Biomes

1. Biomes

3. Tropical Rain Forest General Info: more species than all other biomes, Canopy- leafy tops of tall trees, understory second layer of shorter trees and vines Abiotic Factors: Hot and wet year-round; thin, nutrient-poor soils

4. Tropical Rain Forest Tropical Rain Forest Dominant Plants: Broad leaved evergreen trees; ferns; vines and climbing plants; orchids and bromeliads Dominant Animals: sloths, jaguars; anteaters; monkeys; toucans, parrots, and parakeets; butterflies, and anacondas Geographic Distribution: parts of S. and C. America, SE Asia, and parts of Africa, S. India, and NE Australia

5. Tropical Dry Forest • General Info: rainfall is seasonal • during the dry season: the trees are deciduous so drop their leaves to conserve water. Abiotic Factors: warm year-round; alternating wet and dry seasons; rich soils

6. Tropical Dry Forest Tropical Dry Forest Dominant Plants- tall, deciduous trees form a dense canopy during wet season; drought-tolerant orchids and bromeliads; aloe plants

7. Tropical Dry Forest Tropical Dry Forest Dominant Animals- tigers; monkeys; elephants, hog deer, and spot-billed pelican; snakes and monitor lizards. Geographic Distribution- parts of Africa, S. and C. America, Mexico, India, Australia, and tropical islands.

8. Tropical Savannah General Info: Covered with grasses. Isolated trees and shrubs. Compact soils, frequent fires. Abiotic Factors: warm temps; seasonal rainfall; compact soil; frequent fires set by lightning.

9. Tropical Savannah Tropical Savannah Dominant Plants: tall perennial grasses; drought-tolerant and fire-resistant trees or shrubs Dominant Animals: lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and jackals, elephants, giraffes, and zebras; baboons; eagles, ostriches, storks; termites.

10. Tropical Savannah Tropical Savannah Geographic Distribution- large parts or E. Africa, S. Brazil, N. Australia.

11. Desert General Info- DRY, annual precipitation less than 25 cm, extreme temp. changes day vs. night, Organisms can tolerate extreme conditions. Abiotic Factors- low precipitation; changing temperatures; soils rich in minerals but poor inorganic material.

12. Desert Desert Dominant Plants: Cacti and other succulents; creosote bush and other plants with short growth cycles. Dominant Animals: mountain lions, and bobcats; pronghorn antelope, desert bighorn sheep, and kangaroo rats, bats; owls, hawks, and roadrunners; ants, flies, rattlesnakes, and lizards. Geographic Distribution: Africa, Asia, the Middle East, United States, Mexico, S. America, and Australia.

13. Temperate Grassland Abiotic Factors: warm to hot summers; cold winters; moderate, seasonal precipitation; fertile soils; occasional fires. Dominant Plants: lush perennial grasses and herbs; resistant to drought, fire, and cold General Info: mix of grasses, some of world’s most fertile soils, periodic fires and heavy grazing by large herbivores

14. Temperate Grassland Temperate Grassland Dominant Animals- coyotes, badgers, wolves, grizzly bears, rabbits, prairie dogs, bison; hawks, owls, snakes, ants and grasshoppers. Geographic Distribution- Central Asia, N. America, Australia, Central Europe, and plateaus of S. America

15. Temperate Woodland & Shrubland Abiotic Factors Hot, dry summers; cool, moist winters/ thin, nutrient-poor soils, fires General Info Also known as chaparral; Semi-arid climate, mix of shrub & open woodlands, wildflowers & oak trees, plants have flammable oils

16. Temperate Woodland & Shrubland Temperate Woodland & Shrubland Dominant Plants Woody evergreen shrubs, w/ small leathery leaves, fragrant oily herbs grow in winter and die in summer Dominant Animals coyotes, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, black tailed deer, rabbits, squirrels, hawks, butterflies, spiders Geographic Distribution- Western coasts of N. & S. America, areas around Mediterranean, S. Africa, & Australia

17. Temperate Forest General Info: Mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees, leaves fall in Autumn, spring flowering occurs. Soils rich in humus Abiotic Factors: cold to moderate winters, warm summers, year round precipitation, fertile soils Dominant Plants: Broadleaf deciduous trees, some conifers, flowering shrubs, herbs, mosses and ferns

18. Temperate Forest Temperate Forest Dominant Animals: Deer, black bears, bobcats, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, turkeys Geographic Distribution: Eastern US, SE Canada, Most of Europe, parts of Japan, China, and Australia

19. Northwestern coniferous Forest General Info: Much Rainfall from Pacific ocean, forest mostly conifers, lush vegetation sometimes called temperate rain forest. Abiotic Factors: Mild temps, abundant precipitation fall winter and spring; relatively cool, dry summer, rocky & acidic soils

20. Northwestern coniferous Forest Dominant Plants: Douglas fir, spruce, western hemlock, redwood trees. Dominant Animals: Bears, elk, deer, beavers, owls, bobcats, weasels Geographic Distribution: Pacific Coast of NW US & Canada, from N. US to Alaska!

21. Boreal Forest/Taiga General Info: Ground frozen in winter but thaws in summer. Abiotic Factors: Long, cold winters; short, mild summers; moderate precipitation; high humidity, acidic, nutrient-poor soils Dominant Plants: Spruce and fir, some broadleaf deciduous, small berry-bearing shrubs.

22. Boreal Forest/Taiga Dominant Animals: Lynx timber wolves, weasel, moose, beavers, songbirds Geographic Distribution: N. America, Asia, N. Europe

23. Tundra General Info: PERMAFROST- permanently frozen subsoil, ground soggy and wet in summer Abiotic Factors: Strong winds, low precipitation, short and soggy summers, long cold and dark winters, poorly developed soils, permafrost Dominant Plants: Ground-hugging plants such as mosses, lichens, sedges, and short grasses

24. Tundra Dominant Animals: Caribous, snowy owl, arctic fox, lemmings Geographic Distribution: northern N. America Asia and Europe