Transcript Biomes
Biomes of Earth Unit 1 S7L4.e. EQ: What are the 6 major biomes on the Earth? To understand a world biome, you need to know: • What the climate of the region is like including temperature & precipitation patterns. • Where each biome is found and what its geography is like. • The types of plants found in the biome. • The types of animals found in the biome. Biome Defined • Biomes are regions in the world that share similar plant structures, plant spacing, animals, climate and weather. • Biomes are classified as either terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial comes from the Latin word, terrestris, from terra the earth. Tundra Tundra Tundra • little precipitation & very windy. Permafrost – frozen soil • mostly northern hemisphere • few trees, has mosses, grasses, shrubs • extremely cold (winter = low as -50 °F, summer = high as 45 °F) • caribou, Arctic hares, insect-eating birds, wolves, foxes, bears and deer Taiga Taiga Confierous Forest (Taiga) Coniferous trees (cones & needles), firs, spruce, hemlock Very cold, lots of snow. Summers are rainy and warm enough to melt the snow. Temps range from 11 °F in winter to 75 °F in summer Seed eating animals – squirrels, insects, birds (finches & chickadees) Herbivores – hares, moose, beavers Carnivores – wolves, bears, lynxes Desert Desert Desert Temperature: cold nights and very hot days Less than 25 centimeters of rain per year Plants include: Cactus, Prickly Pears, and Brittle Bush Animals include: insects, arachnids, reptiles, and birds, and Horned Vipers Savanna Savanna Savanna tropical grasslands found in a wide band on either side of the equator on the edges of tropical rainforests a very long dry season (winter), and a very wet season (summer) 68° to 86° F 120 centimeters of rain each year Herbivores - Elephant, bison, antelopes, zebras, rhinoceros, giraffes, kangaroos. Plants include shrubs and small trees, grasses Tropical rainforest Tropical rainforest Tropical rainforest 325 to 1650 centimeters (50 – 260 inches) of rain per year rarely gets higher than 93 °F or drops below 68 °F Almost all rain forests lie near the equator Bengal Bamboo, Bougainvillea, Curare, Coconut Tree, Durian, Jambu Africa Forest Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Chimpanzee, Common Palm Civet or Musang, Dawn Bat, Golden Lion Tamarin, Harpy Eagle More than half of all the world's plant and animal species live in tropical rain forests. Tropical rainforests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen Temperate forest Temperate forest Deciduous (Temperate) forest Located in the northwestern coast of the United States Receives more than 300 centimeters of rain a year Huge trees including cedars, redwoods, and Douglas firs Animals include mule deer, bald eagle, fox, black bear Moderate temperatures – average 75 °F (24 °C) mountains mountains mountains Found all around the world Altitude of about 10,000 feet or more Series of biomes as you go up. Base = grasslands Midway = forest Top = Tundra Summer temperature range between 10 °F to 50 °F Plants include: grasses, dwarf trees, small-leafed shrubs Animals include: mountain goats, sheep, elk, beetles, grasshoppers Grasslands Grasslands Grasslands Winter low are cold, summers can get hot two seasons: growing season and dormant season 25 to 75 centimeters of rain each year Buffalo Grass, Sunflower, Crazy Weed, Asters, Blazing Stars, Coneflowers Coyotes, Eagles, Bobcats, the Gray Wolf, Wild Turkey, Fly Catcher, Canadian Geese, Crickets Aquatic Biomes of Earth Unit 1 S7L4.e. EQ: What are the 3 major aquatic biomes on the Earth? Freshwater Freshwater Streams & Rivers: Streams - Animals are adapted to strong currents (insects & small animals have hooks or suckers to cling to rocks). Trout live here but few plants & algae so leaves and seeds provide food. Rivers – Cloudy with soil, Plants take root, frogs, fish. Ponds & Lakes: Standing or still fresh water. Lakes are larger & deeper than ponds. Ponds – plants can grow, catfish Lakes – plants & algae float, dragonflies, turtles, snails, frogs, fish Estuaries Estuaries Found where the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean, calm waters Algae, marsh grasses Crabs, worms, clams, and fish marine marine Intertidal Zone - Neritic Zone - Open Ocean All marine ecosystems are based on saltwater Intertidal Zone: shoreline, animals (barnacles, sea stars, clams, & crabs) Neritic Zone: photosynthesis can occur. Rich in living things, large schools of fish (sardines), algae, coral reefs Oceanic Zone: surface zone w/algae & Deep zone w/giant squids Benthic Zone: ocean floor, organisms include bacteria, works, sea urchins