c
 





A   or "major life zone," is a large geographic region of the earth's surface with distinctive plant and
animal communities There are both terrestrial biomes, such as grasslands and tropical rain forests, and
aquatic biomes, such as estuaries

A biome may also be defined as an extensive ecosystem (ecological unit of living organisms and their
abiotic environment
spread over a wide geographic area, or as a grouping of many ecosystems that share
similar environmental features and communities (organisms living together in a certain area

Collectively, biomes comprise the biosphere, which is the thin area of the earth's surface where all
organisms live

Biomes are a dynamic, rather than static, entity, and have changed throughout geological history More
recently, biomes have been impacted by human activity Some of these impacts, such as deforestation,
have caused significant environmental challenges It is important that people understand their local,
regional, and global impacts and act responsibly toward the environment, such that future generations can
enjoy the integrity and diversity of nature In biblical terms, this is referred to as the "third blessing," the
role of humans to care for all of creation, both the biotic component and the abiotic physical environment

Biomes represent a superficial and somewhat arbitrary classification of ecosystems Biologists are not
unanimous in how they classify biomes or in the number of biomes One biologist may classify one
particular area as one biome, while another classifies the same region as an ecotone (the area where one
biome overlaps another
or as a different biome In some cases, the word "biome type" is utilized,
whereby several biomes are combined into this biome type For example, the coniferous forest biome type
includes the coniferous forest biomes of Europe, Asia, and North America

Among commonly recognized land biomes are tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, grasslands,
deserts, and tropical rain forests, and two major water biomes are those of marine and fresh water Others
add such biomes as temperate rain forests, chaparral, and coniferous forests, and further delineate aquatic
biomes into ocean, estuaries, and so forth
 G
 
 






 

It has long been noted that regions of the earth with similar climate tend to have plants and animals with
similar adaptations For example, regions with long, dry periods of little rainfall (deserts
contain plants
and animals adapted to these dry conditions Such plants may flower during the rare periods of rainfall,
and tend to be tough, woody shrubs or succulents

Biomes represent a useful, albeit crude way of classifying ecosystems Classification of biomes varies and
no one system dominates biogeographical studies

A fundamental classification of biomes is into:

c  Terrestrial biomes (or continental biomes
and

2  Aquatic biomes

Four specific classification methods are discussed below






  
Biomes are most strongly defined by global distributions of vegetation types, which are influenced by
global climate, soils, and other physical environment factors In turn, climate and soil depend partly on
latitude, altitude, and terrain factors

With the exception of deserts and the polar biomes, terrestrial biomes are generally named for the
dominant type of vegetation (climax vegetation
, such as deciduous forests and coniferous forests

The following is a common classification of biomes that one might find in introductory textbooks on the
topic:






Abiotic factors, such as climate, are important in determining where a particular biome is located
There are longtitudal patterns of climate over the Earth¶s surface, and therefore, there are also
longtitudal patterns of biome distribution over the Earth¶s surface

è
 


Arctic and Antarctic regions




Northern North America, Europe, and Asia





Northern Hemisphere, south of Tundra

J Taiga (Northernmost band

J Coniferous belt ("Spruce-moose" belt

J Southern pine forests

-



Eastern United States, much of Europe, parts of Asia, South America, Africa, and Australia






About one-fourth of land surface of the earth

-


Extensive areas found on all continents







Mediterranean coast, coast of southern California, southern tip of Africa, and southern coast of
Australia





J Tropical rain forest (Found near equator

J Temperate rain forest (Small relative to tropical rain forest

•


The largest part of the biosphere (the earth
is made up of aquatic biomes It was here that life
first arose, and here it evolved for almost three billion years, before plants and animals moved
onto land There are two main types of Aquatic Biomes: Freshwater and Marine Freshwater
biomes usually have a salt concentration of less than c, whereas Marine biomes have a salt
concentration that averages 3


 

Freshwater Aquatic Biomes have close ties to their surrounding terrestrial biomes Runoff of
water from land creates streams and rivers, and where runoff in trapped, ponds and lakes are
formed Also, the characteristics of a freshwater biome are influenced by the pattern and speed of
water flow, as well as the climate to which the biome is exposed
 J Ocean
9 Benthic zone
9 èelagic zone
å Neratic Zone
å Oceanic zone
J Intertidal zone
J Estuaries



 

Marine Aquatic Biomes are found in the Earth¶s oceans, covering nearly 75 of the Earth¶s
surface Most of the planet¶s rainfall is from the evaporation of the Earth¶s oceans, and the
temperatures of the oceans strongly effect the world¶s climate and wind patterns Marine Algae
are a major source of oxygen for the world, as well as consuming huge amounts of carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere

J akes and èonds

J Rivers and streams

The subcategories of the Marine Biome (Ocean, Intertidal Zones, and Estuaries
are also considered
biomes

Biomes are often given local names For example, a temperate grassland, savanna, and shrubland biome is
known commonly as g

in central Asia, g or veld in southern Africa, 
in North America,
 in South America, and
 in Australia






atitude is a major climate-influencing factor determining biomes There is a good correlation between
the distribution of climates with latitude, and homogenous vegetation bands Another major factor is
humidity This can be illustrated by the fact that biodiversity increases away from the poles towards the
equator, and increases with humidity

The most widely used classification of biomes is related to latitude (or temperature zoning
and humidity:






J Humid type: Tundra








J Humid type: Taiga or boreal forests





J Humid type: Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests



 



J Humid area: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
J Semi-humid area: Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, subtropical coniferous forests
J Semi-arid area: Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub, temperate grasslands, savannas,
and shrublands
J Arid area: Temperate deserts and xeric shrublands




J Humid area: Tropical moist broadleaf forests (tropical rainforests

J Semi-humid area: Tropical dry broadleaf forests, tropical coniferous forests
J Semi-arid area: Tropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
J Arid area: Deserts and xeric shrublands



J Continental shelf
J ittoral
J Riparian
J èond
J Coral reef
J ëelp forest
J èack ice
J Hydrothermal vents
J Cold seeps
J Benthic zone
J èelagic zone







Another system of classification takes into account altitude and humidity, ignoring temperature as a
factor This classification is used to define the Global 200 list of ecoregions identified by the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF
as priorities for conservation

This classification gives the following terrestrial biomes:

J Tundra (arctic, humid

J Boreal forests/taiga (subarctic, humid

J Temperate coniferous forests (temperate cold, humid to semi-humid

J Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests (temperate, humid

J Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands (temperate, semi-arid

J Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrublands (temperate warm, semi-humid to semi-arid
with winter rainfall

J Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests (tropical and subtropical, semi-humid

J Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (tropical and subtropical, humid

J Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests (tropical and subtropical, semi-humid

 J Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands (tropical and subtropical, semi-
arid

J Deserts and xeric shrublands (temperate to tropical, arid

J Mangrove (subtropical and tropical, salt and brackish water inundated

J Flooded grasslands and savannas (temperate to tropical, fresh water inundated

J Montane grasslands and shrublands (temperate to tropical, high altitude

3
 Enumerate and distinguish the terrestrial biomes

è  

One of the most unique biomes is found in the Arctic Ocean and the water around Antarctica The èolar Ice
biome is a marine biome that is rich in nutrients from the land around them, and contain ice This makes the
perfect environment for plankton, and plankton fuel the surrounding ecosystem

èANTS
Very, very, very few aquatic plants can live in this biome

ANIMAS AND ORGANISMS

èlankton, which provide food for an extremely diverse group of organisms Sea lions, penguins, many
species of fish and birds, and other mammals all enjoy this biome


- 
This biome, found far north and at the tops of mountains, is extremely cold; not even trees can grow there A
special charecteristic of the tundra is known as permafrost èermafrost is the soil beneath the top, thawed
layer The permafrost is frozen year round Because of the permafrost, the top layer of soil is always soggy,
and lakes and ponds are always seen Because the soil that is not frozen is only a few inches deep, only plants
with shallow roots can live their
Average Temperature in Summer- 53 F
Average Temperature in Winter- -cF
Average Annual Rainfall- c2-20 in

èANTS
ike I said before, the soil is not deep enough to hold deeply rooted plants Grasses, woody shurbs, sedges,
and small bushes are commen

ANIMAS
Small animals, like the lemmings, hares, and shrews are very common Also present are larger mammals
such as the caribou, wolf, Arctic Fox, polar bear, and musk oxen
Several birds also live in this area, like the Gyrfalcon, Ruddy Turnstone, Snowy Owl, and Tundra Swan
Other migratory birds can be seen in the summer

    

The Coniferous Forest is a forest of Conifers (too much to handle, isn't it?
A Conifer is a tree that produces
its seeds in cones The èine tree is the most common example Conifer leaves conserve water with the thick,
waxy layer that covers their leaves, also known as needles The vegitation in the Coniferous forest is small in
size, but large enough to feed the vast herbivore population Most of these animals survive the brutal winters
by migrating or hibernating
Average Annual Rainfall- c-29 5 in
Average Temperatures in the Summer- 57 2F
Average Temperatures in the Winter- cF

èANTS
Many softwood trees such as fir, pine, spruce, and hemlock

ANIMAS
Most animals are herbivores, however some carnivores and omnivores are thrown in Animals in Coniferous
Forests include the red fox, moose, snowshoe hare, great horned owl, and the crossbill

FUN FACTS
The largest Carniferous forest exists in a ring in Alaska, Canada, northern Europe, and northern Asia, in a
ring in the Northern Hemisphere This forest is called the "Taiga"

--   

The atin word "Deciduous" means "to fall off" There for, a temperate deciduous forest is a forest that is not
hot nor cold and has leaves that fall off in Autumn These trees lose their leaves in order to conserve water
A Temperate Deciduous Forest contains numerous species of trees and hundreds of species of animals
Average Rainfall: 29 5 inches
Average Temperatures in Summer: 82  F
Average Temperatures in Winter: 2 8F

èANTS
These forests consist of several layers of vegetation These plants include shrubs, moss, ferns, and lichens
because they do not need much sunlight The trees in the forest are hardwoods such as oak, hickory, maple,
beech, birch, and sweet gum

ANIMAS
Animals in these forests are so high in quantity that the my website server would crash before I listed all of
them There is a very diverse population, all adapted to survive the season changes Examples of animals
include cardinals, deer, black rat snake, opossum, mice, squirrell, ect

FUN FACTS

J The largest tree in the world is found right here in the United States You can find it in California
This giant sequoia tree is 275 feet tall and 95 feet around
J The largest forest in the world covers parts of Scandinavia and northern Russia It has over 3 5
million square miles of land covered in trees!
J Most hardwood trees are used for firewood, construction, or art ots of forests are being cut down
for farm land


- 

The grasslands consist of several species of grass with some flowering plants mixed in No trees grow
because of the many fires that occur The grasslands are a habitat for small, seed eating animals and large
herbivores
Average Annual Rainfall- c0-29 5 in
Average Temperatures in the Summer- 8F
Average Temperatures in the Winter- 32F

èANTS
Mostly large grasses (wow, grasses in the grasslands
and some flowering plants With the grasses that grow
in the grassland, we make cereal

ANIMAS
Animals such as the bison, wolf, prarie dog, and the mule dog are now common in the U S grasslands There
is only a small variety of animal life

FUN FACTS
J The road runner can attain speeds of up to c7 mph on foot
J A favorite game of the road runner is taunting a rattle snake just before eating it
J Grassland surrounds all of the deserts in Asia


-
 

Deserts are hot areas that receive very little rainfall Most of the water that hits the ground evaporates within
minutes In order to survive, animals have evolved to withstand the extreme temperatures and the little
moisture
Average Temperature in Summer- c00F
Average Temperature in Winter- 5F

èANTS
In the desert, the plants look unlike anything you see anywhere else These plants have adapted so that their
roots are shallow enough to reach the water of a storm, or deep enough to access the ground water These
plants include the cactus, the Dragon Tree, Desert Spoon, Aloe, Joshua Tree, and the Yucca Tree

ANIMAS
These animals, like the plants, have made severe adaptions to survive Animals are usually noctornal to avoid
the hot temperatures of the day Animals of the desert include the Jackrabbit, tortoise, ëangaroo Rat, Thorny
Devil, Sidewinder, Dingo, Fennec Fox, a variety of reptiles, and the Cactus Wren

FUN FACTS:
èlant and animal adaptions: The cactus can store gallons of water in their stems and trunks The Jackrabbit's
abnormally large ears allow it to relieve heat ëangaroo rats take water from the food they eat, thus, they
never have to drink Most of the flowering plants flower, bloom, and produce seeds in a very short time
after a large amount of rain Spadefoot toads spend 9 months out of the year underground

Some deserts tie for the deadliest area in the world





 

Chaparrals are forests of trees, however, they are more a cross between a grassland and a forest The area is
also known as the Scrub Biome This biome is charecterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters
Average Temperature in Summer: 7c 7F
Average Temperature in Winter: F
Average Annual Rainfall: c5-0 in

èANTS
Mainly trees and shrubs The trees are usually oak The shrubs are tall and thick, with a waxy layer to
conserve water

ANIMAS
Animals in this area have evolved to survive in the dry summer, wet winter, environtment Animals include
the aardvark, chipmunk, coyote, and lynx

FUN FACTS
The word chaparral comes from the Spanish word "chaparro", which means scrub oak




 

The Tropical Rainforest has virtually no season change There are THOUSANDS of species of trees in the
rainforests There is an even larger amount of species of animals, the vast majority of which have not been
discovered yet The soil is very poor, and the vegetation contains most of the nutrients Most of the species
live in the canopy of the Rainforest
Average Annual Rainfall: c57 5 in
Average temperatures of Day- 93 F
Average temperatures of Night- 8 F

èANTS
Most plants in the rainforest are trees, and there are also several types of mosses and shrubs that grow on the
ground Because only a small amount of sunlight reaches the floor, these plants are generally very small

ANIMAS
The animals in the rainforest are so diverse, that scientists speculate that they only know of c of all of the
animals Among these are hundreds of species of parrots, snakes, millions of other birds, the monkey, tigers,
Sumatran Rhinos, and millions of other species

FUN FACTS
J The amount of tropical rainforest that is deforested every year is equal to the size of Britain That's
c,000,000 acres a week, or c00 acres a minute
J In c950, 30 of the earth was tropical rainforest In c975, c2 was left In 2002, tropical
rainforests covered only  the earth
J More than 0 of the earth's orginal forests have disappeared Asia has lost 2 of their forests,
Africa has lost 52, and atin America has lost 37
J We are losing rainforests at a rate of 7 a year
J The rainforests have the highest level of biodiversity
J Up to c00 species of trees can live in an area of cc25 sq ft
J The United States Cancer Institute has named more than 2,000 plants in the tropical rainforest that
can potentially fight cancer
J Over 0 of the drugs prescribed the the United States work because of plants in the rainforest






 

The savanna, in lamenst terms, is a tropical grassland with some clumps of trees The Savanna is
charecterized by the wet and dry season, specific to the Savanna In the Savanna, despite the harsh "dry
season", animals and plants prosper
Average Annual Rainfall- 59 in
Average Temperatures in the Dry Season- 93º
Average Temperatures in the Wet Season- cº

èANTS
Wild grasses, generally tall and several clumps of trees Savannas are further classified by the type of trees
they contain These trees can be palm, pine, and acacia

ANIMAS
Animals, mainly herbivores, are generally large in size and have made adaptions to survive to this unique
climate and food source Animals include elephants, giraffes, zebras, gazelles, and wildebeeste Carnivores,
such as the liions, leopards, and hyenas, balance out the ecosystem



 

This dry, cold, grassland is found on all of the continents except for Australia and Antarctica There is a low
amount of humidity because the steppe is located away from the ocean, but close to mountain barriers The
steppe is halfway between a forest and a desert
Average Temperature in Summer: c0F
Average Temperature in Winter: -0F
Average Annual Rainfall: c0-30 in
èANTS
The main plants are a variety of grasses The grasses bery in size from  c/2 ft to c c/2 ft It is very hard to
grow plants because of the poor soil

ANIMAS
Most of the animals in the Steppe are grazing herbivores, like rabbits, mice, antelopes, and horses

FUN FACTS
There are many endangered species in the Steppe, and even more people are trying to protect them The
Steppe is losing land to oil drilling, and plowing for farming


 Enumerate and distinguish the aquatic biomes



 

The Freshwater biome consits of rivers, ponds, lakes, streams, creeks, and anything that is made up of fresh
water Because of the purity of the water, the absence of the harsh salt, and the adaptability of the water, a
broad spectrum of plant and animal life can be found in these areas Because this biome is all over the world,
there is no average anything

èANTS
Almost any plant can live in this area Most common are trees, shrubs, and grasses

ANIMAS
As with plants, you can find a huge variety of animals, especially mammals, in the freshwater biome

FUN FACTS:
The freshwater biome contains the second most diverse group of plants and animals
Although it is not the largest, this biome is the most spread out over the world



 

The largest biome in the world is all water The marine biome includes all bodies of water that are salty,
such as oceans There are 7 major oceans in the marine biome, along with smaller bodies, known as gulfs and
bays The ocean is divided into 3 layers The top layer is called the euphotic layer, and it is shallow enough
for light to reach it The disphotic zone lets enough light through for it to look light twilight The final zone,
the apotic zone, is so deep, that no light can reach it
Average Temperature in Summer- N/A
Average Temperature in Winter- N/A
Average Annual Rainfall: More than half of the rain that falls on the planet earth, fall over the marine
biome

èANTS
There are millions of species of algae and aquatic plants, most of which we haven't found yet

ANIMAS
Most animals have made adaptions to survive in the special requirements of the oceans These adaptions
include blubber in most mammals, and the dense fur of the sea otter The marine biome can also house the
largest animals on the planet, such as the Blue Whale Common animals are whales, sea otters, fish,
mollusks, crustaceans, and millions more

FUN FACTS
The sea otter has close to c,000,000 hairs per square INCH Most humans have c0 times ESS on their
head
The ëelp and èhytoplankton make about 50 of our oxygen
20 people coud stand on the Blue Whale's tongue
There is one cup of salt per gallon of water
The deepest point on earth is deeper than the tallest point on earth is tall In fact, the Mariana Trench in
3,200 feet deep