Download Name of Biome Climate including temperature and

Buggé/Zubrzycki: Biome Project Notes
Name of
Biome
Tundra
Taiga
Climate including
temperature and
precipitation
• Near North Pole,
covers 1/5 earth’s
surface.
• Temperatures
range from -60 F (51 C) in the winter
to 50 F (10 C) in
the summer.
Average annual
temperature is 10 –
20 F (-12 - -6 C)
• Low annual
precipitation (< 10
inches)
•
•
•
•
•
Northern
coniferous forest
(needles)
Just below the
arctic circle
Average
Temperatures
below freezing, fall
to – 20 C
Large amounts of
precipitation in
summer months
Nearly constant
daylight in summer
Soil Characteristics
•
•
•
Thin layer of
topsoil
Permafrost:
permanently
frozen layer
Freezing and
thawing breaks
rocks into
smaller pieces
Vegetation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Acidic soil (most
plants cannot
grow in acidic
soil so Taiga has
few plants)
Soil forms
slowly because
of climate and
acidity (slow
decomposition)
•
•
•
•
Small,
low
growing
plants
Lichen
(fungus
and algae
living and
growing
together)
Dark Red
leaves
Cushion
Plants
Seeds
Most trees
straight,
dead
shafts of
bark and
wood;
green tops
Plant
growth
most
abundant
in summer
months
Conifer
Animal Life
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Migratory
Birds
Falcons, Owl
Mammals
Arctic Fox,
Caribou,
Musk Ox,
Polar Bear
(all well
insulated)
Impact of
Humans
•
•
Aquatic birds •
and
organisms
Birds migrate
south
Some animals •
hibernate
Snowshoe
hares, lynxes,
wolves, foxes
Camouflage
Oil
exploration,
extraction,
transport
Pollution
caused by
spills or
leaks of oil
and toxic
materials
Other
Important
Facts
• One of
most
fragile
biomes
on planet
• Simple
food
chains
Deforestation •
(lumber is
very good)
leads to
habitat loss
Pollution has
caused
temperature
to rise.
Lakes
and
swamps
Buggé/Zubrzycki: Biome Project Notes
months
Deciduous
Forest
•
•
•
•
tree with
needlelike leaves
Leaves, seasonal
•
changes
Once dominated
North America,
Europe, Asia
Temperatures can
vary greatly
depending on
season (0 C – 35
C).
Vegetation changes
with temparature
Contains an
abundance of
organic matter
and nutrients due
to slow
decomposition in
winter months
•
•
•
•
•
Grow in
layers
Maple,
oak, birch
Small
trees and
shrubs
More light
so ferns,
herbs,
mosses
grow on
forest
floor
Shed
leaves for
seasonal
changes
•
•
•
•
•
•
Adapted to
•
use forest
plants for
food and
shelter
•
Squirrels eat
nuts, seeds,
berries.
Bears eat
leaves and
•
berries.
Grasshoppers,
deer
Birds rest in
safety of
canopy
Most birds
migratory
Deforestation •
(removing
large number
of trees)
Acid Rain
(coal power
plants and
burning
fossil fuels)
Habitat loss
(farming and
civilization)
Some
animals
stay and
reduce
their
activity
so do not
need as
much
food for
energy.
Buggé/Zubrzycki: Biome Project Notes
Name of Biome
Grasslands
Climate
including
temperature
and
precipitation
• Cover large
areas of
interior of
continents
• Moderate
rainfall, not
enough for
trees to grow
• Mountains
play a role in
maintaining
and
precipitation
amounts
• Rainfall
increases as
you move
east away
from the
mountains
• Temperatures
vary based
on location
Soil
Characteristics
•
•
•
Most fertile
soil in the
world, highly
productive
Plants die
back to root s
in winter and
slow
decompositio
n
Converted to
farmland for
growing
crops
Vegetation
•
•
•
•
Grasses and
wildflowers
Single layer
of vegetation
Shrubs and
trees only
where soil
contains
extra water,
on banks of
streams
Roots form
dense layers
to survive
droughts and
fires
Animal Life
•
•
Impact of
Humans
Pronghorn,
•
antelope,
bison
•
(grazing
animals)
Badgers,
prairie dogs,
burrowing
owls live in
underground
burrows that •
shield from
fire, weather
and predators
Other
Important
Facts
Farming and •
overgrazing
Grain crops
cannot hold
soil in place
as well as
native
grasses
(Shallow
roots)
Erosion
occurs due to
overgrazing
and regular
plowing of
soil
Constant
trampling
and overuse
of grasslands
cannot
regenerate so
converts into
desert-like
biome.
Buggé/Zubrzycki: Biome Project Notes
Desert
•
•
•
•
Variety of
•
deserts all
over the
•
world
Widely
scattered
vegetation
and very
little rain
Temperatures
range from
40 C to 0 C
Often located
near
mountain
ranges that
block the
passage of
rain clouds
Wind causes
soil erosion
Not fertile
soil, shallow
and rocky
(less
chemical
weathering)
•
•
•
•
Adaptations
for
conserving
water
Succulents
(eg cactuses)
store water
Root near
surface
because
rainfall
rarely
penetrates
soil
Drop leaves
during dry
period, some
stay dormant
between
rainfalls
•
•
•
•
•
Rainforest
•
•
Located near •
the equator
Help regulate
world
climate and
play vital
roles in
nitrogen,
•
oxygen,
Does not
have rich
soil, most
nutrients
within
plants, not
soil.
Organic
matter
•
•
Most trees
form above
ground roots
and grow
sideways to
provide trees
with extra
support.
Layers of
•
•
Reptiles such
as
rattlesnakes
have thick
scaly skin to
prevent
water loss.
Amphibians
such as toad,
bury
themselves
in the group
and sleep
through dry
season
Elf owl
Insects and
spiders
covered with
armor to help
retain water
Most desert
animals are
nocturnal
Biome with
greatest
amount of
species
diversity
Most rain
forest
animals are
specialists
•
•
•
•
Off-roading
kills
vegetation
and leaves
tracks that
scar the land
Vegetation
dwindles so
does animal
population
•
All types of
deserts: Hot
and Dry,
Semiarid,
Coastal,
Cold deserts
Once
covered 20%
now only
7%.
Rainforests
are cleared
for logging
operations,
agriculture,
•
Most of our
house plants
are native to
tropical
rainforests
Buggé/Zubrzycki: Biome Project Notes
•
•
carbon cycles
Always
humid and
warm, 200 –
450 cm of
rain a year
•
Strong
sunlight year
round,
constant
temperature
decays
quickly and
plants
quickly
absorb
nutrients.
Water
running out
of soil as
clear as
distilled
water.
•
•
rainforest
(emergent,
upper
canopy,
lower
canopy,
understory)
Tallest trees
60-70 m
•
•
that use
specific
resources in
particular
ways
Insects use
camouflage
•
•
oil
exploration.
Habitat
destruction
Trading
threatens
plant and
animal life
due to
“exotic-pet
trading”