APES Biomes

Tundra

Tundra

Cold, treeless, low-growing vegetation, short growing season, underlying subsoil is permafrost.

Boreal Forest

Coniferous evergreen trees, cold winters, short growing seasons, subarctic, plant growth constrained by temperature, nutrient-poor soil.

Temperate Rainforest

Moderate temperatures, high precipitation, coast biome, year-round growing season, winters are rainy, summers are foggy, very large trees.

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Very rainy, broadleaf deciduous trees, warm summers, nutrient-rich soil.

Woodland

Coastal, hot and dry summers, mild and rainy winters, year-round growing season, plant growth constrained by low precipitation in summer and low temperatures in winter, wildfires and droughts are common.

Temperate Grassland

Lowest average annual precipitation of any temperate biome, cold and harsh winters, hot and dry summers, plant growth constrained by low precipitation in summer and low temperatures in winter, grasses and non-woody flowering plants, wildfires and grazing animals are common.

Tropical Rainforest

Frequent precipiation, warm and wet, little temperature variation, most biodiversity of any terrestrial biome, contains up to 2/3 of Earth’s terrestrial species.

Savanna

Warm temperatures, distinct wet and dry seasons, fertile soil but low on nutrients, grasses and scattered deciduous trees.

Subtropical Desert

Hot and extremely dry, cacti and succulents.

Flowing Water Ecosystem

Organisms adapted to the rate of flow, originated from underground springs or from rain or melting snow (rivers, streams, creeks, brooks).

Standing Water Ecosystem

Sometimes too deep to support emergent vegetation (lakes, ponds, reservoirs)

Wetland

Water covers the soil for at least part of the year (bogs, marshes, swamps).

Littoral Zone

Standing water: The shallow area of soil and water near the shore where algae and emergent plants grow.

Limnetic Zone

Standing water: Open water, where rooted plants can no longer survive. Phytoplankton are the only photosynthetic organisms. It extends as deep as sunlight can penetrate.

Profundal Zone

Standing water: Sunlight cannot penetrate and therefore producers cannot survive.

Benthic Zone

Standing water: The muddy bottom of a lake or bond between the limnetic and profundal zone.

Salt Marsh

Coastal, temperate climate, non-woody emergent vegetation, productive.

Mangrove Swamp

Tropical and subtropical coastal, trees with roots submerged in water, help protect coastlines from erosion and storm damage.

Intertidal Zone

Narrow band of coastline that exists between high and low tide, waves that crash onto the shore in this biome can make it hard for organisms to hold on and not get washed away.

Photic Zone

Open ocean: Receives enough light to allow photosynthesis to occur.

Aphotic Zone

Open ocean: Deeper water that lacks sufficient light for photosynthesis.

Chemosynthesis

The process that occurs in the aphotic zone when some species of bacteria use methane and hydrogen sulfide to generate energy.

Coral Reefs

Warm and shallow waters beyond shoreline, most diverse marine biome, poor in nutrients and food, algae inside coral, coral bleaching.