Section 3: Terrestrial Biomes
Biome
• A land area that is characterized by the plants
and animals that live in the area.
• Two abiotic factors that affect a biome are
precipitation, and temperature. (Climate)
Forest Biomes
In General…Forest Biomes
• Most widespread/Biological Diverse
• Human Impact = habitat destruction and
deforestation
• Trees require significant amounts of water = forest
biomes get significant amounts of precipitation
• Three types of forest biomes
– Tropical  Tropical Rain Forest
– Temperate  Temperate Deciduous Forest
– Polar  Coniferous or Taiga
Rainforest
Tropical Rain Forest
• Location
– Near the equator = very warm/sunny climate year round
• Precipitation
– Lots of precipitation
• Soil Quality
– Very poor.
– Trees do not die seasonally, so when they do die,
decomposers work quickly and the nutrients are drawn
back out of the soil by living plants almost immediately
Tropical Rain Forests Cont…
Tropical Rainforest Characteristics
• Emergent Layer- trees are 60-70m – eagles, bats, monkeys
and snakes
• Upper Canopy – upper layer- absorbs 95% of sunlight – trees
30m
• Lower Layer- abundant flowers, fruits, animals, epiphytes
• Understory– very little light short plants
Tropical Rain Forest Adaptations
• Highly diverse animal population
– Tend to be specialist species = avoidance of
competition for resources
– Insects = use of camouflage, chemical warfare,
and mimicry to avoid predators
• Highly adapted plant life
– Large broad leaf leaves to capture sunlight
– Epiphytes are rootless and wind up trees to reach
sunlight
Human Influence on TRF
• Habitat Destruction
– Higher human populations means more forests
must be removed or invaded to make room
– Exotic species are sold or traded
• Deforestation
– Despite poor soil quality, forests are removed to
grow crops and to graze cattle
– Slash and Burn
– Palm Oil
Deciduous Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
• General Characteristic - lose their leaves in fall
• Location
– Between the 30 and 50 degree North Latitude
• Precipitation/Climate
– Extreme temperatures- Hot summers and Cold
winters
– 75-125cm precipitation
• Soil Quality
– Excellent soil quality due to leaf litter decomposition
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Plant and Animal Adaptations
• Trees shed leaves in fall.
– Leaf litter decomposes over a long period of time
= constant influx of nutrients into soil.
• Birds fly south for the winter
• Some animals hibernate in the winters so they
don’t need food
Taiga-Boreal Forest
Coniferous Forest
Coniferous = Taiga
• General Characteristics
– Evergreen trees
• Location
– Below the arctic/subarctic
• Precipitation/Climate
– Long winters/low precipitation
• Soil Quality
– Very acidic due to fallen/decomposing pine
needles which are acidic
Taiga
Plant and Animal Adaptations
• Conifer trees – leaves are waxy coated needles
= prevents water loss
• Blueberry bushes thrive in acidic soil
• Snowshoe Hare – sheds brown coat for winter
in an effort to camouflage in winter snow
Grasslands
Grassland Biomes
• Location – center of continents
• Three Types
– Tropical = Savanna
– Temperate = Prairie
– Polar = Tundra
• Soil Quality Varies
• Human Impact
– Habitat destruction = farming and grazing
Tropical Grasslands = Savanna
• Location
– Tropical and subtropical regions
– East Africa
– West India
• Climate/Precipitation
– Dry tropical climate
– Wet season and dry season
• General Characteristics
– Plains full of grasses, shrubs, and scattered trees
– Soil Quality – moderate due to natural fires which restore
nutrients to soil
Savanna
Savannas
Plant and Animal Adaptations
Savanna
• Plants have thorns to avoid predators
• Grazing herbivores capable of traveling long
distances
Grasslands
Temperate Grasslands
• Location – center of continent Central N. America
• Climate/Precipitation
– Warm summers and cold winters
– Intermediate rainfall
• Soil Quality
– Most rich soil of grasslands
– Due to decomposition of dead grasses ever winter
• General Characteristics
– Mostly grass
– Few trees
– Grasses die in winter
Temperate Grasslands
Plant and Animal Adaptations
Temperate Grasslands
• Grazers have flat teeth for chewing grasses
• Owls and Badgers have underground burrows
for protection from predators
• Threats to Savanna Grasslands:
– Farming and Grazing
– Soil erosion from farming
– Soil erosion from overgrazing
Desert
Deserts
• Location
– Often…near mountain ranges due to Rain Shadow Effect
• Climate/Precipitation
– Long periods without rain
– Extreme temperatures
• General Characteristics
– Little or no vegetation
• Soil Quality
– Very poor since there is little vegetation to be decomposed
Plant and Animal Adaptations
Desert
• Cacti plants have thick fleshy stems with spines to prevent
water loss and deter predators
• Many plants have shallow spread out roots to absorb as much
rain as possible
• Reptiles have thick scaly skin to prevent water loss
• Amphibians estivate or bury themselves
• Insects have hard coverings
• Animals are nocturnal
Tundra
Tundra
• Location
– Arctic or Antarctic
• Climate/Precipitation
– Very cold winters and cool/short summers
• General Characteristics
– Treeless
– Grasses, lichen, herbs
– Permafrost-permanent frozen soil/subsoil
– Very fragile ecosystem and has been disturbed in recent years due to
oil drilling
• Soil Quality
– Thin and poor quality
Tundra
Plant and Animal Adaptations
Tundra
• Mosses and lichens can grow without soil and cover rock in
Tundra
• Plants have shallow root systems since soil is a very thin layer
• Plants grow low to the ground so that they can take advantage
of the heat from the soil in the summer
• Animals hibernate, burrow, migrate, and are camouflaged
white to avoid predators
Using your notes, number your
paper 1-22 on the back of your
coloring map. Figure out what each
slide represent, which biomes.
1
Temperature: -40°C to 18°C
Precipitation: 150 to 250 mm of rain per year
2
Temperature: Dependent on latitude, yearly range can
be between -20°C to 30°C
Precipitation: About 500 to 900 mm of rain per year
3
Temperature: -30°C to 30°C, yearly average is 10°C, hot
summers, cold winters
Precipitation: 750 to 1,500 mm of rain per year
4
Temperature: Average of 38°C (day), average of 3.9°C (night)
Precipitation: About 250 mm of rain per year
5
Temperature: 20°C to 25°C, must remain warm and
frost-free
Precipitation: 2,000 to 10,000 millimeters of rain per
year
6
Temperature: -40°C to 20°C, average summer temperature is 10°C
Precipitation: 300 to 900 millimeters of rain per year
7
8
9
10
11
12
The mountains would be the _______ biome.
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Which of the following patterns highlights a tundra biome?
21
Which of the following patterns highlights a coniferous forest (taiga)
biome?
22
Which of the following patterns highlights a desert biome?