Tundra

-Cold treeless biome with low-growing vegetation-The soil in winter is completely frozen-The growing season in the tundra spans 4 months during the summer-The temperature ranges from -40 degrees to 18 degrees Celsius-There are totals of 150-250 mm of precipitation a year in the tundra; this includes melted snow

-Many species of fauna exist in the tundra and thrive there like flowering plants, shrubs grasses, and liverworts -There are many animals that thrive in this temperature and some also migrate to warmer weather during the winter -Some types of animals that exist in this biome are arctic foxes, arctic hares, polar bears, and other types of animals

Boreal Forest (Taiga)

-A forest biome with cold winters-Short growing seasons-Cold climate and growth decreased by temperature than precipitation-The temperature is around -20 degrees celsius-The annual precipitation is 50-101 cm of snow during the winter months and 25-50 cm of rainfall-Major life zone-Found in northern circumpolar forested regions

-Coniferous Evergreen trees-Decreased plant growth-Soil is nutrient poor-Many species of mammals live here with some of them hibernating to survive the cold winters

Temperate Seasonal Forest

Warm summers and cold wintersPrecipitation per year is 75-150 cmThe average temperature range between -30 to 30 degrees CelsiusOverall the biome has moderate annual temperatures and moderate precipitationThese biomes are found in the United States, Japan, China, Europe, Chile, and AustraliaThe warm temperature aids in decompositionSoil is more nutrient-filled

There is abundant plant life of beech, maple, oak, and hickory treesThere are insects, spiders, slugs, frogs, turtles, and salamandersThere are also many birds and other mammals

Temperate Rainforest

Coastal biome The temperature ranges from 20 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius These rainforests are found in North America, Chile, New Zealand, and TasmaniaThere are  ocean currents that have some temperature fluctuations and provide a source of water vaporThere are 12 months of growing seasonsWinters are rainy and summers are foggyThe annual precipitation is 150-500 cm of rain with fog providing some precipitation as well

The mild temperatures and high precipitation support the growth of large treesThere are many amphibians, raccoons, slugs, crows, black bears, deer, and wolvesPlants that survive there are mosses, ferns, lichens, spruce, and hemlock with other species of plants also growing nearby

Temperate Shrubland/Woodland

Hot, dry summers and mild, rainy wintersThis biome is found in California, Australia, Africa, and around the Mediterranean sea12-month growing seasonPlant growth constrained by low precipitation in summer and low temperatures in winterWildfires are commonAnnual precipitation is around 76-152 cmThe average temperature ranges around 0-20 degrees Celsius

Plant life is well adapted to fire and droughtRabbits, Jackals, aardwolves,and antelopes are some examples of grazing animals that live and thrive in this biome

Temperate Grassland

Cold and harsh winters with hot and dry summersLowest average annual precipitation of about 50.8- 88.9 cmFound in North America, South America, Asia, and EuropeConstrained plant growth since there is not enough precipitation in the summer and cold temperatures in the winterThe average temperature ranges from -20 to 30 degrees Celsius

Plants are well adapted to wildfires and include grasses and non-woody flowering plantsFrequent grazing by animals such as carnivores and other species of mammals

Tropical Rainforest

The average temperature annually is 20 degrees CelsiusWarm and wet biome with little temperature variation and high precipitationThey contain more biodiversityTropical Rainforests contain two-thirds of the terrestrial species on EarthThe average precipitation is 152-406 cmIt rains all year longThere are no dry seasons in Tropical rainforest biomesReferred to as a lowland equatorial evergreen rainforest

Layers of vegetationMammals including sloths, jaguars, and lemurs exist in this biomeFrogs, salamanders, snakes, and lizards also exist

Tropical seasonal forest/ Savanna

Warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasonsThey are seen in America, Asia, Australia, and AfricaThe soil is fertile and can be farmedLow precipitation means that the soil may not have as many nutrients as needed The average temperature is between 20-30 degrees CelsiusThe average precipitation is between 50.8-127 cm

Grasses and deciduous trees are commonThere are a variety of animalsSome examples of those animals are wildebeest, warthogs, zebras, hyenas, cheetahs, lions, and elephants

Desert

Hot temperature and dry conditions with little vegetationSome places where subtropical deserts exist are America, Africa, the Middle East, and AustraliaThe annual average temperature is 60 degrees celsius with temperatures reaching 0 degrees celsius at nightThe average precipitation is low with fewer than 30 cm of precipitation

Plants that have adapted to this biome are cacti, euphorbs, and succulent plantsAnimals such as camels, tortoises, birds, foxes, rodents, and lizards also live in deserts

Freshwater Wetlands

Aquatic biome that is submerged by water for part of the year at leastSupports emergent vegetationThe most productive biome on earthRegulates water flowWetlands are a key habitat for many speciesProvides refuge during droughtsThe average annual temperature is around 24 degrees CelsiusThe average precipitation is about 150-500 cm

Some freshwater creatures that live there are snails, worms, turtles, birds, beavers, alligators, and many other insects.Plants that exist in the freshwater wetlands are bulrushes and cattails with limited trees.

Salt marshes/ estuaries

Productive biome found along the coast in temperate climatesCoastal wetlands are flooded and drained by saltwater Marshy because of the composition of the soilMarshes help filter pollutantsThey are also known as tidal wetlandsThe average temperature annually is around 3-15 degrees celsius in winter and 21-32 degrees celsius in summerThe average precipitation is around 127 cm

There are leaves, stems, and roots that provide shelterThe marshes contain young fish, shrimps, and crabsThe marsh also contains many kinds of invertebratesFish and shrimp also travel to salt marshes for food or a place to lay their eggs

Streams/rivers

Flowing fresh water from underground springs  or as runoff from precipitationStreams are narrow and have smaller amounts of waterRivers are wider and can contain greater amounts of waterThe annual precipitation is around 152.4 cmThe annual average temperature is around  1.7-24 degrees Celsius

There are many insects and microscopic life There are some aquatic organisms like bacteria, algae, plants, zooplankton, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

Lakes/ponds

Some ponds or lakes contain water too deep to support vegetationLittoral zone- most algae and emergent plants growA zone of open water is called Limnetic zonesThe profundal zone-sunlight does not reach; below the limnetic zone in deeper lakesThere is also the Benthic zone -the muddy bottom layer of a lake, pond, or oceanOligotrophic- low level of productivity; Mesotrophic- moderate productivity; and Eutrophic- high level of productivityAnnual precipitation=25.4-203.2 cm and temperature is around the same as most freshwater biomes

There are algae, emergent plants, as well as phytoplanktonDiverse communityMany aquatic plants, snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fish, and amphibians live in this biomeThere are some unusual life forms like river dolphins and the diving bell spider which are freshwater creatures

Intertidal

A narrow band of coastline between the levels of high and low tidesWaves that crash onto the shore can disrupt organisms as they need to hold on in order to not get washed away by the wavesThese biomes exist anywhere the ocean meets the landExamples of these areas are ledges, sand beaches, and mudflatsThe average temperature is from 26-42 degrees Celsius, the latter of which could be deadlyIntertidal zones do not have seasonsThe average precipitation is 299.97 cm annually

The intertidal zones along the rocky shorelines have sea stars, snails, seaweed, algae, and crabsBarnacles, mussels, and kelp also survive in this biomeWith the changes in tide patterns, some creatures need to hold water in their shells to avoid drying out in low tides

Open Ocean

Deep ocean water away from the shoreline with no sunlight able to reach the ocean bottomUpper layer that gets enough sunlight for the process of photosynthesis- Photic zoneThe deeper layer with not enough sunlight for photosynthesis is the Aphotic zoneIn order to generate energy, Chemosynthesis is a process that is used by bacteria to generate energy through methane and hydrogen sulfideThe average temperature annually is 4 degrees CelsiusThe average precipitation annually is 254 cm

The plants that exist in this biome are seaweeds, fungi, bacteria, and spongesCoral reefs also act as an ocean biomeThis biome is also home to whales, dolphins, fishes, tuna, jellyfish, and sharks

Coral Reef

Most diverse marine biomeFound in warm shallow waters beyond the shorelineCoral reefs found in water relatively low in nutrients and foodCoral is being affected by coral bleaching where the algae inside the corals die and cause the corals to turn whiteMicroscopic plants grow inside coral and exchange nutrientsThe average temperature annually that the coral can handle is 23-29 celsius and can handle temperatures as high as 40 degrees CelsiusThey cannot handle temperatures below 18 degrees celsiusThe average precipitation is 200 cm

Coral reefs can be considered an animal as wellIt houses many plants and animal speciesSome creatures that rely on the reefs are fish, corals, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges, and sea turtles

Mangrove Swamps

Swamp that occurs along the tropical and subtropical coasts The trees that are in the swamp protect the coastlines from erosion and storm damageThe average temperature that mangrove swamps can thrive in is above 19 degrees celsius since they cannot tolerate cold or below freezing for any length of timeThe average precipitation annually is 88.9-114.3 cm

Contains salt-tolerant trees with submerged roots in the waterMangrove trees tolerate the salt from the swampThe swamp is characterized by halophytic trees, shrubs, and other plantsSome invertebrates thrive in mangrove swampsOther animals that thrive here are snails, barnacles, amphipods, shrimps, crabs, and jellyfish