Transcript Animal Adaptations

World Biomes
Rainforest
Earth's most complex land
biome
Climate Region: Tropical Wet
 Very hot and wet
 Hydrologic cycle repeats
often here
 Rains more than 90 days a
year
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysfl
Bougainvillea
Plant Adaptations
 Sunlight is a major limiting
factor
 Little sun reaches the floor
 Plants grow in layers
(canopy receives most
light)
Bangul Bamboo
Silvery Gibbon
Animal Adaptations
 Live in different levels of
canopy
Wagler’s pit viper
 Many animals are
specialists and require
special habitat components
to survive
 Camouflage is common
Slender Loris
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rnfrst_animal_page.htm
Temperate
Deciduous
Forests
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tbdf/tbdf.html
Climate Region: Humid Continental
• 4 distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter
• mild summers and winters
• Almost all are located by
an ocean
• Much of the human population
lives in this biome
White Birch
Plant Adaptations
 Deciduous forests grow in layers
 More sunlight reaches the
ground compared to a rainforest
so you will find more ground
dwelling plants.
Lady Fern
 More diversity in the deciduous
forest vs. the coniferous forest
due to increased sunlight.
 Trees adapt to varied climate by
becoming dormant in winter
Geulder Rose
Birchhttp://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_plant_page.htm
Bald Eagle
Animal Adaptations
 Adapt to many
seasons
 Lose Winter
Coat
Least Weasel
 Eat from
different layers
of the forest
Fat Dormouse
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_animal_page.htm
Taiga
aka Northern Coniferous
Forest or Boreal Forest
Climate Region: Subarctic
 dominated by cold, arctic
air
 half the year, the
temperature is below
freezing
 only found in the northern
hemisphere
Fireweed
Plant Adaptations
 Low sunlight and poor soil keeps
plants from growing on forest
floor
 Coniferous (needle-bearing) trees
are abundant
 Needles long, thin and waxy
Balsam Fir
http://www.inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/coniferous/plants.htm
Moose
Great Grey Owl
Animal Adaptations
 Adapt for cold winters
 Burrow, hibernate, warm coat, insulation, etc.
http://www.inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/coniferous/animals.htm
Savannas
(Tropical
Grasslands)
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/savannah.html
Contain the greatest
number of grazing
animals on Earth.
Climate Region: Tropical Wet/Dry
 Temperature doesn’t change much; 68◦-86◦
 Dry winters and wet summers
Whistling
Thorn
Umbrella Thorn Acacia
Plant Adaptations
 Grow in Tufts
 Resistant to Drought
Kangaroos Paws
Baobab
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_plant_page.htm
 Many plants have thorns and
sharp leaves to protect
against predation.
Chacma Baboon

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_animal_page.htm
Zebras
Animal Adaptations
• Adapt for short rainy season—migrate
as necessary
• Limited food leads to vertical feeding
• Reproduce during rainy season—ensures
more young survive
Steppe
Climate Region: Semiarid
 Less than 50 in/year
precipitation
 Very harsh place to live
 Found in the middle of
continents and in the lee
of mountains
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/steppe.htm
Plant Adaptations
 most abundant are plants called Bunch grasses, fine
bladed grasses that grow in clumps to preserve water
Tumbleweed
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/steppe_plant_page.htm
Sweet Vernal
Animals Adaptations
 Many migrate, hibernate or burrow
during extremes in temperature and
precipitation
Mongolian Gerbil
Saiga Antelope
Gazelle herd
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/steppe_animal_page.htm
Grasslands
Climate Region: Semiarid
• Many different types of
grasslands; some
tropical and some dry
• On every continent
except Antarctica
• Very fertile soil
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/steppe.htm
Prairie Plant Adaptations
•Sod-forming grasses that
won’t dry out or blow away in
wind.
Fleabane
Buffalo Grass
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/prairie_plants_page.htm
Prairie Animal Adaptations
•Many adaptations to survive extremes
Bobcat
Geoffrey’s cat
Prairie dog
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/pampas_
animal_page.htm
Chaparral
Climate Region: Mediterranean
 Hot, dry summers, mild, wet winters
 Slight variations in seasonal temperatures…NICE!
California Chaparral
Mediterranean Chaparral
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
Blue Oak
Plant Adaptations
 Mostly low-lying shrubs and
small trees.
 Many plants have leathery
leaves to resist water loss
 Many plant species have oils
in leaves to help them resist
fire…the fire will take out
“weaker” plants that don’t
belong.
Fairy Duster
Animal Adaptations
 Camouflage—to avoid predation
 Many animals will change their diet
as the season changes.
Aardwolf
Puma
Deserts
The driest places on Earth!
Climate Region: Arid
 Less than 10 in/yr of rain
 Little to no topsoil due to high winds.
 Dry belt at 30º latitude
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/taiga.html
Barrel Cactus
Plant Adaptations:
 Spines
 Succulents
 Thick, waxy cuticle
 Shallow, broad roots
Joshua Tree
Ocotollio

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_plant_page.htm
Bob Cat
Armadillo Lizard
Animal Adaptations:
 Get water from food
 Thick outer coat
 Burrow during day
 Large ears
 Smaller animals = less surface
area
Javelina
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_animal_page.htm
Tundra
One of the most fragile
biomes on the planet
Climate Region: Tundra
 Unusually cold and dry climate
 6-10 inches of rain a year
 Temperature ranges from -20◦F in winter to 50◦F in
summer
 Permafrost layer
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tundra/tundra.html
Reindeer lichen
Plant Adaptations
 Growing close to the ground
 Having shallow roots to absorb the
limited water resources.
 Trees grow less than 1 m high!
Woody shrubs
cottongrass
snowy owl
Arctic fox
Animal
Adaptations
•
•
•
•
Small ears
Insulation, thick coat
Grizzly Bear
Many visitors = migration
Little competition = Few predators
Alpine
One of the coldest
biomes on the planet
Climate Region: Highland
 Dangerous amount of UV rays
 12 in of precipitation a year
 Summer temperature ranges from
10◦F and 50 ◦F
 Night temperature almost always
below freezing
Plant Adaptations
 No trees can grow
Vegetation includes tussock grasses,
small-leafed shrubs, and heaths
Animal Adaptations
• Must adapt to cold weather
• Animals in the alpine biome include: mountain goats,
sheep, elk, beetles, grasshoppers and butterflies.