Biomes
Understanding the general characteristics of each
biome leads to a global view, in which one gains a
general understanding of the range of biodiversity on
the earth and how it is distributed. All of the biomes
play a role in global cycles, such as the carbon cycle.
Although the greatest concentration of biodiversity lies
in the tropics, all of the biomes have their own unique
sets of species that must be understood and protected.
All biomes are connected!
Adapted from:
Living in the Environment, 11 edition, G. Tyler Miller Jr.
Everything is Connected!
Incoming solar energy and the earth’ spin and orbit
Climate – precipitation and temperature
Large-scale patterns of air circulation and ocean
currents
Biomes of the earth – ecological niches of biological
organisms
biome
• Has a distinct climate
• Has specific types of plants and animals
• Abiotic factors: temperature, precipitation,
humidity, wind, sunlight
• Biotic factors: plants, animals
What is climate?
Climate is typically defined as the average weather over a period of 30 years.
Two major indicators of an
area’s climate are average
temperature
and
average precipitation.
There are many factors that
influence these averages.
By studying these factors, scientists can classify different regions of the world
based on climate.
Biomes are large land areas that share a common climate, plants and animals.
Climate graphs
Plot your own climate graph
Factors affecting climate
Factors affecting climate include:
 Latitude
 Elevation
 Nearby water
 Ocean currents
 Topography
 Prevailing winds
 Vegetative cover
No one factor single-handedly determines the climate of a particular area.
Instead, each factor plays an integral part in influencing climate.
Latitude
Latitude measures the distance of a location from the equator. Lines of latitude are
imaginary horizontal lines that increase from 0° at the equator to 90° at the poles.
A location’s latitude determines how much solar energy it receives from the Sun.
Earth’s angle in relation to the Sun means that regions near the equator receive
direct rays from the Sun, resulting in more intense solar energy and higher
temperatures.
Regions nearer to the poles receive
sunlight at an angle. This results in
less intense solar energy and lower
temperatures.
Elevation
Elevation describes the distance of a location from sea level.
As elevation increases, air molecules become less densely packed and air
pressure decreases. Because less dense air cannot hold as much heat energy as
dense air, temperatures are lower at higher elevations.
A good example of this phenomenon is
Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.
The
base of the 19,340 ft. mountain is
covered by rainforests, while the peak is
glacial, despite the mountain’s location
near the equator.
Nearby water
Coastal regions tend to have milder temperatures than areas further inland.
During the summer, large bodies of water act as heat sinks, absorbing some of
the Sun’s heat energy.
Deeper, colder water keeps the overall temperature of the water low, cooling the air
above it. This cool air then moves ashore, lowering the land temperature.
In winter months, water holds its heat better
than land, releasing energy into the air. This
warm air heats coastal regions, keeping
them warmer than areas further inland.
Vegetative cover
Vegetative cover lowers an area’s average temperature by means of evaporative
cooling.
The transpiration of water vapor, a natural process of all green plants, cools the
surrounding air. High concentrations of vegetation can have a significant overall
cooling effect.
This phenomenon has become
an important consideration in
urban planning. Green roofs and
other forms of vegetative cover
counter the heating effects of
asphalt in large cities.
Prevailing winds
Prevailing winds are winds that blow more often from one direction than any
other.
Winds that blow inland from the ocean
bring moist air to the surrounding land,
increasing precipitation, while winds that
come from landlocked areas carry drier
air.
Therefore, if a region’s prevailing winds come from the ocean, the region will most
likely be mild and damp. If a region’s prevailing winds come from a body of land,
that region will likely be dry, and might be colder or warmer based on the
temperature at the wind’s origin.
Vegetation and temperature
Look at these two maps of New York City. The map on the left is a thermal
map, while the map on the right shows vegetative cover.
Is there a correlation between the two maps?
Latitude and Precipitation
Elevation and Latitude Zones
Words to Know
1. Resilience – the ability of a living system to
restore itself to original condition after being
exposed to an outside disturbance that is not too
drastic
2. Inertia – the ability of a living system to resists
being disturbed or altered.
3. Which biomes have the greatest resilience?
4. Which biomes have the least resilience?
desert
Succulent Plants
•Vertical orientation of most surfaces, no leaves, and the
ability to store water and synthesize food in their
expandable, fleshy tissue.
•The plant’s shape and lack of leaves prevent water loss.
•They reduce water loss by opening their pores (stomata)
to take up carbon dioxide (CO2) only at night.
•The carbon is stored as acids in the plant tissue and used
for photosynthesis during the day.
tundra
Temperate grassland
Temperate Grassland Biomes
Steppes, Prairies, Veldts, and Pampas
Steppe --- Central Europe and Asia
Prairies --Tall-grass: Midwestern
Short-grass: Western U.S. and Canada
Veldt – Africa
Pampas – South American
Temperate Grassland Biome
1. Explain the important role of grass fires in
grasslands.
2. How does the grass root system help it to
survive fires?
3. What is a runner and how does it enables
grasses and trees to survive long periods
without rain?
4. Give an example of one human activity that
might cause damage to grassland biomes.
5. Why aren’t there many trees in the
grasslands?
The Savannah
Savannah
Tropical Grassland Biome
6. What is a vertical feeding pattern?
7. Name some animals that exhibit a vertical
feeding pattern.
8. What occurs during the rainy season.
Temperate deciduous forest
What is a
deciduous tree?
Taiga/boreal/coniferous
What are some features
of conifers?
Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical Rainforest
1. What are the layers of the rainforest called beginning with
the ground level?
2. Orchids and bromeliads are examples of _______________
because they attach themselves to the trunks and branches
of canopy trees.
3. The most limiting factors in the tropical rainforest is
___________.
4. Most nutrients of the rainforest are found ____________.
5. What type of leaves are predominant in the tropical
rainforest? Why?
6. What are buttresses?
7. What are lianas?
Tropical Rainforest Biome
1. Why is the soil of a rain forest poor?
2. Where do the majority of organisms live in
the rain forest?
3. How is the diversity of the rain forest being
threatened?