Biomes

What types of deserts are there?

Hot&Dry, Semiarid, Coastal, Cold

Where are hot & dry deserts found?

Asia, Africa, N & S America, Australia

What latitudes are common for hot and dry deserts.

Low latitude

What are the highs/lows of a hot and dry desert.

43.5 C -49 C / -18C

What is the precipitation average for hot and dry deserts.

1.5-28cm (LOW)

What is the dominant vegetation for hot and dry deserts?

ground-hugging shrubs, short trees, yucca, cacti, agave

What is the soil like in hot and dry deserts?

Course textured shallow rocky, good drainage (less chemical weathering)

What types of animals in hot & dry deserts?

Small nocturnal carnivores, rats, insects, reptiles

Where are semiarid deserts found?

Asia, N America, Europe

Where are coastal deserts found?

N America, S America,

Where are cold deserts found?

N America, Antarctica

What latitudes are common for semiarid deserts.

Subtropical, mid latitudes

What latitudes are common for coastal deserts.

15 N and 30 S

What are the highs/lows of a semiarid desert.

38C/10C

What are the highs/lows of a coastal desert.

35C/-4C

What are the highs/lows of a cold desert.

21C/-2C

What is the precipitation average for semiarid deserts.

2-4CM, very low and concentrated

What is the precipitation average for coastal deserts.

8-13CM, very low dense fog, infrequent rain

What is the precipitation average for cold deserts.

15-26 CM, heavy in april and may

What is the dominant vegetation for semiarid deserts?

Spiny, silvery, glossy leaves

What is the dominant vegetation for coastal deserts?

thick fleshy leaves, salt bush, black sage, (drought resistance)

What is the dominant vegetation for cold deserts?

Scattered, spiny, sage bush

What is the soil like in semiarid deserts?

Sandy, fine-textured, low salt, concentration subsurface

What is the soil like in coastal deserts?

fine texture, moderate salt, porous, drainage

What is the soil like in cold deserts?

Heavy, silty, salt, porous

What types of animals in semiarid deserts?

Jack rabbits, skunks, kangaroos, reptiles, lizards, snakes, owls

What types of animals in coastal deserts?

amphibian, insects, coyotes, golden eagle, snakes

What types of animals in cold deserts?

Rabbits, mice, squirrels, kit fox, badger, deer in winter

What is the latitude of a tropical rainforest

23.5 N and 23.5 S (equator)

What is the latitude of a temperate deciduous forest

Mid latitude, between 30N to 60N

What is the latitude of a boreal forest (taiga)

50-60N

What is the latitude of a savanna

5N - 20S

What is the latitude of a temperate grasslands

25N and 60S

What is the latitude of a chaparral

30N to 40S

What is the latitude of a artic tundra

60-70N

What is the altitude of a alpine tundra

10,000 - 11,000 feet

What continents are tropical rainforests found on

S America, Africa, Australia, Asia

What continents are temperate deciduous forest found on

N America, Asia, Europe

What continents are boreal forests (taiga) found on

N America, Asia, Europe

What continents are savanna found on

africa, australia, s america, asia

What continents are temperate grasslands found on

N America, S america, Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia

What continents are chaparral found on

N America (west coast), S America, South Africa, Australia

What continents are arctic tundra found on

N america, europe, asia

What continents are tropical alpine tundra found on

N America, S America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia

What are the highs/lows of a tropical rainforest

20C-25C

What are the highs/lows of temperatre deciduous forest

30C/-30C

What are the highs/lows of a boreal forest (taiga)

Long cold dry winters, short moist summers

Winter: 30F/-65F

Summer: 70F/30F

What are the highs/lows of a savanna

Dry season: 10-20C

Wet season: 20-30C

What are the highs/lows of a temperate grassland

Summer high, 38C. Winter low, -40C

What are the highs/lows of a chaparral

Hot dry summer, 90-100F

Mild wet winter, 30-50F

What are the highs/lows of a arctic tundra

-34/12C

What are the highs/lows of a alpine tundra

0-15C

What is the precipitation average for tropical rainforest

Over 200CM annually, distributed evenly

What is the precipitation average for temperate deciduous forest

75-150 Cm, evenly distributed

What is the precipitation average for boreal forest (taiga)

40-100cm (mostly form snow)

What is the precipitation average for savannas

50-127CM, concentrated of 6-8 months then a drought

What is the precipitation average for temperatre grasslands

25.4-50CM a year

What is the precipitation average for chaparral

10-17IN, long dryness periods in the summer

What is the precipitation average for arctic tundra

15-25CM

What is the precipitation average for alpine tundra

Less than 30CM (cold, slow evaporation)

What is the dominant vegetation for tropical rainforests

large multi layered canopy, very diverse, very little light penetration, dark green leaves, orchids, shallow roots

What is the dominant vegetation for temperatre deciduous forest

Broad leaves lost annually: oak, hickory, maple, basswood, cottonwood, elm

What is the dominant vegetation for boreal forest (taiga)

Cold tolerant evergreen, needle like leaves, such as pine, fur, spruce

What is the dominant vegetation for savanna

Grasses, small broad leaved plants that grow with plants, deciduous trees, shrubs scattered, open landscape, trees on termite mounds

What is the dominant vegetation for temperate grasslands

Grasses!, Some small bushes, no trees

What is the dominant vegetation for chaparral

Only plants with hard leaves can survive, scrub oaks, pines, corks, olive trees (hairy to collect moisture)

What is the dominant vegetation for arctic tundra

No deep root systems, some cold resistance plants, low shrubs, reindeer mosses, grass

What is the dominant vegetation for alpine tundra

Tussock grasses, dwarf trees, small leafed shrubs

What is the soil like in a tropical rainforest?

nutrient poor and acidic, heavy leaching

What is the soil like in temperate deciduous forest

fertile, enriched with decaying litter

What is the soil like in boreal forest (taiga)

Thin, nutrient poor, acidic

What is the soil like in a savanna

Porous with rapid drainage, thin layer of humus to provide nutrients

What is the soil like in temperate grasslands

deep, darl, with fertile upper layers

What is the soil like in chaparral

poor, shallow, rocky, and nutrient-deficient. (waterlogged in winter, dry in summer)

What is the soil like in arctic tundra

Soil is formed slowly, frozen subsoil (permafrost), water saturates surface

What is the soil like in alpine tundras

Well drained soil

What types of animals in a tropical rainforest

Numerous birds, bats, small mammals, insects

What types of animals in a temperate deciduous forest

Squirrels, rabbits, skunks, birds, deers, mountain lions, bobcats, timber wolfs, fox, black bear

What types of animals in a boreal forest (taiga)

Woodpeckers, hawks, mooses, bear, weasel, lynx, fox, wolf, deer, hares, chipmunks, shrews, bats

What types of animals in a savanna

giraffes, elephants, zebras, buffalos, kangaroos, mice, moles, gophers, ground squirrels, snakes, worms, termites, beetles, lions, leopards, hyenas

What types of animals in a temperatre grasslands

gazelles, rhinos, wild horses, lions, wolves, prairie dogs, jack rabbits, deer, mice, coyotes, foxes, skunks, badgers, grouses

What types of animals in a chaparral

Aardwolf, cactus wren, golden jackal, grey fox, puma, wild goat, spotted skunk

What types of animals in arctic tundra

lemmings, caribou, Arctic hares and squirrels, polar bears, ravens, falcons, sandpipers, mosquitos, flies, salmon, trout

What types of animals in alpine tundra

pikas, marmots, mountain goats, sheep, elk, grouse, spring tails, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies

What are the depths of the intertidal zone?

Constantly changes because of tides

What are the depths of the corel reefs

0-150 feets / Deep Coral = below 150 feet

What are the depths of the Pelagic zone

0-11,000 feet (the entire open ocean)

What are the depths of the abyssal zone

3,000-6,000 meters

What are the temp ranges of the intertidal zone

depends on tidal cycles, latitude, sun exposure ()-30C

What are the temp ranges of the coral reefs

23-29C

What are the temp ranges of the pelagic zone

No set temperature because of the thermal stratification with constant mixing of cold and warm ocean currents

What are the temp ranges of the abyssal zone

Cold, 3C

What are the defining characteristics of the intertidal zone

Sometimes sumberges, others exposed. Creates a harsh environment with extreme changes in moisture, salinity

What are the defining characteristics of the coral reefs

Coral obtains nutrients through algae via photosynthesis. Ocean water needs to be warm with high salinity and sunlight penetration

What are the defining characteristics of the pelagic zone

Immense volume, vertical stratification, low nutrient levels

What are the defining characteristics of the abyssal zone

Highly pressured, high in oxygen content, low nutritional content, hydrothermal vents

What are the common organisms of the intertidal zone

Diverse algae, snails, crabs, sea stars, small fishes

What are the common organisms of the coral reefs

Algae, polyp, corels, microogranisms, fish, sea urchines, sea stars

What are the common organisms of the pelagic zone

surface seaweeds, fish, mammals, plankton

What are the common organisms of the abyssal zone

fish, invertebratres, chemosynthetic baceteria found in thermal vents