Biomes of the world

What is a Biome?
A biome is a large region with a certain climate and certain types of living things. A biome is a large region
of Earth that has a certain climate and certain types of living things. Major biomes include tundra, forests,
grasslands, and deserts. The plants and animals of each biome have traits that help them to survive in their
particular biome.
Tropical Rainforest:
A forest that grows in a tropical area with high rainfall. A tropical rainforest is a rainforest with a high rainfall
that grows in a tropical region. Tropical regions – and therefore tropical rainforests – are found near the
Equator, an imaginary line that circles the globe, dividing the northern and southern hemispheres.
Reason for tropical rainforest being in danger
• Logging interests cut down rain forest trees for timber used in flooring, furniture, and other items.
• Power plants and other industries cut and burn trees to generate electricity.
• The paper industry turns huge tracts of rain forest trees into pulp.
• The cattle industry uses slash-and-burn techniques to clear ranch land.
• Agricultural interests, particularly the soy industry, clear forests for cropland.
• Subsistence farmers slash-and-burn rain forest for firewood and to make room for crops and grazing
lands.
• Mining operations clear forest to build roads and dig mines.
• Governments and industry clear-cut forests to make way for service and transit roads.
• Hydroelectric projects flood acres of rain forest.
 Importance of rainforest for the humans
The rainforests are so important because they:
• oxygen - the rainforest vegetation takes in carbon dioxide and gives out oxygen
• medicines - a quarter of all natural medicines were discovered here
• undiscovered species
• food, eg vanilla, chocolate, nuts, ginger and pepper
• resources, such as rubber and bamboo

Tropical Savannah, Deserts. Chaparral, Grassland

Location

Tropical Savannah The tropical savanna is found on various continents in the tropical region, alongside
the equator at around 10°–20° latitude both North and South. Large parts of Africa
and Australia are tropical savannas, as well as Florida.
Deserts Based on the lines of latitude (the imaginary lines that run east and west we can
divide the world into three regions: Polar, tropical, and temperate. Polar
regions are the most northern and southern (between 66° and 90° lat) ,
with temperate regions further towards the equator (23° and 66° lat) and tropic
regions in the center (between 0° and 23°) surrounding the equator line.

Chaparral Chaparral biome can be found spread across all the different continents and consist
of various types of landscape including mountains and plains.
Grassland Found in Argentina, South and north America, Biggest grassland extends from
hungry to China.

Climate

Tropical Savannah Tropical savannas have warm temperatures all year round, average monthly
temperatures throughout the year stay at 64° F or above. There are two different
seasons in tropical savannas, a wet season and a dry season.
Deserts There is extreme heat, drastic changes in daily temperature, dryness, and lack of
water Due to the availability of little moisture in the air to capture and hold on to
the heat coming from the high temperatures during the day, desert nights are
typically cold. In the summer months, temperature ranges between 30 to 49
degrees Celsius. In the winter, temperatures range between 10 to 20 degrees
Celsius.
Chaparral The climate of the chaparral biome is very hot and dry. The weather found in the
biome is constantly changing. Temperatures in the Chaparral biome are typically
very hot during the day and cool to cold at night. Summer days can see
temperatures of 15° to 30° degrees. Winter days are cooler, ranging from 4° to 20°
degrees.
Grassland Most grasslands experience a dry season and a rainy season. During the dry season,
grasslands can be subject to fires, which often start as a result of lightning strikes.
 Vegetation:

Tropical Savannah Plants found in savannas are expert to handle long periods of drought. Savanna plants
have extra-long roots capable of reaching the water table deep beneath the soil. The
plants are also covered in thick bark, so they can resist the yearly fires that happen
during the dry season. The trunks of the plants can store a large amount of water, this
helps the plants survive throughout the dry season and savanna plants drop their leaves
during the winter.
Deserts plant growth is the lack of water, and the high amount of evaporation means hold onto
the water that you have absorbed.
E.g. cacti have long and shallow root systems to be able to have access to a larger
surface area and trap water from the upper levels of the ground, Tortola moss which
has evolved the ability to pull water straight from the moisture in the air, meaning that
it doesn’t need rain at all to obtain water!
Chaparral The plants of the Chaparral Biome share a lot of similar qualities to plants that are in
the desert. You can expect to see the following types of plants and vegetation in the
biome:
Cactus
Shrubs
Poison Oak
Eucalyptus Trees
The way these plants can survive in the extreme heat and dry conditions.

Grassland Grassland soils are generally too shallow and dry to support tree growth.

Animals:

Tropical Savannah Tropical savannas have diverse population of animals. Tropical savanna animals include
the herbivorous animals that feed on the grasses and trees. Africa’s tropical savannas
are home to gazelles, buffalo, zebras, rhinos, elephants, giraffes and more. There are
also large carnivores that eat the herbivores found in the biomes. Lions, jackals, hyenas,
cheetahs, and leopards all live in the savannas of Africa. There are also birds of prey like
hawks and eagles that live on small animals like rodents.
Deserts Desert animals have unique adaptations that help them to keep cool and use less water.
For example, Camel also known as the ship of desert, Foxes survive here due to their
burrowing and nocturnal lifestyles. Other animals in the desert biome include Bobcats,
Javelina, Desert Tortoise, Desert Kangaroo Rat, Sonoran Desert Toad, Thorny Devil,
Desert Bighorn Ship, Antelope, and so on.
Chaparral The resilient animal species need to be active at night to conserve their own internal
water supply. This allows them to roam their environment with minimal risk of
dehydration due to this there are only a handful of prominent species that can withstand
such harsh conditions. animal species that can be found in the Chaparral Biome:
Deer
Jackrabbits
Roadrunners
Grassland Grasslands support a variety of animal wildlife as well, including reptiles, mammals,
amphibians, birds and many types of invertebrates.
 giraffes, zebras, and rhinoceroses.
The grasslands of Australia provide habitat for kangaroos, mice, snakes, and a variety of
birds.
The grasslands of North America and Europe support wolves, wild turkeys, Canadian
geese, cranes, bobcats, and eagles.
Temperate Deciduous and Coniferous Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest Climate
CLIMATE It has four distinct seasons spring,
summer, autumn, and winter The
average annual temperature in a
deciduous forest is 50 F The
average rainfall is 30 to 60 inches a year.
Location They are located in the eastern United
States, China, Japan, Canada and Europe
Plants Temperate deciduous forests are home
to trees such as oak, birch, beech, elm
and maple These tall trees form the
forest canopy part of the growing layer
After the canopy, the next layer down is
the understory, which has smaller species
of trees and younger trees that haven’t
yet reached their full height The shrub
layer is next and contains woody
vegetation such as bushes and brambles
that grow in places where enough light
comes down through the canopy After
this, comes the herb layer, consisting of
soft stemmed (plants including
wildflowers, ferns and grasses These
plants must be shade tolerant to live this
far down in the forest The last layer is the
forest floor This area of the biome has
rich soil from decayed leaves, twigs, moss
and animal waste, also called litter this is
the recycling area of the temperate
deciduous forest.
Animals Insects inhabiting temperate deciduous
forests include ants, flies, bees, wasps,
cicadas, walking sticks, moths,
butterflies, dragonflies, mosquitoes and
praying mantises Frogs, toads, snakes,
and salamanders are some of the
reptilian residents of the temperate
deciduous forest Common birds found in
Coniferous Forest Biome
Long cold winters (average temperature 15 C)
with extreme temps 30 C) Short summers with
long days Winter snowfall melts only in spring.
The coniferous forest biome is south of the
Arctic tundra The largest stretch of coniferous
forest in the world, circling the earth in the
Northern Hemisphere, is called the “taiga”.
Trees that produce their seeds in cones, such
as pine or fir trees, dominate the Coniferous
forest These trees often have shallow roots
that spread out widely to take advantage
of the moisture in the upper levels of the
ground They are also shallow because of the
poor soil and rocky conditions Trees have pine
needles instead of broad leaves Pine needles
contain very little sap, so freezing is
not much of a problem Being dark in colour
they absorb what little light falls on their
surfaces
Despite the often harsh climates and
relatively sparse vegetation, the coniferous
forest range is home to countless
invertebrates, small and big land animals as
well as birds. Some grow thick winter coats
to stay warm and move even in deep snow,
while others hibernate. Most birds living in
these regions are migratory, so, they fly to
warmer regions to escape the chilly winters.
this biome include woodpeckers, robins,
jays, cardinals, owls, turkeys, hawks and
eagles smaller mammals in the
temperate deciduous forests include
rabbits, otters, monkeys, beavers,
raccoons, porcupines and squirrels
Bears, white tailed deer, moose, tigers,
elephants, giraffes, leopards, pandas,
and humans are some of the larger
mammals that live in this biome
Temperate Decideous forests
Human Effects and what’s being done to Protect it
The animals are hunted illegally, The deciduous forest biomes continue to be cut down.
The trees from these areas are used for construction, firewood, and plenty of other
materials that we use all the time. Many of these forest areas are also cleared away so that farmland can
be used for growing foods.
We need to conserve these environments because:
We rely on the oxygen from the trees The animals and plants that are found there will die Efforts like
educating the public about what their actions cause are being done.
Threats to the Coniferous Forests
forest is cut every 12.9 seconds!
Mining operations are a threat to the Coniferous forests
because of the chemicals used in mining and the silt released by mining
Road construction destroys the forest and acts as a barrier to wildlife. Roads isolate populations of
species from feeding grounds, natural migration routes and limits breeding between larger groups
(therefore limiting the gene pool)
As the Earth's population continues to increase and people
continue to move out of the city more and more forests will be lost to urbanization.
Mining operations are a threat to the Coniferous forests because of the chemicals used in mining and the
silt released by mining.
Road construction destroys the forest and also acts as a barrier to wildlife. As the Earth's population
continues to increase and people continue to move out of the city and into the suburbs, more and more
forests will be lost to urbanization.
What can you do to help protect the forests?
Logging should be banned
Decrease the use of fossil fuels.
Use public transport
Help lessen the demand for paper products by Reuse brown paper bags. Use them to line rubbish bins!
read the news online!
Send e-cards instead of paper cards to everyone you know who has Internet access!
Drive your car less! Ask for a lift from a neighbor so you share a lift or ride the bus!
Reduce your use of wood products Instead of buying new furniture, recover or refinish what you have, or
buy used furniture and recover or refinish it.
Tundra( Treeless plain )
Tunturia , the long version of tundra, is literally translated into treeless plain. Because of the low
temperatures landscapes are covered in frost, and the soil is frozen year-round, a condition
known as permafrost. There is very little nutrients found in the soil, Location
The tundra is located at the top of the world, near the North Pole. This enormous biome, extremely
uniform in appearance, covers a fifth of the earth's surface.
Climate of the Tundra!!!
Summer and winter are the two major seasons in this biome.
Spring and fall do exist but are short periods between summer and winter. In the winter temperatures
have an average of 28 degrees centigrade, but it can drop as low as 70 degrees centigrade.
there is an average temperature of 12 degrees centigrade.
Animals
The frigid cold and deep snow makes life in the tundra very difficult. Every animal must adapt in order to
survive. Some have grown thick fur which turns white in the winter. Others find a place to hibernate
during the winter months.
Birds like Ruddy Turnstone, Snow Bunting, Snowy Owl Tundra Swan. Tundra birds help distribute seeds.
When they eat brightly colored berries, the birds carry seeds to other places and leave the seeds to grow.
Mammals like Arctic Fox, Caribou Musk Ox, Norway Lemming, Polar Bear, Sled Dogs
Insects

Vegetation
The plants growing in the tundra are often small and grow close to the ground.
small shrubs
The tundra landscape is often covered with rocks. The constant freezing and thawing in the tundra helps
to break the rocks into smaller pieces.
Growing on the surface of this rock is a lichen. They are composed of a fungus and an algae living and
growing together.
Lichen is the favorite food of caribou and musk oxen.
Many plants, have leaves that are dark red. Dark leaves allow the plant to absorb more heat from the sun
in the cold tundra climate.
Cotton grass has seeds that are dispersed across the tundra when they are caught by the wind.
Earthquake and Tsunami

Difference between earthquake and tsunami The term "tsunami“meaning" harbour wave.
An earthquake (also known as a tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting
from a sudden release of energy in the Earth.
the difference between tsunami and earthquake is that tsunami is a very large and destructive wave,
generally caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean, such as an undersea earthquake or volcanic
eruption while earthquake is a shaking of the ground, caused by volcanic activity or movement around
geologic faults.

Earth is like a jigsaw puzzle of 20 pieces that constantly moving. Each piece is called
the tectonic plates. They hit/bump or slide pass one another.
What causes earthquakes?
Earthquakes are the sudden violent shaking of the ground. This happens because the Earth's plates are
constantly moving and sometimes because of friction, plates become stuck. Pressure builds up because
the plates are still trying to move. When the pressure is released it sends out huge amounts of energy
causing the Earth's surface to shake violently.

Surface where these plates slip are called the fault

plane

Most of the time we don’t feel these plates moving but

sometimes they move so strongly that they can be felt
over 1000 miles. Earthquake where its originate is
called hypocenter.
Place where it occurs on the Earth’s surface is called the epic
center.

There are 3 types of earthquakes.

Convergent boundary is when 1 plate overlaps the other. Hills
and mountains are formed.

DIVERGENT BOUNDRY
When plates are drifted apart forming a rift zone. It makes a new ocean floor

TRANSFORM FAULT
When plates slip by each other, this is also called the strike slips
Earthquake measuring device
Earthquakes, until recently, have been measured on the Richter scale. The Richter scale measures the
magnitude of an earthquake (how powerful it is). It is measured using a machine called a seismometer
which produces a seismograph.
Effects
The effect is the damage which happens because of the earthquake. The effects of an earthquake can
vary depending on:
•The size of the earthquake on the Richter scale -the higher it is on the scale the more destruction it
causes.
•whether it occurs in a rich or a poor country. Richer countries will be more likely to be able to predict
and attempt to protect and prepare themselves from the effects of an earthquake.
•The depth of the focus -if its shallow it can be more destructive.
•Population density -the more people living in an area, the more likely to be more deaths and casualties.
•The time of day -whether people are in their homes, at work or travelling.
Natural disaster Drought

Causes of drought
•an area to get less rainfall than average.
•A lack of water in stores such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and
aquifers (water stored underground naturally) can lead to
drought. HUMAN CAUSES OF DROUGHT
•Deforestation leads to less water being stored in the soil.
Therefore, the land dries out quicker than it would if it were
covered in vegetation. Also, trees release moisture into the
atmosphere through their leaves, a process is known as
transpiration. Removing trees and vegetation reduces the
amount of moisture in the atmosphere making the area drier.
.Constructing dams and reservoirs reduces the flow of water downstream. This can lead to drought in other
areas. Intensive agriculture reduces water supplies as large quantities of water are required for irrigation.
•livestock also has considerable demands on water for drinking.
Effects of drought
•When this happens, no crops will grow. As a result, many people and animals may die of famine, or lack
of food.
•Severe droughts often force people and animals to move to find water. Some farmers go to places where
they think conditions will be better for their crops and animals.
•Some people give up farming altogether. They move to cities to find other types of work.
•Drought has many impacts, including economic by increasing the import and decreasing the export due
to less production of items such as cotton.
Safety measures
•Pre-drought planning can help reduce the risk that the drought
•To be prepared for droughts is that if you have cattle or any type of farm life, have an area that won't be
affected by the droughts and move them there. This can help because they will have food that hasn't been
hurt due to the lack of water and can fully thrive in the new environment.
•help save water.
•Purchase rain barrels or other systems of collecting rain water to use for watering plants
•make sure you aren't wasting too much water in the Kitchen and Laundry.