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Living Things and Their Environment Lesson 5: Biomes 6 Major Biomes Taiga Desert Tundra Grassland Deciduous Forest Tropical Rain Forest What is a biome? The land on Earth is divided into 6 kinds of large ecosystem called biomes In Greek: “bio” = life “omes” = group bio + omes = biomes life + group = life group biomes = life group What is a biome? Each biome has its own kind of: Climate Soil Plants Animals Tundra Biome map 1 Location: high northern latitudes Climate: frigid winters, cool summers…VERY SHORT GROWING SEASON ! Plants: Grasses, wildflowers, mosses Animals: Oxen, arctic foxes, snowshoe hares, hawks, polar bears Tundra Biome World’s youngest biome Tundra biome formed 10,000 yrs ago Covers 20% of the Earth’s surface Tundra comes from the Finnish word for barren land Winds can blow 40-60 mph Tundra Biome Ground is frozen all year round Winters are long and icy cold Can’t find many plants taller than 12in. Sun melts ice in the top layer of soil Permafrost, permanently frozen soil, keeps water fro flowing downward. Tundra Biome Like Desert: little precipitation Bc of permafrost: marshes and lakes Millions of Mosquitoes Mosquitoes can survive because they can replace lost water with chemical glycerol Glycerol = antifreeze Tundra Biome Global Warming is melting the Tundra every year The Tundra is a fragile environment. Any disturbance can cause major damage Tundra Biome Tundra Biome Harlequin Duck Buffalo TAIGA BIOME map 2 Taiga is the Russian word for “forest” It is the largest biome in the world The Taiga Biome covers 11% of the Earth It is also known as the boreal forest Location: mid- to high latitudes Climate: very cold winters, cool summers Plants: spruce, fir, and other evergreens Animals: rodents, snowshoe hares, bears, caribou, wolves TAIGA BIOME In the summer, birds migrate here. Millions of insects can be found. Chainsaws cut down trees. The Taiga is a major source of lumber. TAIGA BIOME Plants Caribou Moss Pine White Spruce Douglass Fir Hemlock TAIGA BIOME Animals Red Deer Lynx Bobcat Snow Shoe Hare Wolverine Desert Biome map 4 Sahara Desert Largest Desert: 3,500,000mi Gobi Desert Atacama Desert 2nd Largest Desert: 500,000mi Driest Desert: 600mi Desert Biome Location: midlatitudes- near the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn Climate: hot days, cool nights, precipitation less than 4 cm a year Plants: cacti, yuccas, shrubs, trees Animals: rodents, snakes, lizards, tortoises, insects, and some birds Desert Biome A desert is a sandy or rocky biome It has little precipitation & plant life Every continent has at least one desert The Sahara is the largest desert The Sahara would cover the entire continental United States Desert Biome Desert Ironwood Barrel Cactus Crimson Hedgehog Cactus Saguoro Cactus Ocotillo Desert Biome Bobcat Banded Gila Monster Kangaroo Rat Desert Bighorn Sheep Coyote Grassland Biome map 3 Location: Midlatitudes, interiors of continents Climate: Cool winter, hot summer, 25-75 cm of precipitation/year Soil: Rich topsoil Plants: Mostly grasses and shrubs Grassland Biome Grass is the main plant life Rainfall irregular and not usually plentiful Grassland example: Praires- bread basket of the world Grasslands have changed Now covered in crops such as: Wheat Corn Oats Grassland Biomes American Grassland Animals Prairie dogs Foxes Snakes African Grassland Animals Elephants Lions Zebras Giraffe Grassland Biome Grassland Example: Savannas Stay warm all year round Soil is not as fertile Get more rain (34-60in.) Most famous: Africa More hoofed animals in savannas than anywhere else on Earth Grassland Biome Much of the land is being used more and more to graze domestic cattle Soon, they will replace the native animals Deciduous Forest map 6 Deciduous means the leaves fall to the ground. In the deciduous forest biome, leaves change color in the fall, fall to the ground, and decay. Deciduous forests once covered most of the US east of the Mississippi River and Western Europe Deciduous Forest Location: Midlatitudes Climate: Mild summers and cold winters. 150 cm of rain/year Plants: Hardwoods such as oaks, beeches, hickories, maples Animals: wolves, deer, bears, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects Deciduous Forest American Beech Lady Fern White Oak White Birch Shagbark Hickory Deciduous Forest Brown Bear Moose Bald Eagle Black Bear Wolf Tropical Rain Forest Location: map 5 near the equator Climate: hot all year round, humid, rainy Plants: greatest diversity; vines, orchids, ferns Animals: most species of insects, reptiles, and amphibians Tropical Rain Forest Multiple layers in the forest Tree canopy = wide umbrella The canopy is so thick, sunlight never reaches the ground Limited sunlight means limited ground growth Tropical Rain Forest Tropical Rain Forest Tree Canopy Tropical Rain Forest Most of the The howler life in the monkey tropical and purple rain forest is found up high in the branches. orchids can be found clinging to the treetops Tropical Rain Forest Tropical rain forests can be found in… India Africa South America Australia Pacific Islands India Tropical Rain Forest Victims to people’s needs: Lumber Farmland Minerals India Tropical Rain Forest Millions of animals live in the tropical rain forests India Many have yet to be discovered… Tropical Rain Forest People are starting to replant and restore the world’s tropical rainforests. Still, some species will become extinctIndia before ever being discovered. Tropical Rain Forest The Tropical Rain Forest is home to the world’s most colorful birds India QUETZALS TOUCANS Tropical Rain Forest …And some of the largest snakes… India Anaconda Tropical Rain Forest Tropical Yet they Rainforests hold now cover half of the less than world’s 6% of the plants and Earth. animals. Tropical Rain Forest 25% of medicine comes from rainforest Curare- anesthetic and muscle relaxer Quinine- treats malaria Rosy Perwinkle- treats leukemia Tropical Rain Forest There is thought to be… …over 1400 kinds of plants that could one day lead… …to a cure for cancer! Marine Biome Largest biome in the world Covers 70% of the Earth Includes 5 main oceans: Indian Atlantic Pacific Southern Artic Marine Biome Usually very salty Average 1 cup of salt per gallon of water 3 Vertical Zones Top Layer: Euphotic Zone 2nd Layer: Disphotic Zone Light penetrates Only some light penetrates (dusk) 3rd Layer: Aphotic Zone No light penetrates (deep sea) Marine Biome Deep sea: Very cold and completely dark 80% of habitats on earth found here Deepest point: Mariana Trench Deeper than Mt. Everest is tall 36,200 feet deep Marine Biome Weather: Marine Biome effects our climate Constant motion of ocean results in: Sunny or cloudy Currents and waves Water Temperature Range from nearly freezing to as warm as bathtub Average temperature: 39 degrees Sun only warms up surface water Marine Biome Plants: Over 1 million plants and animals discovered in the ocean Scientist say there may be 9 million yet to be discovered Algae: Very Important Without it we wouldn’t be able to breathe Provides most of world’s oxygen Consumes tons of carbon dioxide Marine Biome Plants: Kelp Important because: Provides shelter and food Used by humans for: toothpaste and ice cream Buffer: absorbs energy from waves before shoreline Phytoplankton Tiny plants serve as food for ocean creatures Provide world with almost half oxygen Live in euphotic zone because needs sun’s energy Marine Biome Animals: Home to most of earth’s biodiversity Mollusks, fish, whales, crustaceans, bacteria, fungi, sea anemones and many other animals Most marine mammals have blubber Sea otters have fur 1,000,000 hairs per square inch Most people have ten times less than that on their heads Marine Biome Animals: Blue whale Is the biggest animal on earth Over 100 feet long Person could crawl through main arteries 20 people could stand on their tongue Angler Fish Deals with the darkness by attracting its prey with a lure lit up by light-producing bacteria