Biomes of The World
From http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/index.html
Chaparral
Chaparral
Location:
Found in small sections of most continents, including
the west coast of the U.S.
Climate:
Very hot and dry
Mild winter (about 50°F)
Hot summer (up to 100°F)
Chaparral
Plants:
Have large, hard leaves, which hold moisture are
well adapted to fires
Animals:
Adapted to hot, dry weather
Chaparral
Other Information:
land includes flat plains, rocky hills, and mountain
slopes
Fire occurs naturally, but can also be caused by
human activity
Deciduous Forest
Deciduous Forest
Location:
Eastern United States, Canada, Europe, China, Japan, and parts of
Russia
Climate:
Has four changing seasons including winter, spring, summer, and
fall
Second greatest amount of precipitation (30 - 60 inches)
Mild Summers (70°F)
Winter temperatures below freezing
Deciduous Forest
Plants:
trees lose their leaves in late fall, and grow them back
in the spring
Animals:
Many hibernate or migrate in the winter to escape the
cold
Other Information:
It’s where we live in Ohio
Desert
Desert
Location:
Found on every continent
Climate:
Extremely dry
Can be hot or cold
Desert
Plants:
Are good at storing and finding water
Hot Desert Ex: cacti
Few plants can survive in cold desert (Ex: algae,
grasses)
Desert
Animals:
Have adaptations to survive extreme conditions
Hot desert- Mostly cold-blooded animals and
small mammals
cold desert-Fewer animals live here (ex. seals,
penguins, polar bears)
Desert
Other information:
Sahara in Africa is the largest hot desert
Antarctica is the largest cold desert
offers many types of recreation like rock climbing,
hiking and dirt biking
Grasslands
Grasslands
Location:
North America (Great Plains in U.S.), Eurasia,
South America, South Africa
Climate:
hot summers & cold winters
20 - 35 inches of rain per year
Grasslands
Plants:
Grasses are dominant
Animals:
Has many ungulates (herbivores, or plant-eating
animals, that graze on grasses and have hoofs)
Grasslands
Other Information:
Sometimes called prairies
Has the darkest, most nutrient-rich soil, which is
used for farming
Savanna
Savanna
Location:
covers half the surface of Africa, large areas of
Australia, South America, and India
Climate:
temperatures range from 68° to 86°F
6 - 8 month wet summer season, 4 - 6 month dry
winter season
10 - 30 inches per year
Savanna
Plants:
Coarse grass, few trees
Animals:
Ex: elephants, zebras, giraffes, lions, hyenas
Birds and large mammals migrate elsewhere in
search of water during the dry season
Taiga
Taiga
Location:
Extends across North America (Canada &
Alaska), Europe, and Asia
Climate:
Long, cold winters, and short, mild, wet summers
yearly precipitation is 10 - 30 inches
Taiga
Plants:
Many conifer (cone-bearing)/evergreen trees that
can withstand cold temperatures and snow
Not many plants due to the rocky and acidic soil
Taiga
Animals:
Many have thick coats of fur to insulate against the
cold, some hibernate, while Others migrate
deer, moose, elk, and snowshoe hare, grizzly bears,
wolves, lynxes and wolverines
Some have fur that changes colors to blend into the
different summer and winter habitats
Tropical Rainforest
Tropical Rainforest
Location:
Covers 6 - 7% of the Earth’s land surface
can be found on Central and South America, western Africa,
southeast Asia, and Australia
Climate:
Average temperature ranges from 70°F to 85°F
80 to 400 inches of rain per year
high humidity of 77% to 88% year-round
Tropical Rainforest
Plants:
home to half the plant species on Earth
Many Plants, especially trees, that have adapted to wet climate
divided into four zones (top to bottom):
1) emergent layer- trees over 150 feet
2) canopy- shorter trees, vines, and majority of life The next layer
3) understory- dark, cool area shaded by trees
4) forest floor- dead plants and animals decompose here, many insects
Tropical Rainforest
Animals:
home to half the animal species on Earth
Other Information:
Provide us with Oxygen, food, medicine, timber,
travel, and more
Threatened by deforestation
Tundra
Tundra
Location:
covers about one fifth of the land on earth
arctic circle & Antarctica
Climate:
coldest and the driest of all the biomes on Earth
Temperatures ranges from -50 degrees to 50 degrees
Less than ten inches of precipitation a year
Tundra
Plants:
few plants because of frozen ground
Ex: lichens, mosses, and small shrubs
Animals:
Have adaptations to survive freezing temperatures
Ex: (See animals in cold desert)
Other Information:
Means “Treeless Plain”