice WHERE? FEATURES: CLIMATE
Polar ice caps of Arctic, Greenland, Antarctica
FEATURES:
Strong winds, little soil
Most freshwater is frozen in ice
CLIMATE
Precipitation = <50 cm/yr (snow)
Summer temp = up to 14 °C
(Arctic summer)
Winter temp = down to -30 °C
(As low as -89 °C in Antarctica)
Permanent Ice

35. Permanent Ice PLANT LIFE:
WHO LIVES HERE? Large terrestrial and marine mammals with lots of fat layers and tightly packed feathers to prevent heat loss. Some have fur and some lie close together (walrus/seal)
Polar bears, walruses, seals, arctic foxes, penguins, leopard seals.
PLANT LIFE:
Lichens (fungi + algae)
Moss
100 species of flowering plants
in Arctic
Permanent Ice