Download Section: Terrestrial Ecosystems Essential Questions: Biomes

Section: Terrestrial Ecosystems
Key Words: biome, terrestrial biome, grassland, desert, rainforest, temperate forest, deciduous forest, arctic,
tundra, taiga, adaptation, habitat, biotic factor, abiotic factor
Essential Questions:
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What are the physical characteristics of the seven major land biomes?
What kinds of organisms live in the seven major land biomes?
How are land animals specially adapted to their environments?
Biomes – areas on Earth that have similar climates & ecosystems
Tundra – dry, cold, treeless & desert-like (cold)
- winters are 6-9 months of year
- no trees
- cold temperatures
- little rainfall
- little vegetation
- northern latitudes
- temp range from -40° C to 10° C
- Prec - ~ 37 cm/yr – remains frozen most of the yr
- Permafrost – a few inches from surface
o Soil that remains permanently frozen
- Vegetation: resistant to drought & cold (Limiting factors)
o Lichens, mosses, grasses, small shrubs
o Pesky insects prominent in summer
o Animals: hawks, owls, mice, voles, lemmings, hares, caribou, & musk oxen
Taiga – cold region of cone bearing trees
- plenty of evergreen trees
- cold temperatures
- moderate rainfall
- lies between 50° N & 60° N
- the world’s largest biomes
- also called the northern coniferous forest
- warmer & wetter than tundra
- prec - ~ 35cm – 40cm/yr
- ground thaws completely in summer allowing trees to grow
- ~ 3 – 6 months growing season
- Animals
o
- Vegetation
o
Temperate Deciduous Forest – below taiga regions in N. Hemisphere
-
ranges around 50° N & S latitudes
by plenty of trees and shrubs
moderate temperatures
plenty of rainfall
4 separate seasons
Prec - ~ 75 to 150 cm/yr
Temps below freezing to 30° C + in summer
East of Mississippi River – most abundant biome
“deciduous” – alive & dormant cycle
o Loose leaves each fall
Vegetation
o
Animals
o
Tropical Rain Forest – most diverse of biomes
- lush, green vegetation
- around the equator
- prec – 200+ cm/yr
- temps stay around 25° C yr round
- height of canopy can be up to 40m +
- species of plant life - ~ 2000 different kinds
o
- tropical rain forest creates a unique ecosystem & subecosystems
o canopy – most sunlight, driest
o understory – shaded, partial sunlight; semi-dry
o shrub layer – some sun streaks; humid & moist
o ground floor – hardly sun streaks; most humid & moist
- Animals
o
Desert
-
few plants
little rainfall
cold nights
hot days
driest biome on Earth
< than 25cm of precipitation
Fades into grassland biomes
Vegetation spaced widely apart
o Cacti, yuccas, Joshua trees, bunchgrasses
Animals
o Small rodents, jackrabbits, birds of prey, snakes
Grassland
- thick grasses
- little rainfall
-
-
warm temperatures
25-75cm of precipitation
Found on every continent
o Plains of NA
o Steppes of Asia
o Veldts of Africa
o Pampas of SA
Important with agriculture
Vegetation
o Grasses & few trees
Animals
o Grazing animals, wolves, prairie dogs, foxes, ferrets, snakes, lizards, and insects
Arctic
-
cold temperatures
little or no rainfall,
little or no vegetation
fades into tundra and tiaga biomes
Factors affecting growth
Abiotic
- Nonliving organisms in
an ecosystems
- Causes the living
organisms to adapt for
survival
- Sunlight, lightning,
water, air, soil, etc.
Adaptations
- Prevention of water loss
- Survive in range of temperatures
- Obtain food
o Producers
o Consumers
- Evade predators
- Specialized reproduction
Biotic
- Living organisms in an
ecosystems
- Must adapt to the
nonliving factors in
their environment to
survive
- All members of the five
kingdoms