Major Biomes and Ecosystems Overview

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Tundra

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Cold Arctic/alpine environment with permafrost, no trees, short growing seasons, low shrubs and mosses; found north of the Arctic Circle and atop high mountains (alpine tundra)

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Taiga (Boreal Forest)

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"Snow forest" dominated by coniferous trees, short growing season, heavy snowfall; stretches across northern North America, Europe, and Asia just below the tundra tree-line

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17 Terms

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Tundra

Cold Arctic/alpine environment with permafrost, no trees, short growing seasons, low shrubs and mosses; found north of the Arctic Circle and atop high mountains (alpine tundra)

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Taiga (Boreal Forest)

"Snow forest" dominated by coniferous trees, short growing season, heavy snowfall; stretches across northern North America, Europe, and Asia just below the tundra tree-line

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Temperate Deciduous Forest

Mid-latitude forests of trees that lose leaves seasonally; marked by winter cold and summer warmth with variable precipitation; in eastern North America, western/central Europe, and East Asia

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Tropical Deciduous Forest

Warm latitude forests of trees that shed leaves during dry season; distinct wet/dry seasons; found in parts of India, Central America, and northern Australia

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Temperate Grassland (Prairie, Steppe)

Semi-arid grass-dominated plains with few trees; insufficient rainfall for forests; North American prairies, Eurasian steppes, Argentine pampas

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Tropical Grassland (Savanna)

Warm grasslands with scattered trees; pronounced wet/dry seasons; extensive in sub-Saharan Africa, northern Australia, and parts of South America

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Shrubland (Chaparral, Mediterranean)

Shrub-dominated, wet winters/dry summers, fire-adapted; Mediterranean basin, California chaparral, South African fynbos, southwestern Australia

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Desert (Subtropical)

Hyper-arid regions with <250 mm annual rainfall, extreme temperature swings, plants with water-conserving adaptations; Sahara, Arabian Desert, Australian Outback

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Desert (Rain-shadow/Montane)

Arid zones forming behind mountain ranges or at high altitude; e.g., Gobi Desert (rain-shadow of Himalayas), Atacama Desert

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Tropical Rainforest

Year-round warm, wet climate; highest biodiversity; multi-layered canopy; Amazon Basin, Congo Basin, Southeast Asian islands

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Intertidal Zone

Shoreline between high and low tide; organisms adapted to periodic exposure and submersion; found along all oceanic coastlines

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Neritic Zone

Coastal ocean over continental shelf where sunlight reaches the bottom; highly productive; extends from low tide line to ~200 m depth worldwide

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Pelagic Zone

Open ocean water column beyond the neritic, down to ~200 m where sunlight fades; includes epipelagic (sunlit) and mesopelagic zones globally

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Abyssal Zone

Deep ocean below ~400 m; perpetually dark, cold, high pressure; includes abyssal plains and trenches worldwide

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Mangrove Swamp

Coastal intertidal wetlands in tropical/subtropical regions; salt-tolerant trees with prop roots; found in Southeast Asia, Caribbean, East Africa

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Coral Reef

Shallow marine areas in tropical latitudes with calcium-carbonate-forming corals; highest marine biodiversity; Great Barrier Reef, Caribbean reefs

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Kelp Forest

Cold, nutrient-rich coastal waters with large brown algae (kelp); form underwater 'forests'; Pacific coasts of North America, South America, southern Australia