Environmental Project Work:
Bioms
By Delfina Porchetto
Savanna
Location
• Africa
• South America
• India
• Northern Australia
Are located near the equator, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Climate
Savannas are found in tropical wet and dry climates.
The savanna climate has a temperature range of 20° - 30° C. In the winter, it is
usually about 20° - 25° C. In the summer the temperature ranges from 25° - 30° C.
These areas are overall very dry, but they do have a season of heavy rain. Annual
rainfall is from 20-50 inches per year. If the rain were well distributed throughout
the year, many such areas would become tropical forest.
Animals
Tropical grassland animals include giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, kangaroos, mice, moles, gophers, ground squirrels,
snakes, worms, termites, beetles, lions, leopards, hyenas, and elephants. The world's greatest diversity of
ungulates (hoofed mammals) is found on the savannas of Africa. The antelopes and hervivores are especially
diverse. Carnivores include lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, wild dogs and hyenas. Termites are especially
abundant in the tropical grasslands of the world.
Vegetation
The vegetation of the Savanna may have tall, dry grass. They may also
have a few trees around. Since there are many wildfires there are not
that many trees. There maybe also bushes and shrubs in the Savanna.
The animals in the Savanna depend on these plants to survive. It
depends a lot on the season during the year. During the rainy season a
lot of plants grow and the grass gets really tall but there are a lot
floods. During the hot season a lot of plants and trees dry up and die.
Most of the land in the savanna is flat.
Human Impacts
Negative
Large areas of grassland have been turned into farmlands for growing crops and for rearing cattle.
Sometimes, fires are started by human and they spread quickly through grasses and damage the
soils. Moreover, a large number of animals have been hunted for their valuable body parts. For
example, elephants were shot for their tusks and lions were killed for their fur. Also humans being in
the grasslands increase the chance of fires.
Positive
Tourism keeps natural sections of Africa alive. The money brought in by tourism helps fund
conservation reserves and shows the government and local communities that conservation of
animals and the landscape is important because millions of people travel thousands of miles to
come to Africa to observe and explore these landscapes.
Tropical Rain Forest
• Asia
• Australia
• Africa
• South America
• Central America
• Mexico
• Pacific, Caribbean, and Indian Ocean islands.
Climate
The climate is very humid because of all the rainfall, which amounts to about
250 cm per year. The rain forest has lots of rain because it is very hot and
wet. 50 % of the precipitation comes from its own evaporation.
The average temperature is about 25° C but never drops below 18° C. They
are so hot because they are found near the equator. Rain forest are never
found in climates which have temperatures 0° C and below because the plant
life will not be able to live because they aren't adapted to frost
Vegetation
Bark: Most trees have a thin, smooth bark. The smoothness of the bark may
also make it difficult for other plants to grow on their surface.
Lianas: They have adapted to life in the rainforest by having their roots in the
ground and climbing high into the tree canopy to reach available sunlight.
Drip Tips. The leaves of forest trees have adapted to survive with exceptionally
high rainfall. Many tropical rainforest leaves have a drip tip. Plants need to
shed water to avoid growth of fungus and bacteria
Buttresses. Buttress roots provide extra stability, especially since roots of
tropical rainforest trees are not typically as deep as those of trees in
temperate zones.
Prop and Stilt Roots. Prop and stilt roots help give support and are
characteristic of tropical palms growing in shallow, wet soils. Although the tree
grows fairly slowly, these above-ground roots can grow 28 inches a month.
Animals
Human impacts
• Deforestation (cutting down trees)
• Loss of animal habitat (they kill animals to get food)
• Flooding
• Overexploitation: Human activity in the tropical rainforest has lead to
massive amounts of forest land being converted into other human
uses such as mining or agriculture
Desserts
Major desserts:
• The largest hot and dry desert in the
world is the Sahara Desert in Northern
Africa.
• Arabian Desert in the Middle East
• The Gobi Desert in Northern China and
Mongolia
• Kalahari Desert in Africa
Climate
Hot and Dry Deserts temperature ranges from 20 to 25° C. The maximum T° is 49° C.
Cold Deserts temperature in winter ranges from -2 to 4° C and in the summer 21 to
26° C a year
Hot and Dry Deserts usually have very little rainfall and intense rainfall in short
periods between long rainless periods. This averages out to under 15 cm a year.
Cold Deserts usually have lots of snow. They also have rain around spring. This
averages out to 15 - 26 cm a year.
Vegetation
Hot and Dry Deserts vegetation is very rare. Plants are almost all ground-
hugging shrubs and short woody trees. For all of these plants to survive they
have to have adaptations. Some of the adaptations in this case are the ability
to store water for long periods of time and the ability to stand the hot
weather.
Cold Desert's plants are scattered. In areas with little shade, about 10
percent of the ground is covered with plants. In some areas of sagebrush it
reaches 85 percent. The height of scrub varies from 15 cm to 122 cm. All
plants are either deciduous and more or less contain spiny leaves.
Animals
• Hot and Dry Deserts animals include small nocturnal carnivores, insects, arachnids, reptiles, and
birds. Cold Deserts have animals like Antelope, Ground Squirrels, Jack Rabbits, and Kangaroo Rats.
Human impacts
Like off roading, when we run our vehicles over the desert soil and
carve the tracks into the soil that will scar the land for many years.
These tracks can kill off vegetation in the desert. When the vegetation
is hurt so are the animals. Animals that rely on the sandy desert floor
for camouflage can also be harmed greatly.
Temperate Forest
Major Temperate Forests of the World
• Eastern North America
• Europe
• Eastern China
• Japan
• Southeast Australia
• New Zealand
Climate
The average temperature in temperate forests is 10°C. Summers are
mild, and average about 23°C, while winter temperatures are often well
below freezing. The rainfall ranges from 102 to 380 cm per year.
Vegetation
The main trees living in this biome are: beeches, sycamores, oaks, aspens, walnut trees, lime trees,
chestnut trees, birches, elms and in America tulip trees.
The plants of the forests grow in different layers. The top layer is called the canopy and is made up of
full grown trees. The middle layer is called the understory. The lowest layer is the forest floor.
• They lost their leaves - Many of the trees that grow here are deciduous trees, meaning they lose
their leaves during the winter. There are a few evergreen trees as well that keep their leaves for the
winter.
• Sap - many trees use sap to help them through the winter. It keeps their roots from freezing and is
then used as energy in the spring to start growing again.
Animals
There are a wide variety of animals that live here including black bears, mountain lions, deer, fox, squirrels,
skunks, rabbits, and a number of birds. Some animals are predators like mountain lions and hawks. Many
animals survive off of nuts from the many trees like squirrels and turkeys.
Each species of animal has adapted to survive the winter.
Remain active - Some animals stay active during the winter. Some are just good at finding food while others,
like squirrels, store up and hide food during the fall that they can eat during the winter.
Migrate - Some animals, migrate to a warmer place for the winter and then return home come springtime.
Hibernate - Some animals hibernate or rest during the winter. They basically sleep for the winter and live off of
fat stored in their body.
Die and lay eggs - Many insects can't survive the winter, but they lay eggs that can.
Human Impact
• Deforestation
• Biodiversity Loss
• Pollution
• Habitat Loss and Fragmentation
Human activities contribute to habitat loss and fragmentation in the temperate
rainforests. By losing their natural habitats, some species become threaten and can
migrate to other areas, affecting the balance of local populations.
Grasslands
Located north of the Tropic of Cancer (23.5
degrees North) and south of the Tropic of
Capricorn (23.5 degrees South).
The major temperate grasslands:
• Veldts of Africa
• The pampas of South America
• The steppes of Eurasia
• The plains of North America.
Climate
Grasslands often occur in areas with annual precipitation between 600
mm and 1,500 mm and average mean annual temperatures ranges
from −5 and 20 °C. However, some grasslands occur in colder (-20 °C)
and hotter (30 °C) climatic conditions.. Temperate grasslands occur in
temperate climates typified by distinct seasonality (warm summers and
cold winters).
Vegetation
Grasses are the dominant vegetation. Trees and large shrubs are largely
absent. Seasonal drought, occasional fires and grazing by large mammals all
prevent woody shrubs and trees from becoming established. A few trees
such as cottonwoods, oaks and willows grow in river valleys, and a few
hundred species of flowers grow among the grasses. The various species of
grasses include purple needlegrass, blue grama, buffalo grass, and galleta.
Flowers include asters, blazing stars, coneflowers, goldenrods, sunflowers,
clovers, psoraleas, and wild indigos.
Animals
Grasslands have a low diversity of wildlife, but a high abundance of wildlife.
In North America the dominant grazing animals are bison and pronghorn.
Rodents include pocket gophers and prairie dogs. Carnivores include wolves,
coyotes, swift foxes, badgers and black-footed ferrets. Birds include grouses,
meadowlarks, quails, sparrows, hawks and owls.
Human Impacts
The biggest impact that humans have on grasslands is by developing open areas for farming or urban
development. Such development is prevalent because grasslands are generally level areas with little need for
major work to develop the land. The development of land drives animals away from populated areas and
changes the conditions of the environment.
Farming
When grasslands are converted into cropland, it reduces the food source for many wild animals. This can lead
to migration or possibly the starvation of the animals. Hunting has had and continues to have a serious impact
on the biome.
Global Warming
As the Earth's climate changes in response to human involvement, the grasslands become vulnerable.
Changing temperatures, weather patterns and water availability can throw an area of grassland out of balance
and change it forever.
Fires
Because grasslands can be found in drier climates, the plant life is susceptible to fires.
Tundra
Tundra regions are found in the
northern and southern hemispheres
between the ice-covered poles and the
taiga. In the north, this biome stretches
across northern Canada and Alaska,
Siberia and northern Scandinavia, on or
close to the Arctic Circle. There are also
areas of tundra in coastal Antarctica.
Climate
Winter temperatures don't reach above -6° C and average -6° to -1°C.
The tundra is an unusually cold and dry climate. Precipitation totals 1525 cm of rain a year, which includes melted snow. The tundra seems
like a wet and soggy place because the precipitation that falls
evaporates slowly, and because of the poor drainage caused by the
permafrost.
Vegetation
Plants that grow in the tundra include grasses, shrubs, herbs, and lichens.
They grow in groups and stay low to the ground to stay protected from the
icy winds. They tend to have shallow roots and flower quickly during the
short summer months.
Most of the plants in the tundra are perennials that come back each year
from the same root. This allows them to grow during the summer and save
up nutrients as they lay dormant for the winter. They also tend to have hairy
stems and dark leaves. This helps them in absorbing energy from the sun.
Animals
The tundra has a lot more animal activity during the summer than the winter. This is because
most birds migrate south for the summer and some mammals hibernate for the winter.
There are some animals that have adapted to winter in the tundra. Some of them change
coats from brown in the summer to white in the winter so they can blend in with the snow.
These include the arctic hare, the ermine, and the arctic fox. Other animals that are active in
the winter include the snowy owl, musk oxen, and ptarmigans.
During the summer, the tundra will be teeming with insects. There will also be a lot of bird
activity as they come to eat the insects and fish. Animals will be more active, coming out of
hibernation or migrating from the south.
Human Impacts
Negative
• Global Warming
Global warming will continue to have an inevitable effect on the tundra, the world’s most
fragile biome. Rising temperatures will melt glaciers and permafrost, flood the surrounding
areas and kill the delicate plant species.
• Overdevelopment
Building roads and structures in the tundra has attracted much more human traffic to an
area where merely stepping on the fragile plant species can kill them.
• Pollution
Positive
This region has provided economic wealth in terms of oil and gas which has continued to
grow jobs and industry in the region
Taiga
These forests are located in the far north
typically between the temperate forest
biome and the tundra biome. The largest
taiga forest covers much of northern Russia
and Siberia. Other major taiga forests:
• North America (Canada and Alaska)
• Scandinavia (Finland, Norway, and
Sweden).
Climate
The temperature range is -54 to 21° C. For half of the year, the average
temperature is below freezing. In the winter the average air
temperature is warmer than it is for tundra, which lies north of the
taiga.
The taiga climate has an average annual rainfall of 30 - 84 cm. Most of
it falls in the summer as rain.
Vegetation
The dominant plant in the taiga is the coniferous evergreen tree. These trees include
spruce, pine, cedar, and fir trees. They grow close together forming a canopy over the land,
like an umbrella. This canopy soaks up the sun and only lets a little bit of sunlight through
to the ground.
The conifers of the taiga produce their seeds in cones. They also have needles for leaves.
Needles are good at holding in water and surviving the harsh cold winds each winter. The
trees also grow in a cone shape. This helps the snow to slide off their branches.
Under the canopy of the trees, few other plants grow. In some moist areas plants such as
ferns, sedges, mosses, and berries will grow.
Animals
Some animals, like birds, migrate to the south for the winter. Insects lay eggs that can survive the winter and then die.
Other animals, like squirrels, store up food for the winter while others hibernate by going into a long, deep sleep.
Predators of this biome include the lynx, wolverines, Cooper's hawk, and wolves. Other animals include moose, the
snowshoe hare, deer, elk, bears, chipmunks, bats, and woodpeckers.
They generally have thick fur or feathers to keep them warm.
Many animals have sharp claws and are good at climbing trees.
They have large feet to allow them to walk on the snow without sinking.
Many of them change colors from white fur in the winter, to help them hide in the snow, to brown fur in the summer,
to help them hide in the trees.
Human impacts
Deforestation - Current extensive logging in boreal forests may soon cause their disappearance.
Acid rain - Acid rain is also causing significant problems for the Taiga forests. Acid rain is rain that is more
acidic than normal. Scientists have discovered that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels is the
major cause of acid rain. Power plants and factories burn coal and oil. The smoke and fumes from burning
fossil fuels rise into the atmosphere and combine with the moisture in the air to form acid rain. The main
chemicals in air pollution that create acid rain are sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
Global Warming - Organisms will have trouble responding to these changes and will face even greater
odds of surviving. Extreme changes in temperature and precipitation could cause climatic zones to shift
several hundred kilometers toward the poles over the next 50 years. Climatologists are also predicting
that the area covered by boreal forests (the taiga) will be reduced by 50-90%.
Bibliography
• http://www.defenders.org/grasslands/tropical-grasslands
• http://mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/plants/index.htm
• http://www.ehow.com/facts_5903440_human-impact-tundra_.html
• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/
• http://www.ducksters.com/