Earth's Biomes: Definitions, Regions, and Factors

1. Biomes

2. What is a biome? • Definition: A group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities • Climate = temperature and precipitation • The __________ can be broken down into biomes biosphere

3. Types of Biomes Skip to End

4. Marine • Definition: a salty body of water (oceans, seas, some lakes) • What abiotic factors are important here? • Temperature, availability of light, depth, salinity, tides • What biotic factors are important here?

5. Marine Biotic Factors Back

6. Estuary • Definition: a coastal body of water, partially surrounded by land, in which freshwater and salt water mix • What abiotic factors are important here? • Temperature, run-off, availability of light, depth, salinity, tides • What biotic factors are important here?

7. Estuary Biotic Factors Back

8. Freshwater • Definition: body of water that is not salty • What abiotic factors are important here? • Temperature, availability of light, depth, salinity, run-off • What biotic factors are important here?

9. Freshwater Biotic Factors Back

10. Wetlands • Definition: where the land meets the water • Examples: swamps (have trees), marshes (don’t have trees), and bogs (water from rain) • Found in inland and coastal regions • What abiotic factors are important here? • Temperature, run-off, precipitation, salinity • What biotic factors are important here?

11. Wetlands Biotic Factors Back

12. Tundra • Definition: treeless land surrounding the north pole with long summer days and short periods of winter sunlight • Other Characteristics: • temperatures never above freezing for long • top layer of soil frozen until summer = shallow-rooted plants only • permafrost

13. Tundra Continued • What abiotic factors are important here? • Temperature, sunlight, precipitation • What biotic factors are important here? Back

14. Taiga • Definition: south of the tundra; continuous belt of coniferous trees around the north pole • aka Boreal or Northern coniferous forest • Other characteristics: • long, severe winters and short, mild summers • Topsoil = decaying coniferous needles; poor in minerals

15. Taiga Continued • What abiotic factors are important here? • Temperature, sunlight, precipitation, fires, logging • What biotic factors are important here? Back

16. Desert • Definition: arid region with sparse to almost nonexistent plant life >25 cm of precipitation annually • What abiotic factors are important here? • Temperature, precipitation, water supply • What biotic factors are important here?

17. Desert Biotic Factors Back

18. Grassland • Definition: large communities covered with rich soil, grasses, and similar plants • Other Characteristics: • Dry season • Insufficient water for forests • Attract herds of grazers • aka. Prairie, “Breadbaskets of the world”

19. Grasslands Continued • What abiotic factors are important here? • Precipitation, fertilizers, fires • What biotic factors are important here? Back

20. Temperate Forest • Definition: dominated by broad-leaved hardwood trees that lose their foliage annually • aka. Deciduous forests • What abiotic factors are important here? • Logging, precipitation, light, water, fire • What biotic factors are important here?

21. Temperate Forest Biotic Factors Back

22. Rain Forest • Definition: identified by extensive amounts of moisture supplied by rainfall or coastal clouds and fog • Other characteristics: • Support vast numbers of species • Vertical layering > 200 cm of rain annually • Two types: Temperate and tropical

23. Rain Forest Continued • What abiotic factors are important here? • Precipitation, deforestation, sunlight availability • *Conservation efforts* • What biotic factors are important here? Back

24. Ok…So where are these places? Terrestrial Biomes

25. Biodiversity “Hotspots” (highlighted in red) What trend(s) do you notice about these areas?