Biomes and Biodiversity
The Earth is home to many species of living things.
Why are different plants and animals found in different places?
Organisms need certain things to survive - Example
Food
Shelter
Water
They find these resources within ecosystems.
Ecosystems include both living and non-living things and their
interactions.
Ecosystems with similar conditions are grouped into biomes.
What are biomes?
What adaptations do organisms have for each biome?
What are some of the threats to survival for organisms and biomes?
Biomes: a grouping of areas that have similar conditions and
similar types of organisms in them.
Scientists generally recognize four (4) different land biomes and
two (2) water biomes.
Land Biomes:
Tundra
Forests
Grasslands
Deserts
Water Biomes:
Marine (or Ocean)
Freshwater
Some areas of Earth are permanently covered with snow and ice.
Land Biomes:
Mainly determined by climate
Climate = average temperature + average precipitation
Climate and soil types in a biome determine plant and animal life.
Tundra:
The most northern biome that is not permanent ice.
- Very cold year round - very little rain - very little snow
Tundra: Continued
Similar to a cold desert because there is little water
available.
Water is frozen in the soil for most of the year in
permafrost.
Tundra: Continued
Only lichen, mosses and small trees and shrubs are
able to survive the cold and grow in poor soil,
which is low in nutrients. Nutrients are
chemicals organisms need to live.
Reindeer eating lichen.
Tundra – during summer:
Top layer of permafrost melts – deeper soil remains
frozen underneath
Ground becomes soft / spongy forming swamp-like pools
I
Insects (mosquitoes)
born in the pools
provide food for the
many birds that
migrate (travel) to the
tundra to nest.
Tundra – during summer
Animals migrate to find resources such as food or
shelter
Caribou also migrate into the tundra to have babies
and graze on lichens and shrubs.
Tundra – during winter
Birds and Caribou leave the tundra with their
young.
Predators (ex. wolves)
follow the migrating
caribou
Tundra – during winter
Arctic hares and lemmings make burrows under
the snow to survive.
Other predators (ex. foxes, hawks and snowy
owls) prey on the hare and lemmings.
Forest Biomes:
Three (3) types of forest biomes on Earth
Coniferous Forest
Deciduous Forest
Tropical Rain Forest
Coniferous Forest: (Also called the Tiaga or Boreal Forest)
Generally colder; Contain one main type of tree
Deciduous Forest:
Milder temperature
Many types of trees that lose their leaves each year
Tropical Rain Forest
Warm year round
Contain the largest variety of plants
Animals adapt to living in forest by:
Migrating
Hibernating ( a sleep-like state; often lasting
many months)
Ex. Bear, raccoon, skunk,
chipmunk and squirrel
Heart rate and breathing slow
down so they use very little
energy. Reduces need for
food – often scarce in winter
Forest can be divided into different layers
where organism make their home.
Canopy – top layer where the branches of trees
grow together
Understory – shorter trees
and shrubs between the
tree branches and the
ground
Ground – the lowest layer
Coniferous Forest Biome: (Also called the
Tiaga or Boreal Forest)
Borders the tundra in North America and
northern Asia and Europe
Cold climate
“Boreal” means northern and describes the location
More precipitation than the Tundra, but are not as cold, so there is NO
permafrost
Water in soil allows trees to grow, however the soil is poor in nutrients so very
few plants grow on the forest floor.
The “Conifer” survives best in these conditions and is the dominant plant life.
Conifers make their seeds in cones
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Conifers are evergreen – stay
green all year – do not lose
their leaves in a particular
season
Leaves are “needle” like
long/thin to reduce water loss
Animals: ex. wolf, squirrel, moose
 Migration and hibernation occur in Coniferous Forest Biomes
Deciduous Forest Biome
Found mostly in the Northern Hemisphere
Deciduous describes types of trees that lose their leaves during a
season of the year.
Has four (4) seasons.
Climate is milder with more precipitation than biomes that are
found farther north.
Soil is rich in nutrients so many types of trees and plants grow
there.
Many trees have broad leaves that are lost in the fall.
Deciduous Forest Biome: Continued
Plants can grow on the forest floor before the
trees develop new leaves, providing food for a
wide variety of animals.
Ex. Bears, deer, rabbit and squirrels along with many
types of birds.
 Predators can include: snakes, raccoons and
mountain lions (also called cougars or panthers)
 Many animals hibernate or migrate during winter
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Tropical Rain Forest Biome
Found near the equator
•Receive large amounts of rain.
•Climate is warm and rainy throughout year.
•Results in the widest variety of plant and animal life of any of the four
land biomes.
•Home for more species than all other land biomes combined.
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Obvious Canopy, Understory and ground forest
divisions.
Canopy growth is so thick little sunlight reaches the
ground.
Understory plants absorb light that passes through the
canopy.
Many plants adapted to living in canopy rather than ground to
get more sunlight for photosynthesis.
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Ground soil is poor in nutrients because the plants have
already used most of the nutrients – little light reaches
the ground
Animals are adapted to living in different layers of the
forest.
Migration or hibernation is not necessary.
Grassland Biome: (Also called Praries,
Savannas, Pampas or Veldts)
Have one main group of naturally occurring, or
native, plants
Grassland Biome: Continued
Grasses are the dominant plant life
 Can be found on every continent
 Called prairies and plains in North America, steppes in Europe,
pampas in South America, veldts or savannas in Africa
Temperatures and amounts of precipitation in these areas differ, but
each has a dry season when there is little or no rain.
Difficult for trees to grow even though soil is rich in nutrients
Grasses cover most of the land
Animal types depending on location:
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Coyotes, badgers, prairie dogs, bison, jack rabbit, ground squirrel,
antelope and zebra
These animals are adapted to grazing on grasses
Predators in some countries include lions, tigers and other big cats
Grassland Biome: (Also called Praries,
Savannas, Pampas or Veldts)
Have one main group of naturally occurring, or
native, plants
Grasses are the dominant plant life
Can be found on every continent
Grassland Biome
Called prairies and plains in North America, steppes in
Europe, pampas in South America, veldts or savannas in
Africa
Temperatures and amounts of precipitation in these areas
differ, but each has a dry season when there is little or no
rain.
Difficult for trees to grow even though soil is rich in
nutrients
Grasses cover most of the land
Grassland Biome
Animal types depending on location:
Coyotes, badgers, prairie dogs, bison, jack
rabbit, ground squirrel, antelope and zebra
These animals are adapted to grazing on grasses
Predators in some countries include lions, tigers
and
other big cats
Desert Biome:
Receives little precipitation
Deserts occur on nearly every continent
Human activities, such as overgrazing livestock, can
strip an area of its plants, turning it into a desert.
Desert Biome:
The little water a desert receives quickly evaporates
back into the air.
Deserts can have either “Hot” or “Cold”
temperatures.
Organism that live in the desert must be adapted
to live with little water.
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Example: Kangaroo rat never drinks water – it gets
its water from the food it eats.
Desert Biome: Continued
Plants – Many desert plants have small
leaves and seeds that are resistant to
drying; shallow roots that absorb water before it
evaporates; deep growing roots that find water at
deeper depths.
Desert Biome: Continued
Animals – Many reptiles, like lizards and snakes,
use the sun to control their body temperatures.
Others survive by burrowing underground to
avoid the hottest part of the day.
Desert Biome: Continued
Some animals, like owls, are active
mostly at night.