CLIMATE, WATER , VEGETATION, SOIL , AND LANDFORMS

ENVIRONMENTS

WHAT IS AN “ENVIRONMENT”?

• An environment is an area on Earth in a specific area of land or water.• It includes all of the plants and animals in

that area.• It has its own characteristics, such as:• Weather• Climate• Amount of water• Soil• Landforms

TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTS

• Desert

• Polar/Tundra

• Wetlands

• Aquatic• Oceans• Freshwater

• Grasslands

• Forests• Tropical rainforests• Temperate rainforests

• Urban

DESERT

• There are four different classifications of deserts:

• Hot and dry• Semiarid• Coastal• Cold

• Examples:• Mojave (USA),

Sahara• The Great Basin

(USA) • Atacama, Chile• Antarctic and

Greenland

DESERT

• Features:• Less than 20” precipitation per year • Plants and animals have special

structures that help them survive.• Soil has an abundance of nutrients, but

has little organic material.• Very few large mammals

DESERT

•Adaptations may include:• Being nocturnal (Most activity is at

night.)• Long appendages (legs, tails, and feet)

and large ears• Light colors• Long eyelashes and thick eyebrows• Nostrils that can close

DESERT

POLAR / TUNDRA

• Examples:• Northern regions

of Canada• Northern regions

of Russia• Alaska

• Features:• Permanently frozen soil• Low growing plants:

moss, lichens, and heath• Two seasons: winter

and summer• Very windy• Rainfall is between 6”–

10” per year.

POLAR / TUNDRA

•Adaptations may include:• Thick layer of fat under the skin• Short appendages• Mammals often have white fur.• Have special padding on their feet to help

them move on ice and snow

POLAR / TUNDRA

WETLANDS

•Examples:• Amazon River Basin• Pantanal in South

America• Florida Everglades• Peat bogs in Scotland

•Features:• There is generally water

on the ground all year.• Can be fresh water or salt

water• Called marsh, swamp,

bog, or fen• Aquatic plants and reeds• Diverse plants and

animals

WETLANDS

•Adaptations may include:• Birds have webbed feet.• Many birds have specialized beaks.• Have the ability to survive in water and

on land• Have the ability to survive in fresh or salt

water

WETLANDS

FRESH WATER

•Examples:• Streams• Rivers• Ponds• Lakes

•Features:• Very low salt content in the

water• Precipitation keeps water in

the lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers.• Changes temperatures

depending on the season• Large variety of organisms

FRESH WATER

•Adaptations may include:• Obtaining oxygen through gills

• Having the ability to swim

FRESH WATER

OCEANS

• Examples:• Pacific Ocean• Atlantic Ocean• Indian Ocean• Southern Ocean• Arctic Ocean• Many major seas

• Features:• There are five ocean biomes.• The average temperature is

39°F.• There are many plants and

animals in the ocean:whales, sharks, fish, and sea urchins.• The water can be very

shallow and up to 36,200 feet deep.

OCEANS

•Adaptations may include:• Obtaining oxygen through gills• Having the ability to swim• Some mammals have much smaller ears than

land animals.• Fins and flukes to assist with movement• Waterproof feathers• Beak adaptations to catch food

OCEANS

GRASSLANDS

• Examples:• Russian steppes• African savanna• North American tall-

grass prairie• South American

grasslands

• Features:• Can be tall-grass or

short grass• Average rainfall is

between 10”–30” in temperate grasslands and 25”–60” in tropical grasslands.• Vegetation is dominated

by grasses.

GRASSLANDS

• Adaptations may include:

• The ability to run fast• Coats that help the animal blend with their

surroundings• Migration to find food• Strong hooves to run across the savanna

GRASSLANDS

DECIDUOUS FORESTS

• Examples:• Eastern USA and

Canada• Northern California• Parts of China• Europe• Southern coast of

South America

• Features:• Growth is dependent on

either rainy/dry seasons or because of seasonal temperatures.• Rainfall is between 30”–60”

per year.• Trees, mosses, and wild

flowers are common.• The soil is usually very rich in

nutrients and organic material.

DECIDUOUS FORESTS

• Adaptations may include:

• Larger leaves on plants to absorb more sunlight• Ability to survive in a variety of

temperatures, although some animals will hibernate or migrate• Storing food (squirrels storing nuts)• Specialized beaks and feet on birds to

obtain food

DECIDUOUS FORESTS

TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

• Examples:• Amazon Basin,

South America• Congo Basin, Africa• New Guinea• Queensland,

Australia• Hawaii, USA

• Features:• Warm: Temperatures stay

above 64°F all year.• Rainfall is between 66”–

390” per year.• Home to half of the living

species on the planet

TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

• Adaptations may include:• Specific plant/animal relationships (An example

is an (Azteca) ant and the Acacia tree.)• Variety of seed dispersal methods• Ability to live in trees• Great agility and specialized body parts, such

as tails.• Brightly colored skin or feathers or• Camouflage

TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

TEMPERATE RAINFORESTS

• Examples:• Olympic Rainforest in

Washington state (USA)• Chiloé Island, Chile• Te Anau, New Zealand• Wielangta Forest,

Tasmania

• Features:• Lots of rain (140”–

167“)• Moderate temperatures• Plants growing on other

plants (mosses and ferns)• Large, old trees

TEMPERATE RAINFORESTS

• Adaptations may include:

• Migration, hibernation, and dormancy• Camouflage• Ability to withstand both warm and very

cold temperatures• Eat a variety of food

TEMPERATE RAINFORESTS

URBAN