Download EXPLORING BIOMES

EXPLORING
BIOMES
CHAPTER 20
The Earth’s
Ecosystems
TUNDRA
-51 °C to 10 °C
-------------------30-50 cm Per Year
TUNDRA
Plants  Lichens, Small Shrubs
---------------------Animals  Wolf, Polar Bear,
Walrus, Owl, Penguin, Caribou
TUNDRA
 Windy
& Very Cold All Year
 A Huge Treeless Plain
 Animals Have Fur Or A
Blubber Layer (That Reduces
Heat Loss)
CONIFEROUS FOREST
-55 °C to 20 °C
-----------------------30-85 cm Per Year
CONIFEROUS FOREST
Plants  Alpine Fir, Spruce,
Pine, Moss
--------------------------Animals  Bighorn Sheep, Elk,
Moose, Owl, Bears,
Wolves, Porcupines
CONIFEROUS FOREST
 Evergreen Trees Produce Seeds
In Cones  CONIFEROUS
 Extremely Cold Winters
 Referred To By Its Russian
Name  TAIGA
DECIDUOUS FOREST
10 °C
------------------------70-150 cm Per Year
DECIDUOUS FOREST
Plants  Elm, Dogwood,
Geranium, Azalea, Oak
--------------------------Animals  Deer, Squirrel,
Chipmunk, Rabbits
DECIDUOUS FOREST
Trees Shed Their Broad Leaves
And Grow New Ones Each Year
 Birds Migrate To Warmer Areas
 Mammals Hibernate

DESERT
Temperatures Vary Greatly
-------------------Less Than 25 cm Per Year
DESERT
Plants  Palm Tree,
Sagebrush, Cactus, Yucca
---------------------Animals  Rattlesnake,
Camel, Fox, Coyote, Lizard,
Roadrunner
DESERT
 Very
Little Rain and Hot All
Year
 Animals Obtain Water From
Food They Eat
 Plants Have Thick Stems That
Store Water
RAIN FOREST
20 °C to 30 °C
-------------------Up To 400 cm Per Year
RAIN FOREST
Plants  Fig Tree, Palm Tree,
Lichens, Orchids, Vines
---------------------Animals  Tarantula, Chimp,
Jaguar, Anteater
RAIN FOREST
• Very Hot and Humid (Because
Of All The Water In The Air)
• Very Little Light (Penetrates
The Thick Vegetation)
• Contain More Species Of
Organisms Than All Other
Biomes Combined
GRASSLANDS
0 °C to 38 °C
----------------------Varies Greatly ;
25-75 cm Per Year
GRASSLANDS
Plants  Wild Rye,
Prairie Cordgrass, Switchgrass
------------------------Animals  Giraffe, Zebra, Lion,
Prairie Dog, Kangaroo, Bison
GRASSLANDS
 Vegetation Maintained By
Periodic Fire
 Few Big Trees (Because There
Is Not Enough Rain)
 Grazing Herbivores Keep
Young Trees and Bushes
From Competing For Water
and Sunlight
GRASSLANDS
 Two Types – African Savanna
and American Prairie
AQUATIC BIOMES
Temp Varies Greatly
-------------------Precipitation Varies Greatly
AQUATIC
Plants  Water Lily,
Reed Grass, Algae, Seaweed
---------------------Animals  Crocodile,
Killer Whale, Sting Ray, Crab,
Trout, Flounder, Turtle,
Octopus, Jellyfish
AQUATIC
• Oceans, Freshwater, and
Wetlands Such As Swamps
and Marshes
• There Is Only Enough Light
For Photosynthesis Near the
Surface Or In Shallow Water