apes terrestrial biomes

Tropical Rainforest

Warm, wet all year round 🌧 Very high rainfall and humidity 🌿 Dense canopy with multiple layers 🌈 Highest biodiversity 🌱 Soil: nutrient-poor (nutrients leached by rain or used quickly) ⚠️ Human impact: deforestation for agriculture and logging

Subtropical Desert☀️

Hot, extremely dry 🌵 Sparse vegetation (cacti, succulents) 💨 Very low precipitation 🌱 Soil: sandy, low nutrients ⚠️ Human impact: groundwater depletion, desertification, climate change

Woodland / Shrubland (Chaparral)

☀️ Hot, dry summers & mild, rainy winters 🔥 Natural wildfires common 🌾 Low, woody shrubs — few trees 🌱 Soil: low nutrients (leached by winter rains) ⚠️ Human impact: overgrazing, development, increased fires

Tropical Seasonal Forest / Savanna

🌦 Distinct wet & dry seasons 🌾 Grasses with scattered trees 🌱 Soil: high nutrients (fast decomposition, but limited by rainfall) 🦓 Large grazing animals common ⚠️ Human impact: agriculture and grazing expansion

Temperate Grassland (Prairie)

🌞 Hot, dry summers & cold winters 🔥 Periodic fires maintain grasslands 🌾 Grasses, few trees 🌱 Soil: rich and fertile, high nutrients ⚠️ Human impact: 98% converted to farmland (wheat, cattle)

Temperate Seasonal Forest (Deciduous Forest)

🍂 Warm summers, cold winters 🌧 Moderate precipitation 🌳 Broadleaf deciduous trees (oak, maple) 🌱 Soil: rich, organic, rapid decomposition ⚠️ Human impact: cleared for agriculture and urban use

Temperate Rainforest

🌲 Coastal biome 🌧 High rainfall, mild winters & summers 🌳 Dominated by large conifers (redwoods, spruce) 🌱 Soil: nutrient-poor due to leaching; moderate decomposition ⚠️ Human impact: deforestation, logging, mining

Boreal Forest (Taiga)

🌲 Cold climate; long winters, short growing season 🌳 Coniferous trees (pine, spruce, fir) 🧊 Moderate precipitation 🌱 Soil: nutrient-poor, acidic, slow decomposition ⚠️ Human impact: logging, climate change

Tundra

❄️ Very cold, dry 🌿 No trees — mosses, lichens, low shrubs 🧊 Permafrost layer prevents root growth 🌱 Soil: nutrient-poor, frozen, very slow decomposition ⚠️ Human impact: melting permafrost → releases greenhouse gases