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Biome Project
Desert, Chaparral, Tropical
Rainforest, Savanna
By Mark, Andrew, Rosanna, and Mike
The Desert
Deserts
Deserts are found in every continent and cover almost one fifth
of Earth's land surface area. there are four different types of
deserts. There is the Hot and Dry Deserts, Semiarid Deserts,
Coastal Deserts and Cold Deserts.
Hot and Dry Deserts are found in North America, southern Asia,
Cental America, South America, Africa and Australia.
Semiarid Deserts are found in North America, Greenland,
Russia, Europe and northern Asia.
Coastal Deserts are found in North America, Greenland, Russia
and Europe.
Cold Deserts are found at the two poles. The biggest is
Antarctica and the second is the Arctic.
Temperature
There are four major types of deserts.
Hot and Dry
Average: 20-25° C(Summer), Maximum: 43.5-49° C, Minimum: -18° C
Semiarid
Average: 21-27° C(Summer), Maximum: 38° C, Minimum: 10° C
Coastal
Average: 13-24° C(Summer), Maximum: 35° C, Minimum: -4° C
Cold
Average: 21-26° C(Summer)/ -2 - 4° C(Winter)
Precipitation
Hot and Dry Deserts
Atacama receives the least rainfall at less than 1.5 cm
of annual rainfall, the Inland Sahara has around 1.5 cm of
annual rainfall but some North American Deserts can have
around 28 cm of annual rainfall.
Semiarid Deserts
Average precipitation at around 2-4 cm annually.
Coastal Deserts
Average precipitation at around 8-13 cm annually.
Cold Deserts
Average precipitation around 15-26 cm annually.
Latitude
Deserts are found at all latitudes so the range would be
0° N to 0° S. an individual desert has the average
latitude range of 15-28°. Contrary to what many people
believe deserts are not a direct result of heavy sunlight.
But an extremely low amount of precipitation. Looking at
a physical map of the world it is apparent that deserts are
not necessarily located at the equator.
My Impression
Deserts always seem to have a connotation of desolation
and death. A stereotypical image of a desert includes
tumbleweeds and the skull of some animal with antlers.
But the deserts of the world are teeming with life and the
conditions of a desert seem almost other worldly.
Plants
Saguaro Cactus
The Saguaro Cactus has
smooth and waxy skin that is
covered with spines. The
spines grow on the ribs of the
cactus. The Saguaro Cactus
thrives in the dry and hot
climates of deserts. The
Saguaro Cactus grows in the
desert because it requires little
water. Its spines help keep
cool, gather rainfall and redirect
winds.
Palo Verde
The Palo Verde is a shrub or small
tree that has green bark with thorns
on its trunk. The bark is
green because it contains chlorophyl
l which allows the plant to
still continue photosynthesis without
its leaves. The Palo Verde has roots
that run very deep in order to access
water in the ground. The plant can
also shed branches in events of
severe drought.
Animals
Desert Tortoise
The Desert Tortoise is found in the
Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of
Southern California. the turtles has
digging and burrowing abilities and
will hide in these burrows to escape
heat or cold. The Desert Tortoise
lives in the desert because it is
accustomed to the plants and
climate. if the tortoise eats anything
unfamiliar it takes around 4 months
for their digestive tracts to get used
to it.
Desert Kangaroo Rat
The Desert Kangaroo has hind
legs that resemble an actual
Kangaroo, and the little rodent
moves like a Kangaroo too. the rat
burrows and created tunnels
where they live. the Desert
Kangaroo Rat has adapted tot he
low amounts of water by gaining
most of its water from its food. they
kick sand at things to see if they're
alive and they have
cheek pouches that can store food
for up to four weeks. it lives in the
desert because its fur has adapted
the brownish color, its adaptations
allow it to store water and it needs
dry dirt and sand to dig into.
Abiotic Factors
Temperature
Deserts are known for high
temperatures but in the
night the heat escapes
back into the atmosphere.
The huge temperature
ranges of day to night
force its species to adapt
to both.
Water
The desert is a very dry
biome.
It's annual precipitation is
minimum and the desert
temperatures evaporate
any remaining water on
the surface. The lack of
water forces its species to
develop ways of storage
and conservation.
Disturbances
Let's say there is a volcanic eruption and it covers the a certain
desert. All life would be temporarily
destroyed, immediately following the eruption. However, once the
soot and ash has cooled down secondary succession would begin.
the plants would thrive well in the ash because it's not a huge
variation from the type of ground the plants are already in. And the
addition of nutrients from volcanic ash would also be beneficial to
desert plants. the animals on the other hand would be all killed, but
if their are eggs buried deep beneath the ground or some animals
that are burrowed perhaps they could survive. and the various bird
species would be fine too, they can fly away during the eruption.
Chaparral
Climate and Location
Average Temperature:Temperatures are subtropical with the
cold ocean influence. The climate is characterized by a cool
wet winter, and hot dry summers. California is one of the
five places where plants like this grow. Temperature usually
between 10 and 40 degrees Celsius.
Rainfall totals under 10 inches per year so drought is often an
issue. This property of chaparral actually qualifies it as a
desert.
Hold more than 20% of the earths plant diversity. In latitude
range about 53 to 65 degrees North in the coastal range
but the mountain range is at 32 to 60 degrees north.
Impressions
• The chaparral Biome, although the plants which grow
there are not very exotic, it has a very temperate climate
with little rainfall. Because it is sub tropical with a cold
ocean influence, temperatures never reach unbarable
extremes. Its little rainfall and nice weather make it a
good vacation spot, but it would not be a great place to
live. Life there is very mundane, especially in the plants.
There are also natural desturbance dangers, which
constantly threaten its inhabitants. Wildfires are common
because there is less then 10 inches of rainfall per
yeaar, thus the plants that live there are acclimated to
this amount of precipitation, which makes them dry, and
scrubby. It catches on fire very easily.
Plant Species
• Artemisia California: Artemisia California or California Sage Brush
is an aromatic plant about 2-4 feet in height. Its leaves have a scent
that can be used as an insect repellant. The brush prospers on
steep coastal slopes, and rocky ridgetops, where it can be exposed
to extreme drought.. The drought characteristic of Chaparral from
direct sunlight, and little rainfall causes it to loose its leaves. The
brush typically prevents other vegetation from growing in proximity.
A plant with dark green, aromatic, triangular leaves.
• Black Sage: The Black Sage plant has a black, aromatic, triangular
leaf. It is very susceptible to dry climate, which is why it is the only
stuff that can grow in Chaparral.
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Animal Species
•
•
Butterflies: Between 150 and 200 hundred butterfly species live in rely on
chaparral’s scrubby, Mediteranean like palnts to complete their life cycle. To
have a complete life cycle, these endangered species need a cornucopia of
things to eat, and recources to raise their young. The Mission Blue Butterfly
specifically relies on scrubby plants like buckwheat, golden aster and wild
hyacinth. Lupine is crucial to their reproduction for it is where female lay
their eggs. The offspring can then eat the lupine leaves as well. Since the
Mission Blue butterflies have been confined to just a few costal sage sites
and are becoming endangered, for they can live anywhere else.
Merriams Kangaroo Rat: The kangaroo rat has specific adaptations to life
in a dry climate such as Chaparral. Its life is made possible by its
specialized kidneys, which allows it to process the seeds that are found in
the Chaparral Biome. They eat Mesquite beans, green vegitation, and some
insects. They live in underground burrows. They have puches for carrying
seeds.
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Abiotic Factors
• Drought: Drought in Chaparral is actually so severe that
it can be classified as a desert. It is impressive that
Chaparral has so many plants and animal species that
are so accustomed to living in areas with so little water.
Everything has adaptaitions to resist the drought. Plants
have small leaves to reduce moisture loss, and animals,
can get there water from unusual sources.Life in
Chaparral with respect to drought is unlike life in any
other Biome.
• Fire: Fire is so common in Chaparall that it is actually
important in plants’ natural life cycle. They actually need
fire to germinate. Re-growth after a fire is typically very
quick.
Natural Disater
• Fires are very common in the chaparral Biome, and in fact
any species that is not resilient to fire probably will not be able
to live there. Even though fire destroys virtually everything
above the ground, the plants are designed so that the seeds,
roots, and tubers are unharmed. In fact in many of these
plants extreme heats from fire assist in the process of
germination, for the seeds drop after a fire comes. The
regrowth or succession after a fire can be summed up in two
main processes, the reseeders, and the resprouters羊
eseeders produce new plants from the seeds that get
dispersed through the soil, while resprouters grow from roots
that weren稚 affected by the fire. Regrowth in Chaparral
begins quickly even without any rain, starting with crown
sprouters. After the first rain, seeds begin to germinate and
succeed the crown sprouters.
Tropical Rainforest
Where Can It be Found?
The tropical rain forest can be found within
28 degrees north or south of the equator
in three major geographical areas around
the world
• Central America in the the Amazon river basin.
• Africa - Zaire basin, with a small area in West
Africa; also eastern Madagascar.
• Indo-Malaysia - west coast of India, Assam,
Southeast Asia, New Guinea and Queensland,
Australia.
Characteristic Climate
• The temperature in a rain forest rarely gets
higher than 93°F or drops below 68°F
• Typical precipitation can range from125
cm to 660 cm yearly
• It rains nearly a quarter of the time, but
since the majority gets blocked by the
large areas of canopy, only a portion can
reach the soil.
Characteristic Climate
• Has a rainy, cool summer but a warm
spring.
• The air is oppresively humid and sticky
because the environment is hot and wet
(Imagine living in a steam room)
• The average humidity is from 70 to 90 %
Humidity
• The moisture of the rainforest from rainfall,
constant cloud cover, and transpiration (water
loss through leaves), creates intense local
humidity.
• High humidity of air traps warmth and helps
temperature remain stable all year long which
allows most rainforest trees to be evergreen—
keeping their leaves all year and never dropping
all their leaves in any one season
Soil
• Soil in the tropical rainforests is very
nutrient poor. The topsoil is only one to
two inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) deep
• Plants store the nutrients in themselves
rather than getting them from the soil
• Heavy rain washes minerals out of the
soils, leaving them acidic and nutrient poor.
Plant Species
Bougainvillea
• Bougainvillea prefers a
tropical climate because it
likes to cling and grab
onto other plants to reach
the sunlight.
• It can tolerate semishaded areas and it can
also tolerate full sun, but
it tends to climb upward
towards the sun
• It doesn’t like swampy
soil which is not common
in tropical forest because
water drains fast in
tropical forest
Plant Species
Durian Tree
• It grows in lowland
rainforests, and is native
to Borneo, Indonesia and
Malaysia
• Scientists think it is one of
the first plants to rely on
animals to disperse its
seed.
• It is dependent on a small
nocturnal bat, called the
Dawn Bat, for its
pollination. Without the
bat the durian cannot fruit
Animal Species
Dawn Bat
• The Dawn Bat is a small
Southeast Asian
rainforest bat which lives
in the mangrove and
lowland forests
• Dawn Bats roost in
limestone caves and are
only active at night
• Main pollinators of many
rain forest trees
• Their favorite flowers are
from the Durian trees
whose flowers are large
and waxy and only bloom
at night
Animal Species
Harpy eagle
• It lives in the tropical lowland
rainforests of Central and
South America, southern Brazil
and the northernmost parts of
Argentina
• It hunts about 19 species of
medium sized and large
mammals that live in trees
• It hunts by sitting quietly and
listening for prey for long
periods of time in the canopy
of the forest, then pouncing on
their prey in short bursts of
speed
• Harpy eagles need large tracts
of forest to hunt in.
Recovery From Forest Fire
• If a big forest fire destroys all the vegetation in the forest,
the soil will remain intact although not rich.
• Secondary succession occurs
• The earliest plants to recolonize are mainly herbaceous
plants whose seeds are carried to bare soil by wind and
animals.
• The earliest herbaceous plants make the soil fertile and
suitable for later larger plants
• Larger plants settle in and compete with earlier species
• Eventually Large plants dominate the area and the
nutrient level of soil lowers again
Savanna
Climate and Location
• Temperature range: 20ｰ - 30ｰ C
• Annual precipitation: 100-150 cm rain
• Latitude: African Savanna between
latitude 15ｰ North and 30ｰ South
Impresions
• The savanna is large, open grassland
scattered with trees. The savanna is warm
year round, the temperature varying
slightly between its long dry winter and its
shorter wet summer. The savanna is home
to a number of large herbivores and the
large predators that eat them, as well as
some smaller species.
Plants
• Senegal Gum Acacia found in the African grassland savanna. The
Senegal gum acacia grows only in the savanna because it grows
best in sandy soil and requires 12-15 inches of rain a year, it would
not be able to survive in a place that was wetter or dryer than the
savanna.
• 2. Elephant Grass is found along lake and river beds in the
savanna. It requires the richer soil of the lake and river beds and is
killed by a light frost, making the warm savanna a perfect place for
this plant to grow.
bidorbuy.co.za
Hear.org
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Animals: Lion
Lions are one of the main
predators of the savanna. Lions
ecological niche includes
medium to large game as food,
small amounts of water, and
open space in which they are
able to hunt as a group. Lions
live in the savanna because the
savanna is a large open space
in which many large game
animals live. Other biomes do
not have either the open space
necessary for group hunting or
lack large prey animals.
Animals: Bush Elephant
.
The
Savanna or Bush Elephant is another
species found in the savanna. The
savanna elephant is a herbivore that eats
grasses, fruits, tree leaves, bark, shrubs
and vines. (Savanna Animals, Blue
Planet) They require lots of food and they
require bodies of water to drink and to
help keep them cool. They live in the
savanna because the large expanses of
grassy land provide the huge quantities of
food they need as well as small bodies of
water, however spread out they may be.
The large amounts of open land allow
elephants are able to travel to new
pastures and new water as they consume
the resources in a certain area.
Abiotic Characteristics
• The warm temperatures and seasonal rainfall are two
aboitic factors that characterize the savanna. The year
round warm temperature sets the savanna apart from
biomes to the north and south which experience a
more dramatic change in temperature during the year.
The seasonal rain sets the savanna apart from other
biomes that are warm year round, such as the
rainforest. The temperature and rain fall set the
savanna apart from other biomes, as well as shaping
the ecosystems that will flourish in such a climate.
These two factors, more than the other abiotic factors
of the savanna, dictate which plants will and will not
survive, the plants in turn ensure the survival of some
animal species and the inability for others to survive
on the savanna.
disaster
Fire is a common occurrence in the savanna, caused by
dry grasses and lightening; many of the plants of the
savanna have adapted to the conditions and are fire
resistant. After such a fire the succession of plant regrowth, excluding the plants not harmed in the fire,
would begin with the small grasses. The grasses would
be followed by larger grass plants and shrubs, and then
finally by trees.
Sources
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http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/rainforest_ecology.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforest#Natural_History
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rnfrst_climate_page.htm
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm
"Savanna Biomes." Blue Planet Biomes. Web. 26 Sept. 2011.
<http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm>.
• "Savanna Biome." PlantZAfrica.com Homepage. Web. 26 Sept.
2011.
<http://www.plantzafrica.com/vegetation/savanna.htm>.
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http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_animal_page.htm
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert.htm
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http://klchin.blogspot.com/2009/02/orchard-and-farm-visit-at-balikpulau.html
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