Terrestrial Biomes

tropical wet forests

• Warm/ hot- no seasonality

• High precipitation

• high biodiversity

Savanna (tropical grassland)

• warm/ hot ( a mini drop to 20C)

• low precipitation

Subtropical deserts

• warm hot- weather increases around the summer about 40C,

• very low precipitation

• plants adapted to low water ( deep roots)

Chaparral

• warm- increases in the fall up to 20C

• low precipitation, some rain in winter months

• south cali/ Mediterranean

• shrubs adapted to fires

  • ash supplies nutrients

Temperate grasslands

• seasonal- warm/ cool

  • low: below -10C reaches a little above 20C

  • highest in june/july, big increase

• grasses

• low precipitation, rain between march and oct

• soil is deep and rich in nutrients

temperate forests

• seasonal- less drastic change, above -10C, highest is 20C

• Precipitation- low/ moderate about 125 mm every month

• deciduous trees

• soil is rich

• mid latitudes

Boreal Forests (tiaga)

• cool- cold temperature

  • highest is near 20C

  • slowest is above -30C

• low precipitation

• cold tolerant conifers

• soils have low nutrient availability

Arctic Tundra

• seasonal- cold

  • highest temp is near 10 C

  • below 30C

• ground plants, lichens, mosses ,

• soil remains year round (permafrost)

• slow decay of organic matter