BIOMES: GLOBAL PATTERNS OF LIFE

Biomes
- areas sharing similar climate topographic and soil conditions, and thus the same
basic types of biological communities.

IMPORTANCE:
- conserve the basic types of life on the planet, because;
• it allows the development of biodiversity
• it provides vital resources for subsistence
General Categories:
1. Terrestrial biomes
2. Aquatic biomes

1. TERRESTRIAL BIOME
- is a land region on the earth’s surface covered by biological communities that group
under the same climate patterns.
- determined by temperature and precipitation

• Temperature and precipitation change dramatically with elevation.

• Vertical Zonation- is a term applied to vegetation zones defined by altitude
What determines the global pattern of biomes?
- altitude and latitude, which affect temperature and precipitation determine by
distribution of biomes

8 TYPES OF TERRESTRIAL BIOMES

1. Tropical Rainforest
- a rainforest is an area of tall mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall.

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES:
• Produce oxygen (tropical forests are responsible for 25-30 percent of the world's
oxygen turnover)
• Storing carbon (tropical forests store an estimated 229-247 billion tons of carbon)
through photosynthesis;

EXAMPLES:
Amazon Rainforest
 Congo Rainforest Africa

• Rain Forests are Earth's Oldest Living Ecosystems.

• They are incredibly Diverse and complex

FLORA AND FAUNA

- The main animals are monkeys, Blue Morpho Butterfly Okapi Three-Toed Sloth,
Jaguar Capybara Toucan and Poison Dart Frog.

- The main plants are ferns lichens mosses orchids and of course many types of
trees including the rubber tree.

2. Savanna
It is a mixed woodland-grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being
sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close.

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES:
• Habitat for diverse range of plants and animal species
• Carbon Sequestration
• Soil Stabilization
• Water Regulation
• Nutrient cycling

FLORA AND FAUNA

ANIMALS: elephants giraffes zebras rhinoceroses buffalo lions leopards and
cheetahs. Other animals include baboons crocodiles antelopes meerkat ants
termites kangaroos ostriches and snakes.
PLANTS: Rhodes grass red oats grass star grass lemon grass and some shrubs.

“Savannas are a Transitional Biome”

3. SUBTROPICAL DESERT
is a type of ecosystem or biome that is characterized by hot temperature warm soil
and low amounts of precipitation. Subtropical deserts are the hottest of desert
types.

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES:
• Biodiversity Support
 • Carbon Sequestration
• soil Stabilization
• Water Filtration & Retention
• Pollination Services
• Climate Regulation

EXAMPLES:
Mojave
Sonoran

FLORA AND FAUNA

Plant species such as grass shrubs and succulents can be found there. Many
animals such as camels tortoises birds foxes rodents and lizards

4. CHAPARRAL
- is composed of broad-leaved evergreen shrubs bushes and small trees usually less
than 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) tall— the characteristic vegetation of coastal and
inland mountain areas of southwestern North America.

ECONOMIC SERVICES:
• Water Regulation
• Carbon Sequestration
• fire Protection
• Erosion Control
• Fire Protection
• Timber and non-timber Products

EXAMPLES:
California it includes much of both coastal and central California. The foothills of
the Sierra Mountains as well as the Central Valley are part of the chaparral. The
ecosystem continues north into southern Canada and south into Baja California in
Mexico.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Common examples of the plants found in the chaparral biome include scrub oak
poison oak and cacti. The animals are those adapted to hot dry weather and include
coyotes jackrabbits mule deer and horned toads.

5. Temperate Grasslands:
- are ecosystem, dominated by grass with few trees and shrubs
- Can be found in every continents except Antarctica.
 - Characterized by moderate temperatures.
- Rich in vegetation such as plants and grasses
Grazing land for livestock’s

6. Temperate Forest:
- are ecosystem characterized by a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees with
moderate temperature and distinct seasons.
- Can be found in regions with moderate to high rainfall
- Dominated by a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, oak trees, maple trees, and
birch trees.
- Rich in plants and animals species, including mammals like deer and bears.

7. Boreal Forest:
- also knowns as “Taiga” are terrestrial ecosystems dominated by Coniferous trees
found in the northern hemisphere high latitudes.
- Characterized by long and cold winters and short cool summers with low to
moderate precipitation.
- Dominated by Coniferous trees such as spruce, fir and pine trees.
- Supports a range of wild life species.

8. Artic Tundra:
- is a biome characterized by low temperature, short growing seasons, permafrost,
and lack of trees.
- Found in the arctic and sub-arctic regions of North.
- Extremely cold temperature with long harsh winders.
- Dominated by low growing plants like mosses, lichens and grasses.

2. AQUATIC BIOME
- the living and the non-living entities of water bodies constituting diverse
ecosystems.
2 TYPES:
1. MARINE
2. FRESH WATER
• water occupies 70% of the Earth's surface than terrestrial, which makes it less
understand.
1. MARIME BIOMES
- large aquatic ecosystems of oceans & seas.
- subdivided based on its depthness & amount of sunlight.
EPIPELAGIC ZONE
 - illuminated zone at the ocean surface, abundant in solar energy & phytoplanktons
perform photosynthesis.
MESOPELAGIC ZONE
- plays a crucial role in of the ocean, known as biological pump of the twilight zone.
BATHYPELAGIC ZONE
- midnight zone/deep zone no light coming from the sun traverses this zone
Bioluminescent organism are present
ABYSSOPELAGEC ZONE
- high pressure, near freezing temperatures Lantern fish and devoid of oxygen content
HADAL ZONE
- named after the Greek god of the underworld "Hades" This zone occurs only in
trenches, combined across all oceans area = size of Australia.

MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
- aquatic environments with high levels of dissolved salt.
CORAL REEFS
- formed from minute colonials animals which lives symbiotically w/ Algae.
► Corals are Calcium-rich. protecting marine life.
►Problem: Endangered biomes because of Trash, and sediment's from agri. CORAL
BIEACHING

MANGROVES
- Varieties of trees that grows on salt-water, occurs on calm, shallow tropical lines
- it stabilizes the shorelines, becomes spawning beds, nurtures small fish and
shrimps and provides commercial timber which makes room for aquaculture.
ESTUARIES
- bays where rivers meet the sea
► Nearly 2/3s of all marine fishes and shellfish rely on estuaries and saline wetlands.
► High biological diversity and productivity Nutrients are washed off from the Lands.
TIDE POOLS
►Depression in the rocky shoreline. flooded by high tide but retain some water at low tide
Some specialized organisms (plants & animals) thrive in this rocky inner tidal zone which
makes it astonishingly diverse & beautiful.
BARRIER ISLANDS
- low, narrow, sandy Islands that forms parallel to a coastline
- they protect moderately salty, inshore lagoons, salt marshes against waves and
tides.

2. FRESH WATER BIOMES

- varies according to depth and light penetration which control types of vegetation.
- fresh Water ECOSYSTEMS are often small but they are disproportionately important
In biodiversity, where upland ecosystems rely on this wetland Communities.
LAKES
- near the surface a subcommunity of planktons float freely in the "Benthos"-
(bottom) is occupied by a variety of snails, burrowing worms, fish and other
organisms. Oxygen level in this area is low"
WETLANDS
- are shallow ecosystems in which the Land surface is submerged at least part of the
year These small systems airport rich biodiversity and are essential for both
breeding & migrating birds.
SWAMPS
- also known as wooded wetlands w/ trees.
-
MARSHES
-are wetlands w/out trees
BOGS
- areas of saturated younds, composed of deep layers of accumulated, undecayed
vegetation known as “peat”
FENS
- similar to bogs, except that they are mainly fed, (So that) by ground hunter which
makes it mineral-rich and specially adapted species.