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4-3 Biomes
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Biomes
A biome is a complex of terrestrial communities that covers a large area and is characterized by certain soil and climate conditions and particular assemblages of plants and animals.
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Biomes
Variations in plants and animals help different species survive under different conditions in different biomes.
Plants and animals exhibit variations in tolerance, or the ability to survive and reproduce under conditions that differ from their optimal conditions.
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Biomes and Climate
Biomes and Climate
The climate of a region is an important factor in determining which organisms can survive there.
Within a biome, temperature and precipitation can vary over small distances.
The climate in a small area that differs from the climate around it is called a microclimate.
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Biomes and Climate
Two components of climate, temperature and precipitation,can be summarized in a graph called a climate diagram.
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Average Temperature (°C)
Average Precipitation (mm)
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The Major Biomes
The Major Biomes
The world's major biomes include:
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The Major Biomes
What are the unique characteristics of the world's major biomes?
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The Major Biomes
Biomes are defined by a unique set of abiotic factors—particularly climate—and a characteristic assemblage of plants and animals.
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The Major Biomes
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Tropical rain forest
Tropical dry forest
Tropical savanna
Tundra
Temperate grassland
Desert
Temperate woodland�and shrubland
Mountains and �ice caps
Boreal forest�(Taiga)
Northwestern�coniferous forest
Temperate forest
60°N
30°S
0° Equator
60°S
30°N
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The Major Biomes
Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical rain forests are home to more species than all other biomes combined.
The tops of tall trees, extending from 50 to 80 meters above the forest floor, form a dense covering called a canopy.
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The Major Biomes
In the shade below the canopy, a second layer of shorter trees and vines forms an understory.
Organic matter that falls to the forest floor quickly decomposes, and the nutrients are recycled.
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: hot and wet year-round; thin, nutrient-poor soils
Dominant plants: broad-leaved evergreen trees; ferns; large woody vines and climbing plants
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: sloths, capybaras, jaguars, anteaters, monkeys, toucans, parrots, butterflies, beetles, piranhas, caymans, boa constrictors, and anacondas.
Geographic distribution: parts of South and Central America, Southeast Asia, parts of Africa, southern India, and northeastern Australia
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The Major Biomes
Tropical Dry Forest
Tropical dry forests grow in places where rainfall is highly seasonal rather than year-round.
During the dry season, nearly all the trees drop their leaves to conserve water.
A tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season each year is called deciduous.
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: generally warm year-round; alternating wet and dry seasons; rich soils subject to erosion
Dominant plants: tall, deciduous trees; drought-tolerant plants; aloes and other succulents
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: tigers, monkeys, elephants, Indian rhinoceroses, hog deer, great pied hornbills, pied harriers, spot-billed pelicans, termites, snakes and monitor lizards
Geographic distribution: parts of Africa, South and Central America, Mexico, India, Australia, and tropical islands
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The Major Biomes
Tropical Savanna
Tropical savannas, or grasslands, receive more rainfall than deserts but less than tropical dry forests.
They are covered with grasses.
Compact soils, fairly frequent fires, and the action of large animals prevent them from becoming dry forest.
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: warm temperatures; seasonal rainfall; compact soil; frequent fires set by lightning
Dominant plants: tall, perennial grasses; drought-tolerant and fire-resistant trees or shrubs
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, aardvarks, elephants, giraffes, antelopes, zebras, baboons, eagles, ostriches, weaver birds, and storks
Geographic distribution: large parts of eastern Africa, southern Brazil, and northern Australia
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The Major Biomes
Desert
All deserts are dry, defined as having annual precipitation of less than 25 centimeters.
Deserts vary greatly, some undergoing extreme temperature changes during the course of a day.
The organisms in this biome can tolerate extreme conditions.
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: low precipitation; variable temperatures; soils rich in minerals but poor in organic material
Dominant plants: cacti and other succulents; plants with short growth cycles
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: mountain lions, gray foxes, bobcats, mule deer, pronghorn antelopes, desert bighorn sheep, kangaroo rats, bats, owls, hawks, roadrunners, ants, beetles, butterflies, flies, wasps, tortoises, rattlesnakes, and lizards
Geographic distribution: Africa, Asia, the Middle East, United States, Mexico, South America, and Australia
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The Major Biomes
Temperate Grassland
Temperate grasslands are characterized by a rich mix of grasses and underlaid by fertile soils.
Periodic fires and heavy grazing by large herbivores maintain the characteristic plant community.
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: warm to hot summers; cold winters; moderate, seasonal precipitation; fertile soils; occasional fires
Dominant plants: lush, perennial grasses and herbs; most are resistant to drought, fire, and cold
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: coyotes, badgers, pronghorn antelopes, rabbits, prairie dogs, introduced cattle, hawks, owls, bobwhites, prairie chickens, mountain plovers, snakes, ants and grasshoppers
Geographic distribution: central Asia, North America, Australia, central Europe, and upland plateaus of South America
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The Major Biomes
Temperate Woodland and Shrubland
This biome is characterized by a semiarid climate and mix of shrub communities and open woodlands.
Large areas of grasses and wildflowers are interspersed with oak trees.
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The Major Biomes
Communities that are dominated by shrubs are also known as chaparral.
The growth of dense, low plants that contain flammable oils makes fires a constant threat.
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: hot, dry summers; cool, moist winters; thin, nutrient-poor soils; periodic fires
Dominant plants: woody evergreen shrubs; herbs that grow during winter and die in summer
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: coyotes, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, black-tailed deer, rabbits, squirrels, hawks, California quails, warblers, lizards, snakes, and butterflies
Geographic distribution: western coasts of North and South America, areas around the Mediterranean Sea, South Africa, and Australia
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The Major Biomes
Temperate Forest
Temperate forests contain a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees.
Coniferous trees, or conifers, produce seed-bearing cones and most have leaves shaped like needles.
These forests have cold winters that halt plant growth for several months.
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The Major Biomes
In autumn, the deciduous trees shed their leaves.
Soils of temperate forests are often rich in humus, a material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter that makes soil fertile.
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: cold to moderate winters; warm summers; year-round precipitation; fertile soils
Dominant plants: broadleaf deciduous trees; some conifers; flowering shrubs; herbs; a ground layer of mosses and ferns
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: Deer, black bears, bobcats, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, numerous songbirds, turkeys
Geographic distribution: eastern United States; southeastern Canada; most of Europe; and parts of Japan, China, and Australia
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The Major Biomes
Northwestern Coniferous Forest
Mild, moist air from the Pacific Ocean provides abundant rainfall to this biome.
The forest is made up of a variety of trees, including giant redwoods, spruce, fir, hemlock, and dogwood.
Because of its lush vegetation, the northwestern coniferous forest is sometimes called a “temperate rain forest.”
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: mild temperatures; abundant precipitation during fall, winter, and spring; relatively cool, dry summer; rocky, acidic soils
Dominant plants: Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, western hemlock, redwood
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: bears, elk, deer, beavers, owls, bobcats, and members of the weasel family
Geographic distribution: Pacific coast of northwestern United States and Canada, from northern California to Alaska
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The Major Biomes
Boreal Forest
Dense evergreen forests of coniferous trees are found along the northern edge of the temperate zone.
These forests are called boreal forests, or taiga.
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The Major Biomes
Winters are bitterly cold.
Summers are mild and long enough to allow the ground to thaw.
Boreal forests occur mostly in the Northern Hemisphere.
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: long, cold winters; short, mild summers; moderate precipitation; high humidity; acidic, nutrient-poor soils
Dominant plants: needleleaf coniferous trees; some broadleaf deciduous trees; small, berry-bearing shrubs
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: lynxes, timber wolves, members of the weasel family, small herbivorous mammals, moose, beavers, songbirds, and migratory birds
Geographic distribution: North America, Asia, and northern Europe
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The Major Biomes
Tundra
The tundra is characterized by permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen subsoil.
During the short, cool summer, the ground thaws to a depth of a few centimeters and becomes soggy and wet. In winter, the topsoil freezes again.
Cold temperaturs, high winds, the short growing season, and humus-poor soils also limit plant height.
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The Major Biomes
Abiotic factors: strong winds; low precipitation; short and soggy summers; long, cold, and dark winters; poorly developed soils; permafrost
Dominant plants: ground-hugging plants such as mosses, lichens, sedges, and short grasses
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The Major Biomes
Dominant wildlife: birds, mammals that can withstand the harsh conditions, migratory waterfowl, shore birds, musk ox, Arctic foxes, caribou, lemmings and other small rodents
Geographic distribution: northern North America, Asia, and Europe
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Other Land Areas
Other Land Areas
Mountain ranges and polar icecaps do not fit neatly into any of Earth’s major biomes.
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Other Land Areas
Mountain Ranges
Abiotic and biotic conditions vary with elevation.
Temperatures become colder as you move from base to summit.
The amount of precipitation increases as you move from base to summit.
Plants and animals also change, adapting to the changing environment.
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Other Land Areas
Polar Ice Caps
The polar regions are cold all year round.
In the north polar region, the Artic Ocean is covered with sea ice and a thick ice cap.
Dominant organisms include mosses, lichens, polar bears, seals, insects, and mites.
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Other Land Areas
In the south polar region, Antarctica is covered by a layer of ice nearly 5 kilometers thick in some places.
The dominant wildlife includes penguins and marine mammals.
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4-3
When the climate in a small region of a biome is different from the overall climate of the biome, the region’s climate is called
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4-3
The ability of an organism to survive under conditions that differ from its optimal condition is called
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4-3
Which of the following biomes is characterized by less than 25 centimeters of annual precipitation?
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4-3
Which of the following biomes is characterized by a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees?
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4-3
Which of the following biomes is characterized by the presence of permafrost?
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