Biomes

and the plants that dominate them

A simple website for biomes is: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/

Terrestrial biomes – defined by temperature & moisture; characterized by the organisms that live there, particularly the plants!

Desert – cacti and succulants

Chaparral – shrubs, some grasses, few small trees; drought and fire resistant

Grasslands – tall grasses, few if any trees, wildflowers

Temperate deciduous forest – deciduous trees & other plant species

Tropical rainforest – many trees and a huge variety of other plant species

Taiga – conifers & other plant species, including mosses, shrubs & vines

Tundra – cold and relatively dry; very few small plant species

Desert

Vegetation is sparse and includes succulents and cacti; extreme temperatures and little moisture; includes both hot deserts (Sahara, etc) and cold deserts (Antarctic)

Animals include:

A few reptiles, some rodents, a few birds, some insects; no large animals

Chaparral

Vegetation is dense, spiny, evergreen shrubs; frequently “destroyed” by fire; rainy winter and dry summer; small reptiles, birds, rodents, insects

Grasslands

Savannah – long dry grasses and scattered low trees; herding animals native to the area; small animals, many birds & insects

Temperate grassland – long grasses; some herding species, many insects & birds; some rodents & reptilesThere are many other types of

grasslands. See your study guide!

Temperate deciduous forest

Deciduous trees characterize this region of moderate rainfall with seasonal temperature fluctuations; animals including deer, foxes, bears, rabbits, & squirrels, many birds, insects, amphibians, and reptiles could be found in and around this biome

Tropical rain forestThe vegetation is layered to form a canopy; copious rainfall, little temperature change in a day; no change of seasons (maybe “wet” and “wetter”); greatest diversity of animal and plant life on Earth

Note: not all rainforests are tropical. The forests of Washington state are rainforests, but certainly are not tropical!

Taiga/coniferous forest

Dominate many large areas of the world with evergreen species, lush foliage below, and a variety of animal life, including elk, moose, deer, wolves, birds, insects, etc; often very ancient forests

Tundra

Sparse, small “cold adapted” plants; lichens; can be due to altitude or latitude; caribou & other small animals may be found; permafrost

Precipitation & temperature of biomes

Aquatic biomes are defined by light and depth

Freshwater biome

•The littoral zone is shallow and close to shore.

•The limnetic zone is the open surface water.

•The profundal zone consists of the deep, aphotic regions

Lakes and Ponds

Vary in depth and therefore light penetration. Many different types of lakes.

Streams and Rivers

Many have full light penetration, but extremely deep rivers may have aphotic zones. Life in each varies greatly.

Wetlands

Extremely important to the survival of the planet. Vary greatly: swamps, bogs, flood plains, etc are all types of wetlands. Usually home to a variety of plants and animals.

Estuary – place where freshwater runs into salt water

Nurseries for many species of fish, birds, invertebrates, and other aquatic organisms. Essential to the preservation of life.

Marine or saltwater biomes

•Zonation in Marine communities.

•The intertidal zone is where the land meets the water.

•The neritic zone includes the shallow regions over the continental shelves.

•The oceanic zone extends past the continental shelves, and can be very deep.

•The pelagic zone is the open water.

•The benthic zone is the seafloor.

Intertidal zone

Hardy organisms live here that can survive the beating of waves and exposure to air. Many fish and invertebrates make their home in the area between high tide and low tide.

Coral reef

The rainforests of the sea! Great diversity of wildlife. Dominated by invertebrates, many fish make their home here among the coral and bryozoans that secrete their own homes, creating the reefs. Essential for coastal preservation.

Tube worms in the abyssal zone

- no light penetrates this area of cold, high-pressure water; rich in nutrients from undersea vents, there are many organisms completely adapted to this marine biome.

Open Ocean

- also called the pelagic zone, is continuous with the neritic zone over the continental shelf, but much deeper. While the neritic zone, where coral reefs and large schools of fish are often found, is rich in life, the pelagic can be almost desert-like in terms of the number of living organisms found there.

- the upper regions (photic) do have many organisms that feed here as they migrate through the oceans

Benthic region

- the bottom of the ocean extending from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone is home to a variety of organisms; types depend on light and depth

Note that many of these terms can refer to organisms, too. Star fish (sea stars) are benthic, as are coral. Tuna are pelagic. Jellyfish are planktonic (remember this means they are at the mercy of the currents) and often found in the neritic and oceanic zones. Some jellyfish could also be described as pelagic. It all depends on where the organism spends its time.

Make sure that you can classify the terrestrial biomes by rainfall, temperature, PLANTS, and animals.

Make sure you can classify the aquatic biomes by light, depth, and organisms.