Biomes

Tundra

A cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation

Flora/fauna: mosses, lichens, caribou, arctic foxes

Taiga

Biome made up of coniferous trees that can tolerate cold winter and short growing seasons

Flora/fauna: evergreen trees, wolves, moose

Temperate Rainforest

Costal biome with moderate temperatures and high precipitation

Flora/fauna: conifers, ferns, black bears, elk

Temperate seasonal forest (deciduous forest)

Warm summers, cold winters, moderate precipitation

Flora/fauna: deciduous trees, deer, squrriels

Woodland/Shrublands

Hot, dry summers, cold, mild winters. Prone to forest fires

Flora/fauna: shrubs, small trees, coyotes, lizards

Temperate grassland (cold desseet/prarie)

Hot summers, harsh, cold winters. Moderate precipitation, fertile soils

Flora/Fauna: grasses, bison, prairie dogs

Tropical Rainforest

Warm, wet year-round, high biodiversity

Flora/Fauna: large trees, vines, large variety of mammals, birds, and insects

Savanna / tropical seasonal forest

Warm temperatures, seasonal rainfall, grasslands with scattered trees

Hot desert

Hot temperatures, little to no precipitation, and sparse vegetation

Flora/Fauna: cacti, succulents, snakes, lizards

Freshwater

streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, freshwater wetlands

Streams

narrow, carry small amounts of water

Rivers

wide and carry large amounts of water

Lakes/ponds

containing standing water, at least some of which is too deep to support emergent vegetation

Littoral zone

shallow zone of water and soil in lakes and ponds near the shore where most algae and emergent plants grow

Limnetic zone

a zone of open water in bodies of water where sunlight can penetrate

profundal zone

below limnetic zone; region of water where wunlight does not reach

benthic zone

muddy buttom of a body of water

oligotrophic

describes a lake with a low level of phytoplankton due to low amounts of nutrients

eutrophic

lake with high level of fertility

Freshwater wetland

aquatic biome that is submerged by water for at least part of each year, shallow enough to support emergent vegetation

Estuary

area along coast where the freshwater of rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean

Salt marshes

marsh containing non-woody vegetation found along the coast in temperate climates

mangrove swamp

a swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts and contains salt-tolerant trees with root submerged in water

Intertidal zones

narrow band of coastline that exists between the levels of high tide and low tide

coral reefs

most diverse marine biomes, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline

coral bleaching

a phenomenon in which algae inside coral dies, causing coral to turn white

open ocean

deep-ocean water located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the bottom

photic zone

upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives more sunlight for photosynthesis

aphotic zone

deeper layer of ocean that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis

chemosynthesis

process used by some bacteria to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide