BIO 102 - Terrestrial biomes

Biomes

• various regions of our planet that can be best distinguished by their climate, fauna, and flora

What are the common ways of classifying biomes?

• climate

• habitat

• animal and plant adaptations

• biodiversity and human activity

List of Terrestrial Biomes

• Tundra

• Coniferous Forest (Taiga or Boreal Forest)

• Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Grassland

• Desert

• Chaparral

• Savanna

• Tropical Rainforest

Tundra

• high latitudes of the northern hemisphere in a belt around the Arctic Ocean

Climate of Tundra

• extremely short growing season (6-10 weeks)

• long, cold dark winters (6-10 months with temperature below 0 degrees)

• Low precipitation (less than 5 inches/year) with strong, dry winds

• No true soil

  • Permafrost = frozen soil

What vegetation lives in the Tundra?

• lichens

• mosses

• sedges

• perennial forbs

• dwarf shrubs

What fauna lives in the Tundra?

• migratory birds

• Muskox

• artic hare

• artic fox

• mice

• snowy owls

Coniferous Forest (Taiga or Boreal Forest)

• largest of the terrestrial biomes

• a continuous belt of coniferous trees across northern North America and Eurasia

Climate of Coniferous Forest (Taiga or Boreal Forest)

• long, severe winters (mean temperatures below freezing)

• short summers

• mean annual precipitation (15-20 inches — mainly snowfall)

What vegetation lives in the Coniferous Forest (Taiga or Boreal Forest)?

• needleaf, coniferous trees

  • spruce, fir, pine, and larch

What fauna lives in the Coniferous Forest (Taiga or Boreal Forest)?

• fur bearing predators - lynx and weasels

• large herbivores - elk, red deer, and moose

• seed eating and insectivorous birds

Temperate Deciduous Forest

• primarily in the eastern U.S. western Europe and eastern Asia

Climate of Temperate Deciduous Forest

• 6 month growing season

• 20-60 inches of precipitation distributed evenly throughout the year

• sometimes period of drought and sometimes periods of cold winters

What vegetation lives in the Temperate Deciduous Forest?

• broadleaf deciduous trees

  • oak, maple, beech, chestnut, hickory, elm, walnut, and sweet gum

What fauna lives in the Temperate Deciduous Forest?

• mammals - white tailed deer, gray squirrel, chipmunk, racoon, opossum, skunk, black beat, wolves, mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats

Temperate Grasslands

• rich mix of grasses and forbs

• world’s most fertile soils

  • prairies, steppes, pampas, veld

Climate of Temperate Grasslands

• semiarid, continental climates of the middle latitudes

• 10-20 inches of precipitation per year

• warm to hot summers

What vegetation lives in the Temperate Grasslands?

• perennial grasses and perennial forbs

• cultivated crops

What fauna lives in the Temperate Grasslands?

• low in diversity

• bison, pronghorn, pocket gopher, ground squirrel, prairie dog, badger, ferret

Desert

• primarily found in the interiors of continents or on the west coasts of continents

Climate of the Desert

• arid - less than 10 inches of precipitation per year

• evaporation exceeds precipitation

• rainfall is localized and unpredictable

  • temperatures are highly variable

    • cold vs. hot deserts

What vegetation lives in the Desert?

• shrubs with small leaves and frequently with spines and aromatic oils

• plant life is adapted to avoid desiccation

What fauna lives in the Desert?

• nocturnal and burrowing species

• reptile, arachnid, and insect species

Chaparral

• smallest terrestrial biome

• Mediterranean region - southern Europe and northern Africa

  • Western California

  • Southern Australia

• Climate

  • Dry summers - periods of fire and drought

  • Precipitation - 14059 inches of rain per year

  • temperatures moderated by maritime influence

What vegetation lives in the Chaparral?

• small leathery leaved shrubs

• plants usually contain highly flammable oils

What fauna lives in the Chaparral?

• few animal species

• some indigenous and some migratory bird species

Tropical Savanna

• grasslands of central Africa, southern Asia, central Australia and Brazil

Climate of Tropical Savanna

• tropical wet and dry climate

• monthly temperatures at or above 64°F

• annual precipitation averages between 30-50 inches of rainfall

• dry season - 5 months of the year

What vegetation lives in the Tropical Savanna?

• continuous covering of perennial grasses

• some shrubs and some sporadic trees

• Acacia tree in central Africa

• plants are typical drought, fire, and browse resistant

What fauna lives in the Tropical Savanna?

• ungulate (hoofed) mammals

• grazing and browsing herbivores

• diverse set of carnivores

Tropical Rainforest

• most complex of the terrestrial biomes

• greatest species biodiversity

• Northern South America, western Africa, Indonesia, and southeastern Asia

Climate of Tropical Rainforest

• mean, monthly temperatures are above 64°F

• precipitation often exceeds 100 inches of rainfall per year

• no true dry season

What vegetation lives in the Tropical Rainforest?

• enormous numbers of plant species

  • layers (strata) - emergent, canopy, shrub, groundcover

  • epiphytes

What fauna lives in the Tropical Rainforest?

• diverse mammal and bird species

• arboreal species - monkeys

• rich in reptile and amphibian species

• greatest diversity of insects