Biomes

1. Biomes Chapter 26-2

2. Tundra • Cold dry treeless region • Permanently frozen soil called permafrost • Average temperature of –12C • Average Precipitation is less than 25 cm per year • Plants include mosses, grasses, small shrubs, and lichens. • Animals include insects, ducks, geese, birds, mice, arctic hares, reindeer, caribou, polar bears, and foxes. • Located in the Arctic Circle and portions of Antarctica.

3. Tropical Rain Forest • The most biological diverse biome • Contains four zones – forest floor, understory, canopy, and emergent zone • Average temperature is 25C (77oF) • Precipitation averages 200 cm to 600 cm per year (80 – 230 inches) • Plants are most diverse in world including wild figs and mahogany trees. • Animals are most diverse in world such as insects, snakes, bats, squirrels, monkeys, and tree frogs. • Located in S. America, Central America, Asia, Australia, and Africa.

4. Desert • The driest biome that supports little plant life • Soil is thin, sandy, or gravelly • The temperature varies from hot to cold • The precipitation is less than 25cm per year • Plants include cacti and yucca trees. • Animals include jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, Gila monsters, snakes, owls, hawks, and scorpions. • Located in N. America, S. America, Africa, Asia, and Australia

5. Taiga • The largest biome • Cold forest of mostly evergreen trees • Soil thaws in the short summer • Varied temperatures with long cold winter and short warm summer • Precipitation is mostly snow, 35-100 cm per year. • Plants include lichens, mosses, and evergreen trees. • Animals include birds, moose, weasels, wolves, deer, caribou, mink, porcupines, and bears. • Located in N. America, Europe & Asia

6. Grassland • Made up of prairies or plains & dominated by grasses • Temperature ranges from temperate to tropical • Precipitation averages 25 cm to 75 cm per year • Plants include grasses, wheat, and corn • Animals include gophers, rabbits, giraffes, gazelles, buffalo, antelope, and birds. • Located in Africa, Australia, Asia, N. America, and S. America

7. Temperate Deciduous Forest • This region has four distinct seasons • Temperatures range from below freezing in winter to over 30C in summer • Precipitation averages 75 cm to 150 cm per year • Plants include trees (that lose leaves seasonally) such as, maples, oaks, and hickories. • Animals include worms, insects, salamanders, snakes, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, bears and deer. • Located in N. America, Asia, Europe, S. America, Australia, and Africa.