3.2 Terrestrial Biomes
Today’s Objectives



Objective #1: Relate latitude and the
three major climate zones
Objective #2: Describe the major abiotic
factors that determine the location of a
terrestrial biome
Objective #3: Distinguish among
terrestrial biomes based on climate and
biotic factors
Effects of Latitude and Climate

Regardless of where you live, you are affected
by weather and climate


Give examples
Weather


The condition of the atmosphere at a specific place
and time
Latitude and climate are important
Latitude

Latitude


The distance of any point on the surface of
Earth north or south from the equator
Spans from 0 degrees at equator to 90
degrees at the poles: Bellbrook is 39.635N
Latitude

What is the Earth’s primary source of
heat?


radiation from the sun-solar radiation
Because Earth is a sphere, different levels
of solar radiation reach different parts of
its curved surface
Latitude

What determines the climate (different
seasons)

Earth’s tilt
Climate

Climate



The average weather conditions in an area,
including temperature and precipitation
Latitude has a large effect on climate
Also greatly effected by elevation, continental
landmasses, ocean currents, and wind

Biome


A large group of similar ecosystems
containing distinctive types of plants and
other organisms; determined by climate
Many regions of the world do have similar
climate conditions
For the Test…


Make sure you know the tan boxes
containing information about each biome
Know the following defining characteristics
Tundra

Exhibits a layer of permanently frozen soil
below the surface called permafrost

May thaw up to a couple of centimeters
during the summer
Boreal Forest


Dense evergreen forest
Still cold, but summers are longer and
somewhat warmer than the Tundra’s
Temperate Forest


Composed mostly of broad-leaved,
deciduous trees- trees that shed their
leaves in autumn
Winters are cold, while spring is warm
with plenty of rain to restart the growth
cycles of plants and trees
Temperate Woodland and
Shrubland


Found in areas with less annual rainfall
than in temperate forest
Areas dominated by shrubs are called
Chaparral
Temperate Grassland

Contain fertile soil that are able to support
a thick cover of grasses


Underground stems and buds are protected
from fires
Drought, grazing animals, and fires
prevent the creation of forests
Desert

Rate of evaporation exceeds the rate of
precipitation
Tropical Savanna

Contains grasses and scattered trees in
climates that receive less precipitation that
some other tropical areas
Tropical Seasonal Forest

Like temperate deciduous forests, during
the dry season almost all the trees drop
their leaves to conserve water

Much warmer though
Tropical Rain Forest


Warm temperatures and large amounts of
rainfall
Most diverse species
Tropical Rain Forest

Tall, broad-leaved trees with branches
heavy with mosses, ferns, and orchids
make up the canopy
Tropical Rain Forest

Shorter trees, shrubs, and plants make up
another layer called the understory
Other Terrestrial Areas


Polar regions are not considered true
biomes they are ice masses and are not
true land areas with soil
Mountains do not fit the
definition of a biome

Animals/Plants depend on
elevation
Mountains

Biotic communities change with increasing
elevation

Due to different temperatures and amounts of
precipitation
Polar Regions



Cold all year
Average winter temperature of -30
degrees Celsius
Inhabited by colonies of penguins, polar
bears, arctic foxes