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the largest world communities
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Biomes
The World’s Major Communities
What are biomes?• Biomes are the
different regions of our planet that have different climates, plants and animals.
• A grouping terrestrial ecosystems on a given continent that are similar in vegetation, structure, physiognomy, features of the environment and characteristics of their animal communities.
Terrestrial biomes
• Desert Biome• Tundra Biome• Coniferous Forest
Biome• Rainforest Biome• Grassland Biome• Deciduous Forest
Freshwater Marine Desert Forest Grassland Tundra
1. Desert Ecosystems
Location: Depending on type of desert, you will find them in various locations.
Desert• Climate: very hot
and dry
• Temperature: Hot during the day and cold during the night.
• Soil: Sandy, dry and loose; contains minerals like calcite.
Desert Abiotic factors
<10 in/yr of rain
Little to no topsoil due to high winds.
Minerals not deep in soil.
Too dry for decay
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/taiga.html
While there are many types of deserts, they all share one characteristic: They are the driest places on Earth!
Joshua Tree
Desert Plant Adaptations:
Spines Succulents Thick, waxy cuticle Shallow, broad
roots
Barrel Cactus
Ocotollio
desert vegetation
cactus
peyote
Fishhook cactus
Desert Animal Adaptations: Get water from food Thick outer coat Burrow during day Large ears Smaller animals =
less surface area
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_animal_page.htm
Javelina
Bob Cat
Armadillo Lizard
jackrabbit
Kangaroo mice
Thorny devil
Rattle snake
Spare foot toads
iguana
coyote
gilamonster
4 major types of desert
Hot and dry desert Semiarid desert
Coastal desertCold desert
Cold desert
• Characterized by cold winters with snowfall and high overall rainfall throughout the winter and occasionally over the summer.
• Have a short, moist and moderately warm summers with fairly long, cold cactus winters. • Usually occur in Antarctic, Greenland and Nearctic realm.
Hot and dry desert
• The seasons are generally warm throughout the year and very hot in the summer. The winters usually bring little rainfall.
• The 4 major North American deserts of this type are the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Mojave and Great Basin.
Semiarid desert
• Summers are moderately long and dry and like hot deserts
• Winters normally bring low concentration of rainfall• Summer temperatures usually average between 21-27
0C. It normally does not go above 38 0C and evening temperatures are cool at around 10 0C.
• Major deserts of this type include the sage brush of Utah, Montana and Great Basin
Coastal desert
• The cool winter’s coastal deserts are followed by moderately long, warm summers. The average summer temperature ranges from 13-24 0C; winter temperatures are 5 0C or below.
• The maximum annual temperatures are about 35 0C and the minimum is about -4 0C.
• These deserts occur in moderately cool to warm areas such as the Nearctic and Neotrophical realm. A good example of this is Atacam and Chile.
Threats to the DesertResidential development
Off road recreational activities destroy habitat for plants and animals.
Some plants are removed by collectors, endangering the population.
Sonoran Desert
Dry Desert
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
Health Issues in Desert
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tundra/tundra.html
2. Tundra“treeless plain”
Location: Found north of the Arctic Circle
Tundra- coldest biome
• Climate :Cold and limited sunlight• Temperature: Average temperature is 23F or 5 0C.
tundra
• Soil: Ground covered with little snow. Below the surface soil is permanently frozen (permafrost). Decomposition is very slow because of the extreme cold.
Tundra Abiotic Factors <25 in/year Short growing season
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/taiga.html
Tundra Plant AdaptationsGrowing close to the ground
Having shallow roots to absorb the limited water resources.
Trees grow less than 1 m high!
cottongrass
Reindeer lichen
Perennials
Woody shrubs
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tundra/tundra.html
Heaths
Examples of Tundra Plants
Many visitors, migration
Few predators
Little Competition
Small ears
Insulation, thick coat
Arctic foxsnowy owl
Grizzly Bear
Tundra Animal Adaptations
Types of tundra
The Arctic Tundra
• Located between the North Pole and Coniferous Forest or Taiga region. It is extremely cold temperatures and land that remains frozen year-round.
• A layer of permanently frozen subsoil called permafrost exists consisting mostly of gravel and finer material.
• The growing season ranges from 50-60 days.
• Location:
North America- Northern Alaska, Canada, Greenland
Northern Europe- Scandinavia
Northern Asia- Siberia
Alpine Tundra• Located on mountains throughout the
world at high altitude where trees cannot grow.
• The growing season is approximately 180 days.
• very windy. • typically covered in snow for most of the
year.
• Location: North America- Alaska, Canada, U.S.A. and Mexico
Northern Europe- Finland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden
Asia- Southern Asia( Mt. Himalayan ) and Japan (Mt. Fuji)
Africa- Mt. Kilimanjava
South America- Andes Mountains
Threats to the TundraOne of the
most fragile biomes on the planet
The tundra is slow to recover from damage.
Oil drilling is proposed in Alaska and other areas!
Tufted Saxifrage
Polar Bear
3. TaigaNorthern Coniferous Forest
Boreal Forest
Location: Found only in Northern Hemisphere
Northern parts of Alaska, Canada, Asia and Europe.
Taiga/Coniferous Forest“ coming from the cones”
• Climate:
Very long and cold winter lasting to about half a year; precipitation is in the form of snow about 60 cm.
• Temperature:
Below -20 0C in winter and about 15 0C in summer.
Taiga
Soil: • not fertile. It takes very long for needlelike leaves to decompose and
decomposition is very slow in cold weather.• A layer of snow covers the ground during much of the year. Soil beneath
the snow is grayish on top and brown below and lacks minerals needed by plants to grow.
TaigaAbiotic factors
Winters are long and cold Averages 100 in/yr
precipitation—mostly snow Soil poor in nutrients and
very acidic Growing season is very
short
Balsam Fir
Coniferous (needle-bearing) trees are abundant
Roots long to anchor trees Needles long, thin and waxy Low sunlight and poor soil keeps
plants from growing on forest floorhttp://www.inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/coniferous/plants.htm
Fireweed
Taiga Plant adaptations
Moose
Adapt for cold winters Burrow, hibernate, warm
coat, insulation, etc.
http://www.inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/coniferous/animals.htm Great Grey Owl
Animal Adaptations of the Taiga
mosquito bear
hares porcupine squirrel
deer
Threats to the Taiga
Mining operations can irreparably damage this fragile ecosystem
Road construction
Clear cutting accelerates soil erosion, degrades wildlife habitat and leads to the loss of diversity.
4. Rainforest biome
Tropical Rainforest Temperate Rainforest
Tropical Rainforest
• covers about 6-7% of the earth’s land surface.
• It is located close to the equator, in 85 different countries, and the most are in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world.
Tropical Rainforest
• Climate:
The seasons do not change and it has been hot and wet for millions of years. The average temperature ranges from 70-85 degrees. It rains about 100-400 inches per year.
Tropical Rainforest Abiotic factors high biodiversity and
biomass both hot and moist; ideal for bacteria and other
microorganisms; they quickly decompose matter on the forest floor allowing nutrients to be recycled.
Tropical rainforest
Soil: • Lacks minerals and
contains little remains of dead plants and animals.
• Decomposition is rapid on warm wet soil.
• <1 cm of topsoil; not very fertile
Bougainvillea
Sunlight is a major limiting factor
Shallow, wide roots since soil is so thin and poor in nutrients
Little sun reaches the floor
Tropical rainforest is the richest source of plants life on earth.
Plants grow in layers (canopy receives most light). It is the perfect place for growing plants.
Tropical Rainforest
Plant adaptations
Bangul Bamboo
Many symbiotic relationships
Live in different levels of canopy
Wagler’s pit viper
Silvery Gibbon
Slender Loris
Tropical Rainforest
Animal Adaptations
Many animals are specialists and require special habitat components to survive
Camouflage is common
Threats to the Tropical Rainforest
Humans strip the rainforests for uses including logging and cattle ranching.
In addition to the plants and animals that are displaced by this destruction, entire civilizations of people are also without a home.
You can help by promoting sustainable use of the rainforests’ products
Temperate Rainforest
• Location:
found near coastal areas along the Pacific coast of Canada at the USA, and in New Zealand, Tasmania, Chile, Ireland, Scotland and Norway.
Temperate rainforest
Climate: • Also wet, but not as rainy as
tropical rainforest.
• Rains about 100 inches per year.
• It is cooler than tropical
rainforests but the temperature is still mild.
• has 2 distinct seasons: one long wet winter and a short drier summer.
Temperate Rainforest
Soil:• Typically much thicker than
the tropical rainforest. • It is structurally more
complex, comprising several layers.
• Generally much deeper and more fertile than those of tropical rainforests.
Temperate Rainforest
Plants:• There are about 10-
20 species of trees on temperate rainforests that are mostly coniferous. Trees in the temperate forest can live for 500-1000 years.
Temperate Forest & Its Animals
Bobcat Cougar Chipmunk
5. Grassland
• characterized as lands dominated by grasses rather than large shrubs.
Prairie and Steppe: Grassland areas
They are called by different names- plains or prairies in North America, pampas in Argentina, steppes in Soviet Union, and veldt in South Africa.
SteppeDry, cold, grasslands
Location: Found in Russia and the Ukraine
Precipitation:50-75 cm/yr.high Winds. It occurs in all continents.
most abundant are plants called Bunch grasses, fine bladed grasses that grow in clumps to preserve water
Tumbleweed
Sweet Vernal
Plant adaptations of the Steppe
Many migrate, hibernate or burrow during extremes in temp and precipitation
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/steppe_animal_page.htm
Adaptations of Steppe AnimalsMongolian Gerbil
Saiga Antelope
Gazelle herd
Threats to the Steppe Overgrazing…nomadic tribes
have started to spend more time in one location,
Infrastructure development (roads, buildings, etc)
Unmanaged hunting and poaching is destroying herds of animals
Corsac fox
Lynx
Milk vetch
Sod-forming grasses that won’t dry out or blow away in wind.
Fleabanehttp://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/prairie_plants_page.htm
Buffalo Grass
Prairie Plant Adaptations
Many adaptations to survive in extremes temperature and precipitation
Prairie dog
Bobcat
Prairie Animal Adaptations
Geoffrey’s cat
GrasslandIt has two main divisions,
1. Savannah Tropical grassland
2. Temperate grassland.
Savannas (Tropical Grasslands) Contain the greatest number of grazing animals on Earth.
Location: Found in the tropics…near equator Amount of precipitation supports tall grasses but only occasional
trees.The word savanna stems from an Amerind term for plains http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/savanna/savanna.html
Tropical SavannaAbiotic Factors
Rainy and dry season 25-150 in/yr precipitation
Fire plays a large role in this ecosystem
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/savannah.html
Whistling Thorn
Umbrella Thorn AcaciaTropical Savanna
Plant Adaptations
Grows in Tufts Resistance to Drought Many plants have thorns and
sharp leaves to protect against predation.
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_plant_page.htm
Kangaroos Paws
Baobab
Adapt for short rainy season—migrate as necessary
Reproduce during rainy season—ensures more young survive
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_animal_page.htm
Zebras
Chacma Baboon
Tropical SavannaAnimal Adaptations
Threats to the Tropical Savanna
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_animal_page.htm
Invasive species
Changes in fire management
Because of their low elevation, some savannas are threatened by minor rises in sea level associated with global climate change
Koala
Elephant
Temperate grasslandThis grassland is characterized as having grasses as the dominant vegetation.Location: The major manifestations are veldts of South Africa, the puszta of Hungary, the pampas of Argentina, the steppes of the former Soviet Union and the prairies of Central America.
Temperate grassland
Climate:
•hot summers and cold winters.
•Rainfall is moderate. The amount of annual rainfall influences the height of the grass land vegetation with taller grasses in other regions.
Soil:
The soil in a temperate grass land is deep and dark with fertile upper layers. It is nutrient –rich from the growth and decay and many branched grass roots. The rotted roots hold the soil together. The soil is fertile because of the remains of plants and animals and dried leaves of plant fell on the ground.
Milk vetch
Grasses
Sweet vernal
Temperate Grassland Animals
6. Temperate Deciduous Forests Location: found in temperate zone
(about 480 North lat) Much of the human population lives in this biome
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tbdf/tbdf.html
Characterized by an abundance of deciduous (leaf bearing) trees
Characterized by 4 seasons
Soils: Deep soil layers, rich in nutrients
Precipitation: 30–100 in/yr in all forms (snow, rain, hail, fog, etc.)
Temperate Deciduous Forests
Abiotic Factors
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/taiga.html
More diversity in the deciduous forest vs. the coniferous forest due to increased
sunlight.Trees adapt to varied climate by
becoming dormant in winter
White BirchBirchhttp://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/
deciduous_plant_page.htm
Lady Fern
Geulder Rose
Temperate Deciduous forest Plant adaptations
Deciduous forests grow in layers
More sunlight reaches the ground compared to a rainforest so you will find more ground dwelling plants.
Lose Winter Coat
Adapt to many seasons
Eat from different layers of the forest
Bald Eagle
Fat Dormouse
Least Weasel
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_animal_page.htm
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Animal Adaptations
Threats to Temperate Deciduous Forests
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tbdf/tbdf.html
Many forests are cleared to provide housing for humans.
Careful use of the resource can provide a renewable system if we don’t take too much habitat away.
ConclusionBiomes as "the world's major communities”, are classified according to the predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment". The importance of biomes cannot be overestimated. Thus, conservation and preservation of biomes should be a major concern to all. Because we share the world with many other species of plants and animals, we must consider the consequences of our actions. It is important to preserve all types of biomes as each houses many unique forms of life.
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