Earth’s Major Biomes
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October 13, 2011 Notes
Biome
 A large, relatively distinct _____________ __________ with a
similar _____________, soil, _________, and animals, regardless
of where it occurs in the world
 ________ major biomes
Location of each biome is primarily determined by:
 __________________ (varies with both latitude and elevation)
 __________________
Tundra
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___________________ biome in the far north with harsh, _______
winters and extremely __________ summers
Precipitation
 ___________ cm/yr
Temperature
 Short ______________ season
 50–160 days
Nutrient __________ soils with little ________________ material
 ________________ present
 Low _________________ ___________________
 Low ________________ productivity
Boreal Forests
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A region of ________________ forests in the ____________ hemisphere
 Just south of tundra
Covers ____ % of Earth’s land
Growing Season
 A little longer than tundra
Precipitation
 ~ _____ cm/yr
Soils are ___________ and mineral _________
Vegetation comprised of ______________ resistant ______________.
Types of vegetation: _________________, _______________, ___________
Animals:
Temperate Rainforest
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_________________ biome with __________ weather, dense ______ and
_________ precipitation
 Ex: Northwest US
Precipitation
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 > ______ cm/yr
 Heaviest in ______________
Temperature
 Winters are _________
 _______________ are cool
Soils are nutrient-__________, but high in organic _____________
(dropped needles)
 Cool temperatures slow _____________________
Dominant Vegetation
 Large ____________ trees
 _____ -growth forest
Variety of cool climate ___________ life
Very ________ species richness
Heavily _____________
Temperature Deciduous Forests
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Forest biome that occurs in _____________ areas with a moderate
amount of ________________
Precipitation
 _________ cm/yr
Temperature
 Seasonality: ____ seasons
 _______ summers and ________ winters
Topsoil is rich in __________ material and underlain by ________.
Vegetation is primarily ________________.
 _______, __________, __________
Animals
 ________, _________ and small animals
Most of this biome land area has been regenerated after ___________
& ______________ harvest
Grassland
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Grasslands have ______ summers, ________ winters and too little
_________________ to support trees
Precipitation
 ___________ cm/yr
_____ grass prairies
__________ grass prairies
_______% of this biome has been lost to _________________.
Soil has thick, organic material
Periodic fires keep the dominant ______________
Animals: Once covered with ____________ - no longer true
Smaller animals are still present
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Chaparral
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Ex)
Also called a _________________ Climate
 Ex:
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Temperature
 _________, ____________ winters
 _________, _________ summers
Frequent ______________
Soil is _______ and often not fertile
Vegetation
 Dense growth of ________________ shrubs
 during the growing season
Animals
 Mule deer, chipmunks, many species of birds
Deserts
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Biome where lack of _________________ limits plant growth
Temperature
 Can __________ greatly in 24-hr period, as well as _________
(based on location)
Precipitation
 < ______ cm/yr
Soils low in ______________ and high in ________
Vegetation sparse
 ______________ and ______________
Animals are very _____________ to regulate ___________________.
Savanna
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________________ grassland with widely scattered _______
Temperature
 ____________ little throughout the year
Precipitation
 Seasons regulated by __________________, not temperature
 76–150 cm/yr
Vegetation
 Wide expanses of _________, occasional ____________ trees
Have ______ ___________ characteristics
Animals
 Herds of _____________ animals
 Large ________________ - lions, hyenas, etc
Tropical Rainforest
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___________, species-rich biome that occurs where climate is
___________ and ____________ throughout the year
Precipitation
 _______________ cm/yr
Very ________________ biome
Most ____________________-rich biome
Ancient, weathered, nutrient-_________ soil
 Nutrients tied up in ________________, not soil
Vegetation
 3 distinct ____________ layers
Animals
 Most ____________ insect, reptiles and amphibians on _______