Chapter 15:
Living Planet
Section 15-3:
Earth’s Biomes
What is a biome?
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It is an ecosystem defined by its climax
community.
The type of ecosystem in a particular part of
the world partially depends on the climate of
that region.
There are 2 categories of biomes: terrestrial
and aquatic
Terrestrial (Land) Biomes
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Tundra
Tropical Rain Forest
Desert
Grassland
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Taiga
Tundra
Tundra
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Found near North Pole
Coldest terrestrial biome
Abiotic factors:
– Temps from -40 to 50 ° F
– Annual precipitation less than 25 cm
(10 in)
– Permafrost just beneath the surface
(frozen ground)
Tundra
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Biotic factors:
– Simple vegetation – no trees, mostly
grasses, sedges, low flowering herbs and
lichens
– Animals include the arctic hare, lemming,
arctic fox, musk ox, and snowy owl
Tundra Animals
Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical Rain Forest
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Near the equator
Greatest species diversity
Abiotic factors:
– Temps ranging from 68 to 86 ° F
– Annual precipitation greater than 200 cm
(usually 80-400 in)
Tropical Rain Forest
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Biotic factors:
– Over 100 different types of trees and other
plants, including broad-leafed evergreen
trees, ferns, tangled lianas
– Animals include varying species of
monkeys, colorful birds, flying squirrels,
tapirs, anteaters, ocelots, jaguars, and
armadillos
Tropical Rain Forest Plants
Tropical Rain Forest Monkeys
Desert
Desert
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Abiotic factors:
– Average temps from 50 to 68 ° F (can go
as low as -4 and as high as 120)
– Annual precip < 25 cm (10 in)
Desert
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Biotic factors:
– Specialized vegetation that is small and
does not need a lot of water such as cacti,
aloe, yucca
– Animals are mostly birds, reptiles, and
nocturnal animals including road runners,
scorpions, lizards, jack rabbits, kit foxes
Desert Animals
Grassland
Grassland
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Found on every continent but Antarctica
Abiotic factors:
– Temps ranging from 14 to 77° F, with lots
of daily fluctuation
– Annual precip 25-75 cm (10-30 in)
Grassland
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Biotic factors:
– Many small plants, including grasses
mosses, and lichens
– Animals include large grazing herbivores
such as bison and antelope in North
America, zebra, wildebeest, elephant,
giraffe in Africa
Grassland Animals
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
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Found in eastern North America, Asia, and
Europe
Abiotic factors:
– Temps ranging from -22 to 86 ° F
– Annual precip 75 to 125 cm (30-50 in)
Temperate Deciduous Forest
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Biotic factors:
– Trees like the sugar maple, beech, yellow
birch, pine, and oak; flowering plants,
mosses, ferns
– Animals such as white-tailed deer,
cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, beaver,
raccoon, opossum, woodpecker
TDF Animals
Taiga
Taiga
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Largest terrestrial biome
Soil completely thaws in summer
Found in Canada and Alaska
Abiotic factors:
– Temps ranging from -65° in winter to 70° in
summer
– Annual precip 50-125 cm (20-50 in)
Taiga
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Biotic Factors:
– Vegetation includes coniferous trees,
ferns, mosses, mushrooms
– Animals include snowshoe hare, lynx,
shrew, weasel, black bear, woodchuck,
chickadee
Aquatic Biomes
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Open water
Fresh water
Estuaries
Rocky intertidal
Open Water (ocean)
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Abiotic factors:
– Small seasonal temperature variation
– Light and nutrient availability slight to
moderate
Biotic factors:
– Phytoplankton, fish, dolphins, whales
Fresh water (lakes, rivers, etc)
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Abiotic factors:
– Slight to moderate temperature variations
– Light and nutrient availability usually good
Biotic factors:
– Vegetation like algae, mosses, and lichens
– Animals like insects, fish, amphibians,
reptiles, small mammals
Estuaries (salt water)
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Abiotic factors:
– Extreme temperature variation, seasonal
precipitation
– Light and nutrient availability is good
Biotic factors:
– Vegetation like algae, mosses, lichens,
aquatic plants
– Animals like insect, shrimp, crabs, fish,
amphibians, birds
Rocky intertidal
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Abiotic factors:
– Exposure to sunlight and air alternating
with being submerged by ocean water
Biotic factors:
– Vegetation is mainly algae
– Animals include barnacles, snails, sea
urchins, starfish, mussels