Download Dominant Plants - Brookwood High School

Biomes
Tropical Rain Forest
General Info
more species than all other biomes
Canopy- leafy tops of tall trees
understory second layer of shorter trees
and vines
Abiotic Factors
Hot and wet year-round; thin,
nutrient-poor soils
TropicalRain
Rain Forest
Tropical
Forest
Dominant Plants
Broad leaved evergreen trees; ferns; vines
and climbing plants; orchids and bromeliads
Dominant Animals
sloths, jaguars; anteaters; monkeys;
toucans, parrots, and parakeets; butterflies,
and anacondas
Geographic Distribution- parts of S. and
C. America, SE Asia, and parts of Africa, S.
India, and NE Australia
Tropical Dry Forest
General Info- rainfall is seasonal
during the dry season: the trees
are deciduous so drop their leaves
to conserve water.
Abiotic Factors- warm yearround; alternating wet and dry
seasons; rich soils
Tropical Dry Forest
Tropical Dry Forest
Dominant Plants- tall, deciduous
trees form a dense canopy during
wet season; drought-tolerant
orchids and bromeliads; aloe
plants
Tropical Dry
Tropical
DryForest
Forest
Dominant Animals- tigers;
monkeys; elephants, hog deer, and
spot-billed pelican; snakes and
monitor lizards.
Geographic Distribution- parts
of Africa, S. and C. America,
Mexico, India, Australia, and
tropical islands.
Tropical Savannah
General InfoCovered grasses. Isolated trees and
shrubs. Compact soils, frequent
fires.
Abiotic Factors- warm temps;
seasonal rainfall; compact soil;
frequent fires set by lightning.
Tropical
Savannah
Tropical Savannah
Dominant Plants-tall perennial grasses;
drought-tolerant and fire-resistant
trees or shrubs
Dominant Animals- lions, leopards,
cheetahs, hyenas, and jackals,
elephants, giraffes, and zebras;
baboons; eagles, ostriches, storks;
termites.
Tropical
TropicalSavannah
Savannah
Geographic Distributionlarge parts or E. Africa, S.
Brazil, N. Australia.
Desert
General InfoDRY, annual precipitation less than 25 cm,
extreme temp. changes day vs. night,
Organisms can tolerate extreme conditions.
Abiotic Factors- low precipitation;
changing temperatures; soils rich in
minerals but poor inorganic material.
Desert
Desert
• Dominant Plants-
Cacti and other
succulents; creosote bush and other plants
with short growth cycles.
• Dominant Animals- mountain lions, and
bobcats; pronghorn antelope, desert
bighorn sheep, and kangaroo rats, bats;
owls, hawks, and roadrunners; ants, flies,
rattlesnakes, and lizards.
• Geographic Distribution- Africa, Asia,
the Middle East, United States, Mexico,
S. America, and Australia.
Temperate Grassland
General Info- mix of grasses, some of world’s
most fertile soils, periodic fires and heavy grazing
by large herbivores
Abiotic Factors- warm to hot summers; cold winters;
moderate, seasonal precipitation; fertile soils;
occasional fires.
Dominant Plants- lush perennial grasses and
herbs; resistant to drought, fire, and cold
TemperateGrassland
Grassland
Temperate
Dominant Animals- coyotes, badgers,
wolves, grizzly bears, rabbits, prairie dogs,
bison; hawks, owls, snakes, ants and
grasshoppers.
Geographic Distribution- Central Asia,
N. America, Australia, Central Europe,
and plateaus of S. America
Temperate Woodland & Shrubland
General Info
Also known as chaparral; Semi-arid climate,
mix of shrub & open woodlands, wildflowers
& oak trees, plants have flammable oils
Abiotic Factors
Hot, dry summers; cool, moist winters/
thin, nutrient-poor soils, fires
Temperate Woodland & Shrubland
Temperate Woodland & Shrubland
Dominant Plants
Woody evergreen shrubs, w/ small leathery
leaves, fragrant oily herbs grow in winter and die
in summer
Dominant Animals
coyotes, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, black
tailed deer, rabbits, squirrels, hawks, butterflies,
spiders
Geographic DistributionWestern coasts of N. & S. America, areas around
Mediterranean, S. Africa, & Australia
Temperate Forest
• General Info
• Dominant Plants
Mixture of deciduous and coniferous
trees (seed bearing cones w/ needle
shaped leaves) leaves fall in Autumn,
spring flowering occurs. Soils rich in
humus
Broadleaf deciduous trees, some
conifers, flowering shrubs, herbs,
mosses and ferns
• Abiotic Factors cold to
moderate winters, warm
summers, year round
precipitation, fertile soils
• Dominant Animals
Deer, black bears, bobcats,
squirrels, raccoons, skunks,
turkeys
• Geographic DistributionEastern US, SE Canada, Most of Europe, parts of Japan, China,
and Australia
Northwestern coniferous Forest
• General Info
• Dominant Plants
Much Rainfall from Pacific
ocean, forest mostly
conifers, lush vegetation
sometimes called
temperate rain forest.
Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, western
hemlock, redwood trees.
• Abiotic Factors
• Dominant Animals
Mild temperatures, abundant
precipitation fall winter and
spring; relatively cool, dry
summer, rocky acidic soils
Bears, elk, deer, beavers, owls,
bobcats, weasels
• Geographic DistributionPacific Coast of northwestern US & Canada, from Northern US to Alaska!
Boreal Forest/Taiga
• General Info
• Dominant Plants
TAIGA- Along northern
edge of temperate zone
dense forest of conifers.
Ground frozen in winter
but thaws in summer.
Spruce and fir, some broadleaf
deciduous, small berry-bearing
shrubs.
• Abiotic Factors
• Dominant Animals
Long, cold winters; short, mild
summers; moderate
precipitation; high humidity,
acidic, nutrient-poor soils
Lynx timber wolves, weasel,
moose, beavers, songbirds
• Geographic Distribution- N. America, Asia,
Northern Europe.
Tundra
• General Info
• Dominant Plants
PERMAFROSTpermanently frozen
subsoil, ground soggy and
wet in summer
Ground-hugging plants such as
mosses, lichens, sedges, and
short grasses
• Abiotic Factors
• Dominant Animals
Strong winds, low precipitation,
short and soggy summers, long
cold and dark winters, poorly
developed soils, permafrost
Caribous, snowy owl, arctic fox,
lemmings
• Geographic Distribution- northern North America
Asia and Europe