NASA Data in My Field Trip

Discovering Biomes

Average Land Surface Temperatures (MODIS - Terra satellite)

What is a biome? A biome is a unique combination of many different ecosystems, each with its own climate and geography. Illustrating climates: temperature maps one aspect of climate is temperature 2

Average Rainfall World-wide (MODIS Terra satellite) Another aspect is rainfall3Average Vegetative Productivity World-wide (MODIS Terra satellite)

Climate (rainfall and temperature) influences the amount and kinds of vegetation in an area. 4

6 NASA Biomes: Tundra, Taiga, Temperate, Tropical, Grassland, Desert5

We can divide those 6 biomes up into even more specialized ones. 6Taiga, Alaska

Russian word for forest is taiga. The taiga biome is the largest in the world and is located just below the tundra. Winters are very cold and snowy and summers are hot and rainy, but very short. There are not very many plants or animals that live here, because of the harsh conditions. The ground is frozen much of the year. 7Temperate Deciduous, New Jersey

The word temperate means moderate (not extreme or excessive). This describes the rainfall and the temperatures of this biome moderate. This biomes has four seasons, so plants and animals must be adapted to all conditions. 8Tropical, Australia

Tropical forests have high rainfall and high temperatures year-round. Most rainforests are located near the equator. The rainforest is a very diverse place more than half of the plant and animal species in the world live in the rainforest. 9Tundra, Colorado

The word Tundra is Finnish for barren. The tundra is an area very near the top of the world right below the North Pole. They are areas of low temperatures and low rainfall. In this climate, there are four seasons, but winter and summer are very long, while spring and fall are very short. In winter, the sun does not shine at all and in summer the sun shines for days at a time even at night! It is very windy. A good way to think of it is that the tundra is a cold desert. 10Grassland, South Dakota

The grassland is an area with enough rain to support grass, but very little else. Rainfall can be unpredictable and natural fires occur to keep scrubby plants under control. These biomes are found in the middle of continents the American prairie is an example, as is the African Savannah and the Russian steppes. These areas are flat and windy, making it difficult for plants to grow very tall. The exist on every continent except Antarctica.11Desert, Utah

The desert is an area of low rainfall and high temperatures. Deserts can have cold nights, so plants and animals need to know how to stay cool during the day and warm at night. Most deserts are located near the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. There are also cold deserts, which are so cold and dry that very few plants can grow at all. These are located in the Arctic. Most plants tend to be low growing and hug the ground. 12

Desert ArcticFur and spikes are just a few of the different kinds of adaptations that keep animals and plants alive in adverse conditions. 13

ArcticPolar bears are adapted to survive in arctic conditions warm fur, fishing skills.14

Spines help protect the plant from predators and shade the plant from direct sunGreen stem photosynthesizes to make foodThick, waxy stem holds water and retains it even in dry periodsWhat are some things that can help a cactus survive in the desert?15Adaptation ActivityCreate a plant with adaptations to help it survive in your assigned biome.

Succulents: store water in fleshy stems, shallow roots to capture maximum rain, grows in clumps for protection from predators, photosynthesizes at night to prevent excess water loss

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Cacti: The spikes protect the plant from predators, as well as shading it from the sun. 19

Many long, thin roots help some succulents get water near the surface. 20

Tap roots: mesquiteTap roots grow far into the earth to get at water deep in the water table.21

Temperate Biomes: seasonal precipitation and temperature.Evergreen needles: have antifreeze to prevent freezing and allow photosynthesis all year long; small, waxy needles prevent excess water loss; pine cones are a food source for small mammals and help disperse seed, tree shape allows it to resist breaking during heavy snows23

Broad leaves help plants photosynthesize more during the warmer months and store that food for winter, ability to drop leaves in the winter to prevent tissue damage and water loss by the plant, ability to go dormant during cold months24

Flowers are pollinated and set seeds to lay dormant over the winter until spring arrives. Each plant lives only for a season, but it is able to produce many seeds and create many new plants each year.25

Tropical forest: high rain and high temperaturesEpiphytes: plants that live without soil and take nutrients and water from the rain and air27

Most Orchids are epiphytes that we commonly see sold as house plants epiphytes are plants that grow on another plants or objects, mainly getting their nutrients from the air and rain rather than the soil.28

Lianas: vines that use their long stems to reach the light and attach to other plants with tendrils (a special stem that helps the plant climb and latch on to things easier)29

Buttress Roots they are found in nutrient poor rainforest soil and do not go deep into the ground.30

Prop roots: These roots help support the stem and prop it up31

Bigger prop roots32

Corn has prop roots too! 33

Drip tips allow water to run off the leaves and not pool on them34

Waxy leaf coating allows water to bead off the leaves and prevent mildew and fungus from growing35

Large leaves compete for sunlight and have extra leaf area so that they can get sun wherever they can find it in the rainforest, this especially occurs low to the ground where it is harder for plants to receive sun.36