Download Climate/Soil

Biomes
What do you need to know?
- soil types of different biomes
differ
- filtration rates, rate of water flow
through the soil, of the different
soils can be studied
What kind of soil texture would you find
in each of these biomes?
Consider: the types of soil particles
present and the amount of organic
matter.
Tropical Rain Forest
Rain Forest
Tropical Dry Forest
• Climate - hot &
• Climate/Soil – warm
humid year round year-round with
alternating wet and dry
• Soil - thin, poor
seasons; rich soil
soil
• Plant life
Plants – very
abundant; tall trees, – tall, deciduous (drop
their leaves), succulent
vines
Savanna
Climate/Soil:
–More rain than
deserts, but less
than tropical dry
forest
–Compacted soils,
frequent fires
Plants
–Similar to
tropical dry
forest
Deserts
Climate/Soil:
- Low precipitation
- Variable temps
- Rich in nutrients,
poor in organic
materials
Plants
- Short growth cycles
- Cacti – waxy coating
to prevent water-loss
Temperate Forest
Climate/Soil:
–Cold/moderate
winters, warm
summers
–Year-round
precipitation
–Fertile soil
Plant life
–Deciduous
trees and
conifers
Grasslands
Climate/Soil:
warm to hot
summers, cold
winters; fertile
soil - agriculture
Plants
– tall grasses,
prairies
Tundra/Polar Region
Climate/Soil:
- Cold, dark winters
and short, soggy
summers
- Permafrost –
layer of
permanently frozen
subsoil
Plants
- low to the
ground
Boreal Forest
(Taiga)
Climate/Soil:
Plants
- long, cold winters;
– conifers (coneshort, mild
bearing trees)
summers; moderate
precipitation
- acidic, nutrient-poor
Instructions:
1. Pick 1 biome on the biome map
2. On the HWSD Major Soil Texture
soils map, select a location that is in the
biome you picked and determine the type
of soil in your biome. Write down the
name of the soil texture.
3. Use the information from the soil type
triangle handout to mix soil found in
your biome.