Transcript Temperate deciduous forest

Biomes
and the plants that dominate
them
A simple website for biomes is: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/
Terrestrial biomes – defined by temperature &
moisture; characterized by the organisms that live
there, particularly the plants!
Desert – cacti and succulants
Chaparral – shrubs, some grasses, few small trees; drought and
fire resistant
Grasslands – tall grasses, few if any trees, wildflowers
Temperate deciduous forest – deciduous trees & other plant
species
Tropical rainforest – many trees and a huge variety of other
plant species
Taiga – conifers & other plant species, including mosses, shrubs
& vines
Tundra – cold and relatively dry; very few small plant species
Desert
Vegetation is sparse and includes succulents
and cacti; extreme temperatures and little
moisture; includes both hot deserts (Sahara,
etc) and cold deserts (Antarctic)
Animals include:
A few reptiles,
some rodents, a
few birds, some
insects; no large
animals
Chaparral
Vegetation is dense, spiny, evergreen shrubs;
frequently “destroyed” by fire; rainy winter and dry
summer; small reptiles, birds, rodents, insects
Grasslands
Temperate grassland
– long grasses; some
Savannah – long dry grasses and herding species,
scattered low trees; herding
many insects &
animals native to the area;
birds; some rodents
small animals, many birds &
& reptiles
insects
There are many other types of
grasslands. See your study guide!
Temperate deciduous forest
Deciduous trees characterize this region of
moderate rainfall with seasonal temperature
fluctuations; animals including deer, foxes, bears,
rabbits, & squirrels, many birds, insects,
amphibians, and reptiles could be found in and
around this biome
Tropical rain forest
The vegetation is layered to form a canopy; copious rainfall,
little temperature change in a day; no change of seasons
(maybe “wet” and “wetter”); greatest diversity of animal and
plant life on Earth
Note: not all
rainforests are
tropical. The
forests of
Washington
state are
rainforests, but
certainly are
not tropical!
Taiga/coniferous forest
Dominate many large areas of the world with
evergreen species, lush foliage below, and a variety
of animal life, including elk, moose, deer, wolves,
birds, insects, etc; often very ancient forests
Tundra
Sparse, small “cold adapted” plants;
lichens; can be due to altitude or latitude;
caribou & other small animals may be
found; permafrost
Precipitation & temperature
of biomes
Aquatic biomes are defined
by light and depth
Freshwater biome
•The littoral zone is shallow and close to shore.
•The limnetic zone is the open surface water.
•The profundal zone consists of the deep, aphotic
regions
Lakes and Ponds
Vary in depth and therefore
light penetration. Many
different types of lakes.
Streams and Rivers
Many have full light penetration, but extremely deep rivers
may have aphotic zones. Life in each varies greatly.
Wetlands
Extremely important to the survival of the planet. Vary
greatly: swamps, bogs, flood plains, etc are all types of
wetlands. Usually home to a variety of plants and animals.
Estuary – place where freshwater runs
into salt water
Nurseries for many species of fish, birds,
invertebrates, and other aquatic organisms. Essential
to the preservation of life.
Marine or saltwater biomes
•Zonation in Marine communities.
•The intertidal zone is
where the land meets the
water.
•The neritic zone includes
the shallow regions over the
continental shelves.
•The oceanic zone extends
past the continental shelves,
and can be very deep.
•The pelagic zone is the
open water.
•The benthic zone is the
seafloor.
Intertidal zone
Hardy organisms live
here that can survive
the beating of waves
and exposure to air.
Many fish and
invertebrates make
their home in the area
between high tide and
low tide.
Coral reef
The rainforests of the
sea! Great diversity of
wildlife. Dominated
by invertebrates,
many fish make their
home here among the
coral and bryozoans
that secrete their own
homes, creating the
reefs. Essential for
coastal preservation.
Tube worms in the abyssal zone
- no light penetrates this area of cold, highpressure water; rich in nutrients from undersea
vents, there are many organisms completely
adapted to this marine biome.
Open Ocean
- also called the pelagic zone, is continuous with the
neritic zone over the continental shelf, but much deeper.
While the neritic zone, where coral reefs and large
schools of fish are often found, is rich in life, the pelagic
can be almost desert-like in terms of the number of
living organisms found there.
- the upper regions (photic) do have many organisms
that feed here as they migrate through the oceans
Benthic region
- the bottom of the ocean extending from the intertidal
zone to the abyssal zone is home to a variety of
organisms; types depend on light and depth
Note that many of these terms can refer to organisms, too. Star
fish (sea stars) are benthic, as are coral. Tuna are pelagic.
Jellyfish are planktonic (remember this means they are at the
mercy of the currents) and often found in the neritic and
oceanic zones. Some jellyfish could also be described as
pelagic. It all depends on where the organism spends its time.
Make sure that you can classify the terrestrial biomes by rainfall,
temperature, PLANTS, and animals.
Make sure you can classify the aquatic biomes by light, depth,
and organisms.