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Terrestrial Biomes Forests, Deserts and
Grasslands
What is a biome?
Biome – a major ecological
community type
Conifer forest
Deciduous forest
Temperate forest
Tropical rainforest
Shrubland
Grassland
Desert
Tundra
Taiga
Coniferous Forests
Long, extremely cold
winters with 6-8 hours
of sunlight
Short, cool summers
with 19 hours of
sunlight
Annual precipitation
(both rain and snow)
14-30”.
Coniferous Forest - Plants
Primarily conifers
Also called
evergreens
Stiff needles
instead of leaves
Deep green color
Shed their needles
slowly
Cone shaped seed
cases
Cones must open to
release the seeds
Coniferous Forests –
Animals
Populations are
scarce, mostly
herbivores
Large herbivores
Reach high into trees
or dig into deep snow
Seed eaters
Pull seeds from cones
Eat fallen seeds on the
ground
Carnivore size varies
Lynx, wolf
Temperate Forests - Facts
Also called deciduous forests
drop leaves completely every winter
Found in eastern N. America, western
Europe and eastern Asia
Long, very warm summers
Cold winters (not severe)
Forest soil is thick and very fertile
Deciduous Forest - Plants
High biodiversity
from canopy to
ground
Canopy is primarily
deciduous trees
Includes maples,
birches and oaks
Plant Adaptations
Leaves – broad and
flat for maximum
photosynthesis
Excess carbohydrates
made during
photosynthesis is
stored in the sap
Leaves are dropped in
winter
Plant Adaptations - Seeds
Seeds can’t grow in
shadow, so they
must be dispersed.
Done by:
Brightly colored
fruit
Hard shells
Wings
Deciduous Forest - Animals
High biodiversity
Includes:
Birds
Small and large
herbivores
Small and large
carnivores
High degree of
resource
partitioning
Tropical Rainforests - Facts
Found along or near the equator
Amazon River (S. America), Indonesia,
Africa and Central America
Currently covers about 2% of the earth’s
land surface
Believed to be the major source of the
world’s fresh air
Tropical Rainforest - Climate
Hot all year…very
little variation in
temperature
No true seasons
Humidity is always
high
Rains almost every
day, usually in the
afternoon.
Annual precipitation –
80-160”
Rainforest Vegetation
Trees are very tall
(180’) with broad,
evergreen leaves.
Mahogany
Leaf cover is very
dense, restricting
growth of competing
plants
Roots are shallow to
increase absorption of
soil nutrients
Rainforest Animals
Highest biodiversity in the
world
Contains at least ½ of the
entire world’s plant and
animal species
Species are highly stratified.
There is very little
competition between species.
Most animals live in the
canopy because of the
presence of sunlight.
Shrublands - Facts
Shrublands usually get more rain than
grasslands and deserts but less than
forests.
Rainfall is between 7.8” to 39”.
Rain is unpredictable, varying from month
to month, with distinct dry and rainy
seasons.
Found around the Mediterranean Sea, SW
Africa and Australia and Mexico.
Shrubland - Plants
Mostly shrubs and
short trees.
Grasses and short
plants grow
between the
shrubs.
 Many plants have
small needle-like
leaves or waxy
coatings on the
leaves to help
them adapt to
drought like
conditions during
the dry season.
Shrublands - Animals
Animals have
adapted to the
heat by only coming
out in the early
morning, late
afternoon, or night
to find food and
hunt.
Many get their
water directly from
their food.
Deserts - Facts
“An area where
evaporation exceeds
precipitation”.
Make up about 30% of
earth’s land surface.
Daytime temperatures
can be <30 and >100 oF.
 Soils are hard,
dry and sandy
with few
nutrients.
 Most are found on
either side of the
equator.
Desert
There are three
categories of
desert based on:
temperature range
amount of
precipitation
vegetation/animal
species
Tropical deserts
Driest places on
earth (<5” rain/year)
Temperate deserts
Sometimes caused by
rainshadow effect
Cold deserts
Also called interior
deserts
Desert Plants
Called xerophytes
Adaptations:
Require few
nutrients
Require little water
Leaves are small,
thick and waxy or
have become spines
Can expand to hold
extra water
Desert Animals Adaptations
Usually nocturnal
Usually small
Hard shells or thick
skins
Poisonous
Hibernate or enter
suspended animation
during droughts
Can conserve water
Tropical Grassland
Also called savanna
Cover large areas of
Africa, South America
and Australia
Warm weather year
round
3 Seasons – 1 dry season,
1 rainy season and 1 wet
season
Mostly grasses with
individual stands of
trees and shrubs
Savanna - Animals
Many species of small animals
Rodents, birds
Large populations of herbivores
Africa – Gazelles, wildebeest
Australia - kangaroo
Savanna Animals –
Herbivore Adaptations
Evolution of eating strategies to
minimize competition
By food type
By migration
By food height
Giraffes Elephant Zebra Gazelle 
Wildebeest
Savanna Animals –
Carnivore Adaptations
Eat both small and large animals
Small animals require more individuals per meal
Hunting strategy
Cooperative – lion
Solo – cheetah
Ambush – lion
Pursuit – cheetah
Scavenge – hyena, vulture, eagle
Temperate Grasslands
Vast expanses of grasses without trees
Summer hot/dry. Winter bitterly cold.
Wildfires common in summer and fall.
Soils are thick and fertile.
Found in interior of N. and S. America, and China
Temperate Grasslands - Plants
Similar to tropical grassland plants
Evolved to fit the environment
Drought tolerant
Extensive root systems
Reproduce by seed or rhizome
Regrow from bottom – very important to survival
Temperate Grasslands - Animals
Complex food webs
Animals are mostly
small
Herbivores – prairie
dogs, squirrels
Carnivores – coyotes,
snakes, foxes
Large carnivores
eliminated by hunters
and farmers
Arctic Tundra
Also called polar
grasslands because of
their location near the
North Pole
Winter is bitterly
cold, with ice, snow,
high winds and weeks
of total darkness.
Arctic Tundra - Facts
Treeless. Covered
with a thick, spongy
layer of low-growing
plants
Summer lasts 2
months. Gets warm
enough to melt the
upper soil layer
allowing plant growth.
Arctic Plants
Small, low–growing with most of
the plant underground as roots
and bulbs
Thick, waxy leaves above ground
Some dehydrate to prevent
freezing
Do all of their growing, blooming
and seeding in the 2 month long
summer.
Tundra - Animals
Temporary residents
Migrating/nesting birds
Migrating herbivores and
carnivores
Adaptations
Thick coats
Live underground
Small size
Don’t hibernate