BIOMES OF THE WORLD

TUNDRA cold boggy plains

LOCATION: North of Arctic Circle
ABIOTIC FACTORS
long harsh winters, short
summers
more than 63 cm rainfall a year
higher than 10C
no true soil developed,
permafrost layers
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
growing close to the ground, less than 1 m
shallow roots to absorb limited water
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
visitor, migrators
few predators and little competition
THREATS
slow to recover from damage caused by hikers; one of the most fragile
biomes

TAIGA huge evergreen forest; boreal forest
LOCATION: Northern Hemisphere; Northwestern coat
of North America; continuous belt of coniferous trees
in North America and Eurasia

ABIOTIC FACTORS
winters are long
254 cm rainfall a year, mostly snow
soil poor in nutrition, very acidic
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
dominated by coniferous
(needle-bearing) trees
long roots to anchor trees
conical shape for shedding of the
snow
needlelike leaf for reducing
surface area on which water may
be lost
waterproof cuticle
dark color for absorbing
maximum heat
lumber and pulpwood
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
adapt to cold winter
hibernate, burrow, warm coat, insulation etc
large herbivores
THREATS
mining
pollution left behind

TEMPERATE DECIDOUS FOREST colorful broadleaf hardwood
trees
LOCATION: 48 North Latitude

ABIOTIC FACTORS
4 seasons; summers are hot winters are cold
76-254 cm rainfall a year, all forms of precipitation
soil deep and rich in nutrients
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
broadleaf hardwood trees
more diversity
dormant in winter
grow in layers
more ground dwelling plants
because sunlight reaches the
ground
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
adaptable to 4 seasons
large mammals
eat from different layers of
canopy
lose winter coat
nut or acorn feeders
THREATS
human activities like hunting,
taking too much from their
habitat

CHAPARRAL Mediterranean scrub; evergreen shrubs and small trees

LOCATION: Mediterranean climates






ABIOTIC FACTORS
hot dry summers and mild wet
winters
thin and relatively infertile soil
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
low-lying shrubs and small trees
have leathery leaves to resist water loses
have oils in leaves to resist fire
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
camoflauge
adaptable, changes diet as season changes
THREATS
human development and housing

TEMPERATE GRASSLAND grasses and forbs

LOCATION

North America prairie
Eurasia steppe
South America pampas
Africa velds

ABIOTIC FACTORS
summers hot, winters cold, rainfall sometimes uncertain
fires help shape the landscape
moderate precipitation
well-suited agriculture
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
bunch grasses that reproduce by seed
grow in clumps; turf- or sod-forming
grasses with rhizomes or underground
stems from which new plants arise
plants that wont blow
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
migrates
hibernate, burrow during the day
can live in extreme temperatures
mole rats, badger, squirrel, coyote, wild
horse
THREATS
hunting and destroying herds of animals
infrastructure development
overgrazing of nomadic tribes

DESERT
LOCATION


ABIOTIC FACTORS
too dry for decay
minerals not deep in soil, little/no topsoil
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
spines
succulents, thick, waxy cuticle
shallow roots
phreatophytes having long tap roots about 20-30 ft
ephemeral, a short-lived annual forb
perennial forbs
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
thick outer coat
large ears for cooling (increasing surface area) and for detecting predation
behavioral adaptations like: burrowing during the day, nocturnal
lighter color to reflect sunlight
small body size, long appendages
THREATS
human recreations
plant collectors

TROPICAL GRASS LANDS OR TROPICAL SAVANNA - home of the grazing animals
LOCATION: near equator

ABIOTIC FACTORS
long dry seasons, short rainy
seasons
215-150 cm rainfall a year
fire plays a great role in ecosystem
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
continuous cover of perennial grass
drought-resistant and fire-resistant
plans
have thorns and sharp leaves
grow in tuft
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
adaptable to short rainy seasons,
reproduce during rainy seasons
vertical feeding
ungulates
THREATS
invasive species
changes in fire management
rises in sea level


TROPICAL RAINFOREST Earths most complex land biome
LOCATION: near the equator

ABIOTIC FACTORS
warm temperature, moist
200-254 cm rainfall a year
ideal for microorganisms
rich biodiversity and biomass
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
Little sunlight reaches the ground
plants grow in canopy layers
wide roots
have different strategies in reaching the sunlight
o epiphytes branches of the trees
o lianas rapidly grow up when there is
not canopy
o heterotrophs nonphotosynthetic
o stranglers start as epiphytes and work
their roots down to the ground
o climbers
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
symbiosis, specialists
live in different canopy layers
camoflauge
THREATS
logging

THE FIVE OCEANS

1. Pacific Ocean
2. Atlantic Ocean
3. Indian Ocean
4. Southern Ocean
5. Arctic Ocean

Life Zones in the Ocean

I. Horizontal zones (those extending from land out to sea).
A. Coastal Zone: that region in which tides expose the sea bottom for some part
of each day. The habitats are alternately submerged under salt water and
waterlogged for hours and then exposed to the air and dried out for hours.
Also known as littoral, nearshore, and intertidal zone.
B. Pelagic Zone: located seaward of the coastal zones low-tide mark, this
contains the vast open waters of the ocean. Two subdivision are recognized:
a. Neretic Zone: the water overlying the continental shelf. With
the exception of Antarctica, these waters usually extend to a depth of
600 ft. Sunlight penetrates the entire water column.
b. Oceanic Zone: The region of the sea extending from the edge of
the continental shelf, over the continental slope, and over ocean floor.
It is characterized by darkness and tremendous pressure. Vertical life
zones are significant here.
II. Vertical life zones of the oceanic zone.
A. Neustic zone: the thin film or skin formed by surface tension at the surface
of the water
B. Euphotic zone: The top of the water column as far down as light is available
for photosynthesis. Depending upon water clarity, the bottom of the euphotic
zone is about 500 ft below sea level. Also known as epipelagic zone.
C. Aphotic zone: the remainder of the water column below the euphotic zone.
Food chains usually begin with detritus or living algae and bacteria sinking
from above. This zone is further subdivided by depth as follows:
a. Mesopelagic zone: 500 to 3,280 ft below the sea surface.
b. Bathypelagic zone: 3,280 to 13,000 ft below the sea surface
c. Abyssopelagic zone: 13,000 to 20,000 ft below the sea surface
d. Hadal zone: 20,000 to 35,000 ft below the sea surface.
III. Benthic Zone
This zone contains all the habitats of the sea bottom, whether in coastal, continental
shelf, or deep sea environments. Organisms may live within the bottom material or
on its surface.