Biomes

Biomesareclimaticallyandgeographicallydefined as
contiguous areas with similar climatic conditions on
theEarth, such ascommunitiesofplants,animals, andsoil
organisms,and are often referred to asecosystems.

Some parts of the earth have more or less the same

kind ofabioticandbioticfactors spread over a large

area, creating a typical ecosystem over that area.
Such major ecosystems are termed as biomes.
Biomes are defined by factors such as plant structures
(such as trees,shrubs, andgrasses), leaf types (such
asbroadleafand needleleaf), plant spacing
(forest,woodland,savanna), and climate.
Unlikeecozones, biomes are not defined by genetic,
taxonomic, or historical similarities. Biomes are often
identified with particular patterns ofecological
successionandclimax vegetation.

Anecosystemhas manybiotopesand a

biome is a majorhabitattype. Some examples

of habitats are ponds, trees, streams, creeks,
under rocks and burrows in the sand or soil.
A fundamental classification of biomes are:
1. Terrestrial(land) biomes
2. Aquatic biomes(including freshwater biomes
and marine biomes)

Climate is a major factor determining the distribution of

terrestrial biomes. Among the important climatic

factors are:
Latitude: Arctic, boreal, temperate, subtropical, tropical
Humidity: Humid, semihumid, semiarid, and arid
seasonal variation: Rainfall may be distributed evenly

throughout the year or be marked by seasonal variations.

dry summer, wet winter: Most regions of the earth
receive most of their rainfall during the summer months;
Mediterranean climate regions receive their rainfall
during the winter months.

Elevation: Increasing elevation causes a distribution of

habitat types similar to that of increasing latitude.

Tundra
TERRESTRIAL

BIOMES: major
(global scale) regions
of physically similar,
but not taxonomically
related, vegetation
and animals (life
zones, ecoregions)
Each biome type has
a distinctiveformof
vegetation
(physiognomy)

Boreal forest

Decidiuous forest

Aquatic biomes
Water covers about three

quarters of our planet. From

oceans to rivulets, aquatic
biomes are host to a wide
variety of life-forms, and
minerals, from the most
common algae to the most
mysterious deep-sea creature.
There is still much to learn
about aquatic biomes...
There two types of aquatic
biome,the marine regions,
andthe freshwater regions.

Aquatic biome