Earth’s Terrestrial Biomes
April 7, 2021
Terrestrial Biomes
Remember: a biome is a large group of
ecosystems that share the same climate and have
similar types of communities.
Latitude & Climate
Latitude – the distance of any point on the surface
of the Earth north or south from the equator
Weather vs. Climate
• weather is the day-to-day condition of the
atmosphere
• climate is weather averaged over a long period
of time (30+ years)
• latitude has a large effect on climate
Terrestrial Biomes
• Light strikes the Earth more
directly at the Equator than
at the poles
• Earth’s surface is heated
differently in different areas
• Ecologists call the different
areas “zones”
• Organisms are adapted to
the different zones based
on the climate and other
abiotic factors
Earth’s Terrestrial (Land) Biomes
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Tropical Rainforest
Temperate Forest
Desert
Tundra
Boreal Forest
Grassland
Savanna
Chaparral
Polar Ice
Tropical Forest (Rainforest)
• Warm, humid
• Rainy season,
even rainier
season
• Extremely
biodiverse
Anacondas, monkeys,
jaguars, sloths,
macaws
Temperate Forest (Deciduous Forest)
• Four distinct
seasons
• Trees change
color, lose
leaves
• Where we live!
Black bears,
mountain lions,
deer, fox, squirrels,
raccoons, birds
Desert
• Hottest biome
• Can get cold at
night and in
winter
• Extreme
environment
Tortoise, camel,
rattlesnake,
scorpions, coyotes,
jackrabbits
Temperate Grassland
(“plains” / “prairies”)
• Short/long
grasses
• Low rainfall
• Frequent fires,
no trees
• Large grazing
mammals
Bison, prairie dogs,
antelope, deer,
skunks, badgers
Tropical Grassland (Savanna)
• More rainfall,
trees can root
• Hotter temps
• Long-legged
grazers,
predators
Zebra, antelope,
lions, cheetahs,
gazelles, wildebeest
Chaparral (Mediterranean Forest)
• Rocky, shrubby biome
with mild winters & hot
summers
• California and parts of
Europe, Australia,
Southern Africa
• Only on west coasts of
continents
• Smallest biome
Woodpeckers,
roadrunners, coyotes,
chipmunks, rabbits, mice
Boreal Forest (Taiga)
• Largest land
biome
• Lots of conifers
• Long, cold
winters
Lynxes, grizzly bears,
moose, voles,
martens, Siberian
tiger, beavers
Tundra
• Cold, flat
• Layer of permafrost
(frozen ground)
underneath so trees
can’t root
• Very short summer
Reindeer (caribou),
wolves, snowy owl,
arctic fox, mountain
goats
Polar Ice
• Arctic & Antarctica
• Coldest place on Earth
• Permanent ice
• No vegetation
• Technically a desert
(no precipitation)
Polar bears, beluga
whales, orcas, seals,
penguins (only in
Antarctica)
Terrestrial Biomes