General Knowledge

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NIMRA KHAN
Topic:

Biosphere and Major Biomes

 Biosphere
Earth’s organisms live in
the biosphere.
• The life supporting zone of
the earth where
atmosphere, hydrosphere
and lithosphere meet,
interact and make life
possible is Bioshpere.
 What factors primarily determine a particular
biome?
• Climate
• while biomes are defined on the basis of vegetation / plant types.
Explanation:
• TEMPERATURE and
• PRECIPITATION.
• SOIL type would determine type of vegetation that grows in an area.
• Sunlight hours also vary with latitude and plants are entirely dependent on sunlight
for growth and development.
• Precipitation level differs in coastal and in land areas, higher level of precipitation
beneficial for plant growth.
 1)Aquatic Biome
1. Freshwater Biomes
• Freshwater biomes contain water with very low salt
concentrations and include wetlands, lakes, ponds, rivers
and streams.
• These biomes host fish, waterfowl, algae,and
microorganisms.
• Example: the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest.
 1)Aquatic Biome

2. Marine Biomes
• Marine biomes include the oceans of the world, the
largest aquatic biomes, characterized by saltwater.
• This biome covers more of the Earth’s surface than any
other – about 70%.
• Examples; Oceans, Coral Reefs
 2)Desert Biome
• This biome is the driest; it only receives 50cm of rainfall
a year (about 10% of the rainfall in the rainforest).
• Some animals and plants may find if difficult to adapt, but
reptiles and cacti thrive in these conditions.
• This biome includes: Hot and dry, Semiarid,
Coastal,deserts
 3)Forest Biomes
• Forest biomes cover about 1/3 of the Earth’s land
surface.
• They are dominated by trees and contain many different
plants and animals. Forests take in the carbon that we
exhale and give off the oxygen we breathe in, making
them really important to our survival.
 3)Forest Biomes

1) Rainforest Biome
a) The tropical rainforest biome contains the world’s greatest
biodiversity. Located near the equator, this biome experiences equal day
length, warm temperatures and up to 200 inches of rain annually.
• The Amazon Rainforest is an excellent example of a tropical
rainforest biome.
b) The Temperate rainforest biome are found in higher latitudes, with
cooler temperatures but significant amounts of precipitation.
• Evergreens, mosses and ferns thrive there.
• The Olympic National Park of Washington State hosts temperate
rainforests.
 4) Grass Land Biome
• It may not surprise you to hear that grasslands are filled with grasses.
However, the length of the grass and the number of trees within these
biomes vary depending on the amount of rainfall.
• Since rainfall in the grasslands is lower than rainforest but higher than
desert, trees exist, but they are limited to growing near streams and
other water sources.
• There are two main kinds of grasslands: tropical and temperate.
• Examples of temperate grasslands include Eurasian steppes,
North American prairies, and Argentine pampas.
Tropical grasslands include the hot savannas of sub-Saharan
Africa and northern Australia.
 5)Tundra Biome
• The tundra is the coldest of the biomes. The average
temperature in the tundra is around -18 degrees F.
• It gets much colder in the winter and warmer during its short
summer, It's dry .
• The tundra gets about as much precipitation as the average
desert, around 10 inches per year. Most of this is snow.

• Example: the High Arctic Tundra in the islands of the Arctic

Ocean.
Quiz
GOOD LUCK