Biomes
What is a biome?
• Definition: A group of ecosystems
that have the same climate and
similar dominant communities
– Climate = temperature and precipitation
• The __________
biosphere can be broken down
into biomes
Types of Biomes
Aquatic
Terrestrial
Marine
Tundra
Estuary
Taiga
Freshwater
Desert
Wetlands
Grassland
Temperate Forest
Rain Forest
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Marine
• Definition: a salty body of water (oceans,
seas, some lakes)
• What abiotic factors are important here?
– Temperature, availability of light, depth,
salinity, tides
• What biotic factors are important here?
Marine Biotic Factors
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• Definition: a coastal
body of water, partially
surrounded by land, in
which freshwater and
salt water mix
• What abiotic factors are
important here?
– Temperature, run-off,
availability of light,
depth, salinity, tides
• What biotic factors are
important here?
Estuary
Estuary Biotic Factors
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Freshwater
• Definition: body of water that is not salty
• What abiotic factors are important here?
– Temperature, availability of light, depth,
salinity, run-off
• What biotic factors are important here?
Freshwater Biotic Factors
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Wetlands
• Definition: where the land meets the
water
– Examples: swamps (have trees), marshes
(don’t have trees), and bogs (water from rain)
– Found in inland and coastal regions
• What abiotic factors are important here?
– Temperature, run-off, precipitation, salinity
• What biotic factors are important here?
Wetlands Biotic Factors
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Tundra
• Definition: treeless land surrounding
the north pole with long summer days
and short periods of winter sunlight
• Other Characteristics:
– temperatures never above freezing for
long
– top layer of soil frozen until summer =
shallow-rooted plants only
– permafrost
Tundra Continued
• What abiotic factors are
important here?
– Temperature, sunlight,
precipitation
• What biotic factors are
important here?
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Taiga
• Definition: south of the tundra; continuous belt
of coniferous trees around the north pole
– aka Boreal or Northern coniferous forest
• Other characteristics:
– long, severe winters and short, mild summers
– Topsoil = decaying coniferous needles; poor in
minerals
Taiga Continued
• What abiotic factors are important here?
– Temperature, sunlight, precipitation, fires,
logging
• What biotic factors are important here?
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Desert
• Definition: arid region with sparse to
almost nonexistent plant life
>25 cm of precipitation annually
• What abiotic factors are important here?
– Temperature, precipitation, water supply
• What biotic factors are important here?
Desert Biotic Factors
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Grassland
• Definition: large communities covered
with rich soil, grasses, and similar plants
• Other Characteristics:
– Dry season
– Insufficient water for forests
– Attract herds of grazers
• aka. Prairie, “Breadbaskets
of the world”
Grasslands Continued
• What abiotic factors are important here?
– Precipitation, fertilizers, fires
• What biotic factors are important here?
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Temperate Forest
• Definition: dominated by broad-leaved
hardwood trees that lose their foliage
annually
– aka. Deciduous forests
• What abiotic factors are important here?
– Logging, precipitation, light, water, fire
• What biotic factors are important here?
Temperate Forest Biotic Factors
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Rain Forest
• Definition: identified by extensive
amounts of moisture supplied by rainfall or
coastal clouds and fog
• Other characteristics:
– Support vast numbers of species
– Vertical layering
> 200 cm of rain annually
• Two types: Temperate and tropical
Rain Forest Continued
• What abiotic factors
are important here?
– Precipitation,
deforestation,
sunlight availability
– *Conservation
efforts*
• What biotic factors
are important here?
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Ok…So where are these places?
Terrestrial Biomes
Biodiversity “Hotspots”
(highlighted in red)
What trend(s) do you notice about these areas?