Lesson 2 - Terrestrial biomes

Terrestrial Biome

A land-based ecosystem defined by climate, vegetation, and animal life.

Forest Biomes

Areas dominated by trees that support diverse life forms and serve as a vital natural

Tropical Rainforest

Dense, warm, and wet forests near the equator; extremely biodiverse. They receive high rainfall and have a variety of flora and fauna, including many species found nowhere else on Earth.

Temperate Forest

Forests in regions with four seasons; layers include canopy, small trees, shrubs, herbs, and forest floor. They experience moderate rainfall and seasonal temperature variations.

Taiga

Cold forest biome with coniferous trees like spruce and pine; found in northern latitudes. It experiences cold winters and moderate rainfall, supporting wildlife adapted to these conditions.

Desert Biome

Dry land with sparse vegetation; classified into Hot & Dry, Semi-Arid, Coastal, and Cold deserts. These are characterized by low precipitation and can have extreme temperature variations.

Hot & Dry Desert

A type of desert biome characterized by high temperatures during the day, low precipitation, and limited vegetation; examples include the Sahara and Mojave deserts.

Semi-Arid Desert

A desert biome with slightly more rainfall than hot and dry deserts, supporting shrubs and grasses; often found on the edges of larger deserts. Examples include the Great Basin and areas of the Southwest United States.

Coastal Desert

Deserts near oceans; cooler and foggy compared to inland deserts.

Cold Desert

Desert with cold winters and dry summers, found in places like Antarctica's dry valleys.

Tundra Biome

Treeless regions found in Arctic and Alpine areas; has a layer of permafrost. Vegetation is limited to mosses, lichens, and some low shrubs, while temperatures remain very low.

Arctic Tundra

Located near the North Pole; characterized by permafrost, lichens, and animals like Arctic foxes. It is a cold desert-like environment with short growing seasons and low biodiversity, where temperatures can plummet.

Alpine Tundra

High mountain tops worldwide; plants like Beargrass and Tussock Grass grow here. This biome is characterized by cold temperatures, short growing seasons, and a diverse range of plant species adapted to high altitudes.

Grassland Biome

Large, rolling terrain covered by grasses, flowers, and herbs; limited trees. These areas experience moderate rainfall, making them suitable for grazing animals and various grasses, with some regions known as prairies or savannas depending on climate. Tropical Grassland

Tropical Grassland

Grassland with scattered trees; known as savannas (e.g., in Africa).

Temperate Grassland

Found in regions like steppes and prairies; experiences seasonal variations. This biome is characterized by hot summers and cold winters, with moderate rainfall that supports grasses and few trees.

Chaparral Biome

Areas with evergreen shrubs; found in rocky hills, plains, and mountains; hot, dry summers and mild winters. These regions are often fire-prone and support a variety of drought-resistant plants.

Tropical Rainforest

• Climate: Dry and Rainy Season

• Precipitation: Very high (125–660 cm)

• Temperature: 20–34°C

• Soil: Poor (nutrient deficit), thin (subjected to weathering), acidic, filled with oxisol and utisol

• Flora: 4 Layers: Emergent, Canopy, Understory, Forest Floor

• Fauna: Monkeys, sloths, jaguars

Temperate Forest

• Climate: Moderate, 4 seasons

• Precipitation: 75–150 cm

• Temperature: Summer 21°C, Winter: below 0°C, Average: 10°C

• Soil: Fertile, moderately leached soils, consists of alfisols

• Flora: Decidious Trees, stratified into: Trees Stratum, Sapling Layer, Shrub Layer or Understory, Fourth Layer or Herb Layer, Ground Zone

• Fauna: Animals deal with lack of food through, hibernation, burrowing, migration, and some adapted to camouflage

Taiga

• Climate: Cold, long winters

• Precipitation: 30–50 cm (snow)

• Temperature: Summer 10°C, Winter -30°C

• Soil: Acidic, more humid, and highly leached soils

• Flora: Spruce, fir, pine

• Fauna: Most animals are well adapted to the cold and survive easily with enough food to maintain energy balance through the winter.

Hot and Dry Desert

• Climate: Very hot days, cool nights

• Precipitation: 1.5 cm

• Temperature: Day 40°C, Night -3°C

• Soil: Sandy, rocky, no subsurface water

• Flora: Tend to be small, thick and covered with thick cuticle (outer layer), and some plants open their stomata at night when evaporation rates are lowest.

• Fauna: nocturnal animals

Semi-Arid Desert

• Climate: Mild summers, colder winters

• Precipitation: Low (~2–4 cm per year)

• Temperature: Summer 20–30°C, Winter -10°C or lower

• Soil: Sandy, loose, well-drained, law salt concentration

• Flora: Creosote bush, sagebrush, saltbush, Plants spiny  nature provides  protection and

enough shade  to reduce  transpiration. Also Shiny to reflect radiant light

• Fauna: Jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, lizards, foxes. Many animals find

protection in  underground  burrows where they  are insulated from  both heat and aridity

Coastal Desert

• Climate: moderate winter seasons and summer

• Precipitation: 8–13 cm

• Temperature: 13–24°C

• Soil: more porous soils with moderate texture and salt content

• Flora: Plants have  thick fleshy  leaves and  stems for  storing  nutrients and  large root  systems for  tapping  moisture

• Fauna: Amphibians, insects

Cold Desert

• Climate: Cold winters, dry

• Precipitation: 15–26 cm (mostly snow)

• Temperature: Summer 21°C, Winter -10°C

• Soil: Heavy, salty, relatively porous soils

• Flora: Sagebrush

• Fauna: Antelope, rabbits

Arctic Tundra

• Climate: Extremely cold

• Precipitation: 15–25 cm

• Temperature: Summer 10°C, Winter -30°C

• Soil: Permafrost

• Flora: Mosses, lichens (combi of algae and fungus), Specialized Root System, *Transpiration Limit, *Growing close to the ground

• Fauna: Arctic fox, caribou

Alpine Tundra

• Climate: Long Winters and Short cool summer

• Precipitation: 30–60 cm

• Temperature: Summer 10°C

• Soil: Inceptisol, spodosol

• Flora: Specialized Root System, *Transpiration Limit, *Growing close to the ground

• Fauna: Goats, pikas

Tropical Grassland (Savanna)

• Climate: Hot  climate  (summer)  with two  distinct  seasons:  dry

  and rainy

• Precipitation: 50–127 cm

• Temperature: 20–30°C

• Soil: Porous, nutrient-poor, thin layer of humus

• Flora: Acacia, baobab, long taproots constituting hydrophillic root system in search for water

• Fauna: Lions, giraffes,Reproduce on rainy seasons and migrate elsewhere for food and water on dry season *forms burrow to avoid predation and desiccation.

  
  

Temperate Grassland

• Climate: Hot summers, cold winters, growing and dormant

• Precipitation: 50–88 cm

• Temperature: Summer 25°C, Winter -20°C

• Soil: Deep, fertile loam soil

• Flora: extensive root system, massive root system

• Fauna: Bison, prairie dogs

Chaparral

• Climate: Experience  mild winter as  well as hot,  dry summers

• Precipitation: 5–25cm

• Temperature: Summer 30°C, Winter 10°C

• Soil: Rocky, poor, rich in iron oxide

• Flora: drought resistant, have the ability to lose leaves, some have flammable leaves.

• Fauna: Coyotes, jackrabbits

Epiphytes

Non-parasitic plants growing on other plants for support (e.g., orchids, ferns).

Deciduous Trees

Trees that lose their leaves to conserve water during cold/dry seasons.

Coniferous Trees

Cone-bearing trees like pine, fir, and spruce adapted for snowy environments.

Spodosol

Acidic soil rich in humus and metals like iron and aluminum.

Xerophytes

Succulent plants adapted to conserve water (e.g., cacti, yucca plants).

Yucca Plant

Desert plant with deep tap roots and lateral roots; has an obligate mutualistic relationship with the Yucca moth.

Halophytes

Plants adapted to grow in salty soils.

Active Layer

Top layer of soil in Arctic tundra that thaws during the summer, allowing plants to grow.

Cryoprotectants

Natural antifreeze substances produced by plants to prevent freezing damage. These substances lower the freezing point of cell fluids, enabling plants to survive in extremely cold environments.

Inceptisol

Moderately weathered soil found in alpine tundra.

Baobab Tree

Deciduous tree in the savanna that can survive without leaves for months and stores water in its trunk.

Cellulase

Digestive enzyme that allows animals to break down cellulose from plants.

Nocturnal Circadian Rhythm

Behavioral adaptation where animals are active at night to avoid predators.

Shrubs

Woody plants with multiple stems, common in chaparral environments.

Volatile Oils and Resins

Substances in chaparral plants that make them highly flammable, promoting ecological renewal after fire.

Fire-Dependent Plants

Plants that rely on periodic fires to clear dead material and stimulate new growth. These plants are adapted to survive and thrive in fire-prone environments, often having thick bark or seeds that require heat to germinate.

Leaching

Process where heavy rainfall washes away soil nutrients, making the soil less fertile.

Humus

Decomposed organic material in soil that improves fertility.

Photoperiodism

The response of plants and animals to the changing lengths of day and night.

Dormancy

State in which organisms reduce metabolic activity to survive unfavorable conditions (e.g., plants in winter).