TERRESTRIAL BIOMES AND ECOSYSTEM
o A large geographic region on land defined by the
average temperature, average rainfall and
dominant plant types.
o If the climate in two separate areas is similar,
you can expect to find the same type of volume
in both these regions
Tropical Rainforest
o located near the equator
o high rainfall (200-400cm per year)
o high average temperature (25°-29°C)
o the layered structure of tropical rainforest
provides different habitats and supports a rich
diversity of species
o Ex. A square kilometer of rainforest in Central
America, toucans, poison dart frogs, anteaters,
boas, and bullet ante may be found
o Plants experience competition for sunlight
because tall trees from a canopy or leafy
covering that shades vegetation at lower levels.
This results in few plants grown on the forest
floor
o Dangers to tropical rainforests:
1. overharvesting
2. habitat destruction
o tropical rainforests biomes include:
1. Amazon rainforest in South America
2. Congo Basin in Africa
Savanna
o are found generally near the tropics
o dry regions
o low rainfall (30-50cm per year)
o average temperatures of 25°-29°C year-round
o plants are mostly grasses and shrubs with some
trees
o examples of animals are large mammals, such as
lions, zebras, giraffes, and elephants
o fossil evidence suggests the earliest humans
originated in the African savanna
o However, humans are overhunting the current
large mammals inhabitants such as the black
rhino and the Indian elephant which is a result
and now endangered species
Desert
o driest of all biomes
o characterized by low rainfall averaging less than
30cm per year
o extreme weather conditions (ranging from very
hot to very cold)
o temperatures can exceed 50°C in Sahara Desert
and can reach as low as -80°C in Antarctica
which is still considered as desert due to its low
rainfall
o Large temperature fluctuations can occur
throughout the day even in one desert
o plants found in desert tend to be small and
spread out with adaptations to dry conditions
such as long taproots and the ability to store
water in stems and leaves such as a scene in cacti
o animals are also adapted to low water
consumption and many are nocturnal to avoid
intense heat and sun exposure such ad badgers
and scorpions
Temperate Grassland
o large grasslands known as prairies
o generally located halfway between equator and
poles
o seasonal rainfall (30-100cm per year)
o dry winters and wet summers
o winters are cold with average temperatures of
negative 10°C and summers are hot with 30°C
being the average temperature
o very few trees grow in grasslands but the grasses
grow in these regions build fertile soils which
can be converted into successful agricultural
lands
o ex. of grassland: North American Prairie- once
home to large numbers of bison
o settlers moved into this region and the prairie
was converted into agricultural land
o Agricultural effects on biome:
 loss of habitats
 endangerment of biome itself as farmers
push wildlife out of the natural habitats in
order to grow crops or graze livestock
Deciduous Forests
o like temperate grasslands, deciduous forests
located halfway between equator and poles
o mostly in the northern hemisphere
o characterized by moderate temperature with
warm summers (25°C) and cold winters (below
0°C)
o moderate to high rainfalls distributed evenly
around the year (70-200cm per year)
o primary vegetation are deciduous trees such as
oaks and maples
o Many animals hibernate or migrate to escape the
cold winters. For example, monarch butterflies
migrate to warmer climates closer to the equator
Taiga
o largest terrestrial biome on Earth
o Also known as Northern Coniferous Forest
where conifers grow. Conifers are cone
bearing trees that do not lose their leaves
o this type of biomes can be found in Alaska
and Northern Scandinavia
o Are warm with an average temperature of
20°C
o winters are long and cold with an average
temperature of minus 30°C
o Rainfall is generally moderate with 30-70
centimeters of rain each year
o Cone burn trees such as pines and spruces are
the primary vegetation and plan biodiversity
somewhat low large animals such as moose,
elk and brown bears inhabit the taiga
o Over harvesting of trees has endangered
many old-growth forest of this biome
because conifers can take as much as 70 years
to grow from a seedling inti mature tree
Tundra
o Can be found in the northernmost and
southernmost parts of the world and it covers
expansive areas of the arctic between the
Taiga and Polar ice
o Part of Antarctica in the south also qualifies
Tundra but this biome is mostly considered
desert
o Digits like a rainfall turned race also found on
mountaintops such as the top of mount
Kilimanjaro
o Cold winters with average temperatures
falling below minus 30°C
o Cold summers with average temperatures of
10°C
o There’s very little precipitation, only 20 to 60
centimeters of rain a year
o And much if what falls freezes on the ground
grasses such a polar grass and some
herbaceous plants such as hedges can grow
but a permanently frozen layer of soil called
permafrost prevents deep roots
o Large grazing animals such as moose and elk
are common and many migratory animals to
sue tundra as a summer breeding ground