BIOMES CONTAIN MANY
ECOSYSTEMS
• REGIONS OF EARTH ARE CLASSIFIED INTO BIOMES
– Biome=large geographic areas that are similar in climate
& have similar plants & animals
– 6 major biomes on Earth
– Climate (long term weather pattern of region) is important
factor in land biomes, so is available water, temperature
and soil type.
• WATER COVERS MOST OF EARTH’S SURFACE
– About 75% of Earth is covered by water
– Freshwater & saltwater biomes
– Plants are producers for water near land; while deep ocean
water relies on tiny photosynthetic microorganisms called
phytoplankton
TAIGA & TUNDRA
• These are characterized by long, cold winters and short summers. (Arctic
tundra can be –50oC)
• Tundra gets little rain (<25cm/yr), but is wet because cold keeps water
from evaporating; permafrost(deep frozen soil) keeps trees from taking
root, so just little moss, grass, lichen & shrubs. Find rodents, caribou,
musk ox, grizzly bears, foxes, & owls.
• Taiga has more rain, more snow on ground insulating soil from
permafrost.
• Have CONIFEROUS trees (needlelike leaves making food all year).
Wood & leaves of trees feed insects, seeds feed birds & squirrels.
• Deer, elk, snowshoe hare, beavers, lynx, owls, bears & wolves live here.
Desert & Grassland
• Found in middle latitudes; not much precipitation to support
trees for either.
• Some deserts are cold, some hot but all have dry soil; desert
plants (cacti) & animals (lizards) can get by on very little
water. Also have kangaroo rat, snakes, foxes & owls.
• Grassland had moderate rainfall (50-90cm/yr); enough for
grasses but not forests. Warm summers & may have cold
winters.
• Seed-eating rodents, bison, horses, gazelles, zebras, wolves,
tigers & lions are found in grasslands.
Temperate & Tropical Forest
• Temperate forest grow where winters are short & 75-150cm
of water/yr. Most made of Deciduous trees (broad leaves,
drop in winter-oak,maple). Supports wide variety of forest
animals. Some have coniferous trees (Pacific Northwestredwoods & spruce: wet winter & dry summer).
• Tropical forests near equator, warm all year and wettest
biome (250-400cm/yr). Leaves all year & soil is poor in
nutrients. More animals & plants than anywhere else. Trees
grow close together & support many tree dwelling animals
(monkey, snakes, birds) & plants (orchids & vines).
•
FRESHWATER
BIOME
Ecosystem of freshwater biomes affected by
quality of landscape around them. (depth of
water; how fast water runs, etc., determines types
of plants & animals)
• Ponds & lakes have still water; Ponds have many
plants, deeper lakes have more phytoplankton.
Insects, shellfish, fish and land animals feed
within them.
• Estuary: water ecosystem that’s a transition
between fresh & saltwater biomes. Lower end of
river that feeds into ocean, where fresh & salt
water mix. Marshes & wetlands are both
estuaries. (nurseries of sea: calm waters attract
marine animals to reproduce here). Seaweed,
marsh grasses, shellfish, & birds thrive here.
FRESHWATER BIOME
MARINE BIOMES
• Saltwater biomes: coastal ocean, open ocean, and
deep ocean. Beaches & tidepools are part of
coastal ocean biome. Crabs & clams thrive in
ever-changing conditions of coastal areas.
• Open ocean gets less sunlight & has cooler
temperatures. Many fish, marine animals, and
floating seaweed live in upper ocean. No plants
in open ocean, producers are phytoplankton.
• Deep ocean is much colder & darker. Animals
feed on each other or on material falling down
from upper levels of ocean. Many of deepest
organisms are microscopic and many are still
unknown.
MARINE BIOME