Biomes
Standard 5e & 6a
Standard 5e & 6a
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5e: Students know rain forests and
deserts on Earth are distributed in
bands at specific latitudes.
6a: Students know weather (in the
short run) and climate (in the long
run) involve the transfer of energy
into and out of the atmosphere.
Energy Transfer
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We learned from last unit that the
sun heats the earth unequally,
causing differences in temperature.
We also learned that evaporation and
precipitation of water occurs because
of the unequal heating.
Because of these two main things,
solar energy and precipitation,
energy is transferred throughout the
globe.
Weather vs. Climate
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Energy transfer causes the weather;
the state of the atmosphere at a
given time or place (temperature,
precipitation, humidity, air pressure)
• Wind & Rain
• Clouds, lightning, & thunder
• Disasters: hurricanes, tornadoes
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Weather is different from climate;
the long term average of weather.
What affects climate?
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Climate in an area is affected by two
main things
• Direct sunlight (heat)
• Precipitation
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Climate directly affects the type of
biome
• Biome is an environment with specific
vegetation and organisms
• If it is cold, you have organisms that are
suitable to the ____
Sunlight
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Sunlight gives off
different wavelengths
When it strikes the
earth, different
wavelengths get
reflected while others
are absorbed, heating
the Earth.
Some of it escapes
into space, some
reflects back to earth
due to greenhouse
gases
Greenhouse
Effect
Sunlight
Some heat
escapes
into space
Greenhouse
gases trap
some heat`
Atmosphere
Earth’s surface
Latitude
90°N North Pole
Low Sunlight
Arctic circle
Sunlight
Most direct sunlight
66.5°N
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
23.5°N
0°
Tropic of Capricorn 23.5°S
Sunlight
Arctic circle
Low Sunlight
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66.5°S
90°S South Pole
The amount of direct light can affect the
temperature.
Remember that the equator gets the most
sunlight, and polar regions gets the least.
Precipitation
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The amount of
water falling in the
given area can
greatly affect the
type of climate
Remember that
precipitation falls
at 0° and 60°
Biomes
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Because of these two factors
combined, we get specific biomes at
specific areas.
For example, at the equator, there is
a lot of sunlight, and a lot of
precipitation, so there is a tropical
rainforest.
At 30°, there is a lot of sunlight, but
little or no precipitation, so there is a
desert.
Overview
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Sunlight and precipitation affect the
climate
Climate over an environment
produces a biome
A biome has organisms suited to the
climate
Biomes generally occur on the same
latitudes
Biomes
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There are two main types of biomes
• Land
• Aquatic (water)
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We will cover both today
Land Biomes
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Most land biomes are named after
their climax community.
Some of the land biomes
• Tundra
• Taiga (TIGH-guh)
• Temperate deciduous forest
• Grassland
• Tropical rain forest
• Desert
Tropical rain forest
Temperate grassland
Temperate forest
Tundra
Tropical dry forest
Desert
Northwestern
coniferous forest
Mountains and
ice caps
Tropical savanna
Temperate woodland
and shrubland
Boreal forest
(Taiga)
Aquatic biomes
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There are 3 main types of aquatic
biomes.
The amount of salt determines the
type of biome.
The 3 main types of aquatic biomes
• Freshwater
• Marine (saltwater)
• Estuaries
Tundra
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Tundra
• Located near the poles
• Treeless biome covered by moss,
lichens, and grasses
• Permafrost – a layer of permanently
frozen subsoil
Taiga
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Taiga
• Covered by coniferous (cone bearing)
trees.
• Bears, wolves, moose, elk are some of
the typical animals
Temperate Deciduous Forest
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Temperate deciduous forest
• Plants change during the seasons
(leaves change color)
Grasslands
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Grasslands
• Most of the rainfall occurs in one part of
the season
• Hot summers, cold winters
Tropical Rain Forest
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Tropical rain forest
• Located at equator
• Receive 200-400 centimeters of rain a
year
• Constant temperature.
• Home of the most types of animals than
any other biome. Many colorful
Deserts
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Deserts
• Located at 30° latitude
• Less than 25 cm of rain falls a year
• Both plants and animals must be able to
retain moisture.
• Birds, lizards, snakes, insects are typical
• Cactus and sagebrush sparsely cover
the area
Freshwater biomes
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Rivers, streams, and lakes
Marine Biomes
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Includes all of the ocean
Marine biomes are divided into 4
subcategories
• Intertidal zone
• Neritic zone
• Open-sea zone
• Deep-sea zone
Estuaries
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Estuaries are the boundaries
between freshwater and saltwater.
Since it is a mix of the two, a variety
of organisms can be supported.
Examples of estuaries
• Delta, swamp, lagoon
Biome Project
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In groups of 4-5, create a biome presentation
Give information about the biome, including:
• Temperature range (graph)
• Precipitation (graph)
• Location (latitudes/areas)
• Plants (vegetation)
• Animals
• Brief Description (Examples)
• Koppen climate classifications
Posterboard or Powerpoint acceptable
More visuals, the better
500000000 points
To help you out…
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A Biology Textbook
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/La
boratory/Biome/
Preplan…
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What kind of presentation will you
do? Powerpoint? Posterboard?
Who is doing what? Research?
Picture finding? Who’s good with
computers? Who’s bringing
materials?
When do you want to meet up?
Contact info?
Anything else you can think of…