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Biomes of the World
Rainforest
There are two types of rainforests: Temperate
and Tropical
Tropical rainforests are found close to the
equator.
Temperate rainforests are found along coasts
in the temperate zone, such as the Pacific
Northwest of the USA. Both are endangered!
Tropical and temperate rainforests share
certain characteristics. For example, most
trees flare at the base. Vegetation is dense,
tall and very green. Both types of rainforests
are rich in plant and animal species, although
the diversity is greater in the tropical
rainforest.
Rainforest
Both tropical and temperate rainforests are
very lush and wet. Rainfall falls regularly
throughout the year. The tropical rainforest
receives 80-400 inches of rainfall per year.
It rains a lot in the temperate rainforest,
too -- about 100 inches per year.
Tropical rainforests are warm and moist;
while temperate rainforests are cool.
Rainforest Plants
Bamboo is the world's largest grass and is
native to many parts of the world. It is grown
throughout the tropics and is used as a source of
food as well as for construction and weaving.
Cassava is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and
northern Brazil, cassava is now grown
throughout the tropics. It is the starch staple of
over 500 million people. The roots are peeled
and boiled (like potatoes) or made into a
flatbread.
Rainforest
Tropical Rainforest in Light Green
Temperate Rainforest in Pink
Tundra
The tundra biome is at the top of the world
-- around the North Pole! Below a thin
layer of tundra soil is its permafrost, a
permanently frozen layer of ground.
During the brief summers, the top section
of the soil may thaw just long enough to
allow plants and microorganisms to grow
and reproduce.
Tundra
The tundra covers a fifth of the earth's surface
Temperatures during the arctic winter can dip to
-51 C! The average temperature of the warmest
month is between 10 C and 0 C. Sometimes as
few as 55 days per year have a mean
temperature higher than 0 C. The average
annual temperature is only -12C to -6C.
The soil is often frozen. Permafrost, or
permanent ice, usually exists within a meter of
the surface. Water is unavailable during most of
the year.
Annual precipitation is very low, usually less than
25 centimeters.
Tundra Plants
Lichens are unusual organisms that often
grow on exposed rock surfaces. They are
composed of a fungus and an algae living
and growing together. Lichen is the
favorite food of caribou and musk oxen.
Tundra Plants
Many plants, such as this one, have
leaves that are dark red. Dark leaves allow
the plant to absorb more heat from the sun
in the cold tundra climate.
Taiga
The Taiga biome stretches across a large
portion of Canada, Europe and Asia. It is
the largest biome in the world. Winters are
cold. Summers are warm.
The taiga is primarily a coniferous forest
(evergreen trees with needles) and is
located between 50 degrees latitude north
and the Arctic circle.
Taiga
In the taiga, the average temperature is below
freezing for six months of the year. Total yearly
precipitation in the taiga is 30 - 85 centimeters.
Although the cold winters have some snowfall,
most of the precipitation comes during the warm,
humid summer months.
Due to the tilt of the earth on its axis, in the taiga
you will find long nights in the winter and long
days in the summer.
The taiga is prone to wildfires. Many trees have
adapted to this by growing thick bark, which can
protect a tree from a mild fire.
Taiga Plants
The taiga is large and seemingly
homogeneous. Acres and acres of the
exact same tree species are often the
case.
Very few species can survive, let alone
thrive in such an environment.
Evergreen trees reign supreme, however
there are a few broad leaf trees in the
taiga: birch, poplar, and aspen.
Desert
The hot desert is a land of extremes: extreme
heat and extreme dryness; sudden flash floods
and cold nights.
Deserts are usually very, very dry. Even the
wettest deserts get less than ten inches of
precipitation a year.
In most places, rain falls steadily throughout the
year. But in the desert, there may be only a few
periods of rains per year with a lot of time
between rains.
Desert
Other biomes are insulated by their
humidity (water vapor in the air).
Since deserts usually have only between
10 and 20 percent humidity to trap
temperatures and have so few trees and
other vegetation to retain heat, they cool
down rapidly when the sun sets, and heat
up quickly after the sun rises.
Desert Plants
Deserts are the home to many living things. In
fact, deserts are second only to tropical
rainforests in the variety of plant and animal
species that live there.
Many of the fascinating features of desert plants
are adaptations which help the plant survive in
its harsh environment. Desert plants have two
main adaptations:
Ability to collect and store water
Features that reduce water loss
Temperate
The Temperate Deciduous Forest biome
has four seasons of winter, spring,
summer, and fall. Animals and plants have
special adaptations to cope with these
yearly changes.
Temperate deciduous forests are located
primarily in the eastern half of the United
States, Canada, Europe, parts of Russia,
China, and Japan.
Temperate
The temperate deciduous forest has four
changing seasons. These forests have hot
summers and cold winters. As the seasons
change, so do the colors of the leaves of the
deciduous trees. Deciduous means that these
plants lose their leaves every year and grow
them back.
The four seasons happen because of the tilt of
the Earth's axis. At different times of the year,
the sun's rays hit different parts of the globe
more directly. The angle of the Earth's axis tilts
the Northern Hemisphere towards the sun
during the summer.
Grasslands
Grasslands are located on every continent
except for Antarctica!
Grasslands are big open spaces. Trees
are found only by rivers and streams.
Grasslands receive about 10 to 30 inches
of rain per year. If they received more rain,
the grasslands would become a forest. If
they received less, they would become a
desert. Grasslands are often located
between deserts and forests.
Grasslands
Grassland soil tends to be deep and
fertile. The roots of perennial grasses
usually penetrate far into the soil.
There are three different types of
grasslands: Tall Grass Prairie, Mixed
Grass Prairie and Short Grass Prairie