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Biomes
Chapter 26-2
Tundra
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Cold dry treeless region
Permanently frozen soil called permafrost
Average temperature of –12C
Average Precipitation is less than 25 cm per
year
• Plants include mosses, grasses, small
shrubs, and lichens.
• Animals include insects, ducks, geese, birds,
mice, arctic hares, reindeer, caribou, polar
bears, and foxes.
• Located in the Arctic Circle and portions of
Antarctica.
Tropical Rain Forest
• The most biological diverse biome
• Contains four zones – forest floor, understory, canopy,
and emergent zone
• Average temperature is 25C (77oF)
• Precipitation averages 200 cm to 600 cm per year (80 –
230 inches)
• Plants are most diverse in world including wild figs and
mahogany trees.
• Animals are most diverse in world such as insects,
snakes, bats, squirrels, monkeys, and tree frogs.
• Located in S. America, Central America, Asia, Australia,
and Africa.
Desert
• The driest biome that supports little plant
life
• Soil is thin, sandy, or gravelly
• The temperature varies from hot to cold
• The precipitation is less than 25cm per
year
• Plants include cacti and yucca trees.
• Animals include jackrabbits, kangaroo
rats, Gila monsters, snakes, owls, hawks,
and scorpions.
• Located in N. America, S. America, Africa,
Asia, and Australia
Taiga
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The largest biome
Cold forest of mostly evergreen trees
Soil thaws in the short summer
Varied temperatures with long cold winter and
short warm summer
Precipitation is mostly snow, 35-100 cm per
year.
Plants include lichens, mosses, and evergreen
trees.
Animals include birds, moose, weasels, wolves,
deer, caribou, mink, porcupines, and bears.
Located in N. America, Europe & Asia
Grassland
• Made up of prairies or plains & dominated by
grasses
• Temperature ranges from temperate to tropical
• Precipitation averages 25 cm to 75 cm per year
• Plants include grasses, wheat, and corn
• Animals include gophers, rabbits, giraffes,
gazelles, buffalo, antelope, and birds.
• Located in Africa, Australia, Asia, N. America,
and S. America
Temperate Deciduous Forest
• This region has four distinct seasons
• Temperatures range from below freezing in
winter to over 30C in summer
• Precipitation averages 75 cm to 150 cm per year
• Plants include trees (that lose leaves seasonally)
such as, maples, oaks, and hickories.
• Animals include worms, insects, salamanders,
snakes, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, bears and
deer.
• Located in N. America, Asia, Europe, S.
America, Australia, and Africa.