Major Biomes of the Earth

1. Tropical Rain Forest

- A hot, moist biome found near Earth's equator.
- Receive from 60 to 160 inches of precipitation that is fairly evenly distributed
throughout the year.
- Suitable environment for many plants and animals because of the
combination of constant warmth and abundant moisture.
- Contain the greatest biodiversity in the world.
- Over 15 million species of plants and animals live within this biome.

An area of the Amazon

rainforest in Brazil. The tropical
rainforests of South America
contain the largest diversity of
species on Earth.

2. Tropical Dry Forest

- Deal with long dry seasons which last several months and vary with
geographic location.
- Found near the Equator that has distinct rainy and dry seasons.
- Can be found in some parts of Africa, South and Central America, Mexico,
India, Australia, and tropical islands.
- Temperatures are high all year, but there is a better-developed dry season
than in the tropical rain forest.
- Species diversity is invariably lower than in nearby tropical rain forests.
- The annual average temperatures of tropical dry forest are 24.3ºc
- It is generally warm year-round; it alternates wet and dry seasons, and it also
consists of rich soil subject to erosion.
- Consist of tall, deciduous trees that predominate these forests, and during the
drought a leafless period occurs, which varies with species type.\
 Tropical Dry Forest

3. Tropical Savanna
- A savanna is a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees,
which can be found between a tropical rainforest and desert biome.
- Savannas are also known as tropical grasslands.
- Found in a wide band on either side of the equator on the edges of tropical
rainforests.
- Has a warm temperature year round.
- There are two very different seasons in a savanna; a very long dry season
(winter), and a very wet season (summer).
- The savanna has a large range of highly specialized plants and animals. They
all depend on the each other to keep the environment in balance.

Tropical Savanna

Found in East Africa

4. Desert
- Is an ecosystem that forms due to the low level of rainfall it received.
- Covers about 20% of the Earth.
- There are four major types of desert in this biome - hot and dry, semiarid,
coastal, and cold.
- Although the daytime temperatures of the desert biome are very hot, they can
get very cold at night.
- The vegetation does not grow very tall so the desert biome can only
accommodate small animals, rodents, and reptiles. These animals can
escape the harsh Sun by hiding under small scrubs or hiding in burrows.
- The desert biome can be found on every continent except Europe.

Sahara Desert

5. Temperate Grassland
- Dominated by grass rather than shrubs of trees.
- Temperate grasslands have some of the darkest, richest soils in the world
(not in wealth, but in nutrients).
- In North America they call temperate grasslands prairies.
- Major grasslands in North America are the Great Plains of the Midwest, The
Palouse Prairie of eastern Washington State, and other grasslands in the
southwest.
- Temperatures in this biome vary greatly between summer and winter.
- Grasses dominate temperate grasslands. Trees and large shrubs are rarely
found in grassland areas.
- All grasslands share a lack of shelter from predators, and an abundance of
grass for food; therefore, grassland animal populations are similar throughout
the world. The dominant vertebrates in grasslands are herbivorous or plant-
eating grazers called ungulates.
 Temperate Grassland

6. Temperate Woodland and Shrubland

- The open woodlands and shrublands contain many wildflowers which lie
between oak and other large trees. Areas that are more dominated by shrubs
are known as Chaparral.
- Winters are very mild, whereas summers are very hot and dry this gives rise
to multiple fires.
- The plant life of this biome have adapted to periods of dry weather, or
drought. They have waxy leaves to retain moisture, as well as skinny leaves.
- Most of the animals have a varied diet, so they are not very picky about what
they eat. Where the area is more grassland camouflage is common amongst
animals in order to disguise them from predators.

Temperate Woodland and

Shrubland
7. Temperate Forest
- A forest found between the tropical and boreal regions, located in the
temperate zone.
- It is within the second largest biome on the planet, covering 25% of the
world's forest area, only behind the boreal forest, which covers about 33%.
- These forests cover both hemispheres at latitudes ranging from 25 to 50
degrees, wrapping the planet in a belt similar to that of the boreal forest.
- Due to its large size spanning several continents, there are several main
types: deciduous, coniferous, broadleaf and mixed forest and rainforest.
- The climate of a temperate forest is highly variable depending on the location
of the forest.

Temperate Deciduous
Forest

8. North Western Coniferous Forest

- Occupies a vast area below the tundra, extending completely across Canada
and into interior Alaska.
- The biome is also referred to as the boreal forest or taiga.
- The climate of the boreal forest is characterized by a longer and warmer
growing season. Precipitation averages 20 inches per year, but ranges from
40 inches in the eastern regions to 10 inches in interior Alaska.
- Available soil moisture is high as a result of cool temperature and low
evapotranspiration rates.
- The diversity of tree species in the boreal forest is quite low.
- This species is very tolerant of understory conditions and competes well with
tolerant hardwoods. Balsam fir is, however, susceptible to injury by insects,
fungi, fire, and ice. Like the above species, it is also shallow-rooted and
subject to wind throw.
 North Western
Coniferous Forest

9. Boreal Forest
- Defined as forests growing in high-latitude environments where freezing
temperatures occur for 6 to 8 months and in which trees are capable of
reaching a minimum height of 5 m and a canopy cover of 10%.
- This circumboreal belt of forest represents about 30% of the global forest
area, contains more surface freshwater than any other biome, and has large
tracts of unmanaged forests across the high-latitude regions of Canada,
Russia, and Alaska.
- Boreal forest ecosystems have evolved under the constraints imposed by a
short growing season and severe winters during which snow cover may last
for several months.
- Most of the boreal landscapes are characterized by a low diversity of tree
species, of which gymnosperms such as Abies, Larix, Pinus, and Picea
species usually dominate, with varying proportions of angiosperm Populus,
Betula, and Alnus species.

Boreal Forest
10. Tundra
- Is the coldest of all the biomes.
- Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturia, meaning treeless plain.
- It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little
precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons.
- It has 2 major nutrients: (1) Nitrogen – Created by biological fixation (2)
Phosphorous – Created by precipitation.
- Tundra is separated into two types: arctic tundra and alpine tundra.

Tundra Biome
1. What interesting facts or ideas that the documentary film brings to your mind?

The interesting fact or idea that the documentary film brings to my mind is the big
issue about the global warming.

2. What does the film shows about the people and their values?

The film shows that the people still lived beside the sea because of their
livelihood even though it is dangerous.

3. How much is the planet warming up?

The planet is warming up 0.66 degree celcius.

4. How much trouble we are in?

We are in big trouble because of too much heat the global warming gives.

5. How does agriculture affect climate change?

Agriculture contributes to climate change both by anthropogenic emissions of

greenhouse gases and by the conversion of non-agricultural land such as forests

into agricultural land.

6. Is there anything you can do about climate change?

Just by simply helping the community and the environment is a big impact to
help reduce the fast changing of climate change.
 Requirements
In
Ecology

Submitted By: Ms. Janen Vea David

Submitted To: Ms. Jay Ann Consignado