Earth’s Major Terrestrial

Biomes
Book reference:
Berg et al. (2011). Visualizing Environmental Science
  A large, relatively distinct terrestrial region with similar
climate, soil, plants, and animals, regardless of where it occurs
in the world.
 Encompasses many interacting ecosystems
 considered the next level of ecological organization above
community, ecosystem, and landscape
 temperature and precipitation, have a predominant effect on
BIOME biome distribution.
 Tundra

Tundra (arctic tundra)

Treeless biome in the far north that consists of boggy plains covered by lichens and mosses; it has harsh, cold winters and
extremely short summers.
alpine tundra- similar ecosystem located in the higher elevations of mountains, above the tree line
growing season is short, the days are long
little precipitation, and most of the yearly 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in) of rain or snow falls during summer months
Tundra soil is nutrient poor and have little detritus
Permafrost beneath surface soil and impedes drainage
Limited precipitation, combined with low temperatures, flat topography (or surface features), and the layer of permafrost,
produces a landscape of broad, shallow lakes and ponds, sluggish streams, and bog
recovers slowly from even small disturbances
Oil and natural gas exploration and military use have caused damage to tundra likely to persist for hundreds of years
 Flora

 supports relatively few Fauna

Tundra species compared to other
biomes but the species exist  (year-round): lemmings,
(arctic tundra) in great numbers voles, weasels, arctic foxes,
snowshoe hares, ptarmigan,
 Dominant plants: Mosses, snowy owls, and musk oxen
lichens, grasses, and grasslike
sedges
 Tundra plants seldom grow
taller than 30 cm (12 in)

lemming ptarmigan
 Boreal Forest

• region of coniferous forest (such as pine, spruce, and fir) in the Northern Hemisphere; located just south of the tundra.
Also called taiga.
• Winters in the boreal forest are extremely cold and severe, although not as harsh as those in the tundra.
• receives little precipitation (50 cm (20 in) per year
• soil is typically acidic and mineral poor, with a thick surface layer of partly decomposed pine and spruce needles.
• permafrost deep under the surface
• has numerous ponds and lakes dug by ice sheets during the last ice age.
• world’s top source of industrial wood and wood fiber
 caribou

Flora Fauna

 Consists of some larger species

such as caribou, which migrate
 Dominating: Black and white from the tundra for winter; wolves;
brown and black bears; and
spruces, balsam fir, eastern moose.
larch, and other conifers  most boreal mammals are
Boreal Forest (cone-bearing evergreens) medium sized to small, including
rodents, rabbits, and smaller
 Conifers have many drought- predators such as lynx, sable, and
mink.
resistant adaptations, such as
needle-like leaves whose  Birds are abundant in the summer
but migrate to warmer climates
minimal surface area for winter.
prevents water loss by  Insects are plentiful, but few
evaporation amphibians and eptiles occur
except in the southern boreal
forest.

Conifers
 Temperate
Rain Forest
 A coniferous biome with cool weather, dense fog, and high precipitation.
 Occurs on the northwest coast of North America, southeastern Australia and in southern South America
 Annual precipitation is high—more than 127 cm (50 in)—and is augmented by condensation of water from
dense coastal fogs
 seasonal fl uctuation is narrow; winters are mild, and summers are cool.
 Relatively nutrient-poor soil, though its organic content may be high.
 Cool temperatures slow the activity of bacterial and fungal decomposers.
 rich wood producer, supplying lumber and pulpwood
 Douglas fir

Flora Fauna
wood rat

 Dominant: large evergreen

trees such as western
Temperate hemlock, Douglas fir, western
 Squirrels, wood rats, mule
Rain Forest red cedar, Sitka spruce, and
western arborvitae deer, elk, numerous bird
species, and several species
 rich in epiphytes mainly of amphibians and reptiles
mosses, club mosses, lichens,
and ferns, all of which also
carpet the ground

western hemlock mule deer

 Temperate
Deciduous
Forest
 A forest biome that occurs in temperate areas where annual precipitation ranges from about 75 cm to 126
cm (30 to 50 in).
 Hot summers and cold winters
 Soil consists of a topsoil rich in organic material and a deep, clay-rich lower layer.
 among the first biomes converted to agricultural use
 hickory

bison

Flora Fauna

Temperate  Dominating in northeastern

and mideastern United  originally contained a variety
Deciduous States: Broad-leaved of large mammals, such as
hardwood trees (oak, hickory, puma, wolves, and bison,
Forest and beech) which are now absent.
 Trees form a dense canopy  deer, bears, and many small
that overlies saplings and mammals and birds
shrubs

oak
 Tropical Rain
forest

 A lush, species-rich forest biome that occurs where the climate is warm and moist throughout the year.
 are found in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia
 Annual precipitation is typically between 200 and 450 cm (80 to 180 in).
 commonly occurs in areas with ancient, highly weathered, mineral-poor soil.
 Little organic matter accumulates in such soils; because temperatures are high year-round, bacteria,
fungi, and detritus-feeding ants and termites decompose organic litter quite rapidly.
 Roots quickly absorb nutrient minerals from the decomposing material.
 A fully developed tropical rain forest has at least three distinct stories, or layers, of vegetation (emergent
story, canopy, understory)
 Flora Fauna
bromeliads  No single species dominates
 trees are typically evergreen
flowering plants.  about 90% of tropical
Tropical Rain  Emergent layer: very tall rainforest organisms are
trees, some 50 m (164 ft) adapted to live in the canopy
Forest  middle story, or canopy: trees  abundant and varied insects,
30 to 40 m (100 to 130 ft) reptiles, and amphibians
 smaller plants in the sparse  Mammals: sloths and
understory
monkeys
 communities of epiphytic
plants such as ferns, mosses,
orchids, and bromeliads
 Chaparral

 A biome with mild, moist winters and hot, dry summers; vegetation is typically small-leaved
evergreen shrubs and small trees.
 soil is thin and often not very fertile.
 Wildfires occur naturally and are particularly frequent in late summer and autumn
 Flora Fauna

 Mule deer, wood rats,

chipmunks, lizards, and many
species of birds

Chaparral  Dominant: dense thicket of

evergreen shrubs— often
short, drought-resistant pine
or scrub oak trees that grow 1
to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) tall

scrub oak
 Temperate
Grassland
 A grassland with hot summers, cold winters, and less rainfall than is found in the temperate deciduous forest
biome.
 Average annual precipitation ranges from 25 -75 cm (10 to 30 in)
 Grassland soil has considerable organic material
 occur in the United States in parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, and other Midwestern states
 Trees grow sparsely except near rivers and streams, but grasses taller than a person grow in great profusion in
the deep, rich soil.
 Periodic wildfires help to maintain grasses as the dominant vegetation in grasslands.
 formerly supported large herds of grazing animals (bison and pronghorn elk)
 Principal predators: wolves, coyotes
 Smaller animals included prairie dogs and their predators (foxes, black-footed ferrets, and various birds of
prey), grouse, reptiles such as snakes and lizards, and great numbers of insects.
 coyote

Short-grass
prairies
pronghorn elk

black-footed
ferrets

 are temperate grasslands that receive less precipitation than moist temperate grasslands but more
precipitation than deserts.
 occur in parts of Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and other midwestern states
 Grasses that grow knee high or lower dominate
 Plants grow less abundantly than in the moister grasslands, and bare soil is occasionally exposed.
 Savanna

 A tropical grassland with widely scattered trees or clumps of trees.

 found in areas of low rainfall or, more commonly, in areas of intense seasonal rainfall with prolonged dry
periods.
 Temperatures vary little throughout the year.
 Precipitation is the overriding climate factor: Annual precipitation is 85 to 150 cm (34 to 60 in).
 soil is somewhat low in essential nutrient minerals, in part because it is heavily leached during
 rainy periods—that is, nutrient minerals filter out of the topsoil.
 Occur in Africa, also in in South America, western India, and northern Australia.
 converted into rangeland for cattle and other domesticated animals
 Flora Fauna wildebeest
Acacia
 has wide expanses of grasses
interrupted by occasional
trees like the acacia, which
bristles with thorns to
 herbivores such as antelope,
provide protection against
Savanna herbivores.
giraffe, elephants,
wildebeest, and zebra
 Both trees and grasses have
 Large predators, such as lions
fi re-adapted features, such
and hyenas, kill and scavenge
as extensive underground
the herds.
root systems, that enable
them to survive seasonal
droughts as well as periodic fi
res.

antelope
 Desert

 A biome in which the lack of precipitation limits plant growth; deserts are found in both temperate and
tropical regions.
 consists of dry areas found in both temperate (cold deserts) and subtropical or tropical regions (warm
deserts).
 Low water vapor content of the desert atmosphere  daily temperature extremes of heat and cold
 Desert environments vary greatly depending on the amount of precipitation they receive, which is generally
less than 25 cm (10 in) per year.
 desert soil is low in organic material but is often high in mineral content, particularly salts
 Flora Fauna
 typically small
 Plants in North American
deserts include cacti, yuccas,  desert-adapted insects and
sagebrush arachnids (such as tarantulas and
Joshua trees, and sagebrush scorpions)few desert-adapted
amphibians (frogs and toads) and
 Desert plants are adapted to many reptiles, such as the desert
tortoise, Gila monster, and Mojave
Desert conserve water and as a
result tend to have few,
rattlesnake.
 Desert mammals in North America
small, or no leaves. include rodents such as kangaroo
rats, as well as mule deer and
 Cactus leaves are modified jackrabbits.
into spines  Birds of prey, especially owls, live on
the rodents and jackrabbits, and
 Other desert plants shed even the scorpions.
their leaves for most of the  During the driest months of the year,
year, growing only during the many desert animals tunnel
brief moist season. underground, where they remain
inactive.

Joshua trees
 1. What is a biome?
CONCEPT 2. How do you distinguish between temperate
CHECK rain forest and tropical rain forest? Between
savanna and desert?