Tropical Rainforest

Rainforest

You picture tropical rainforest as a jungle, where it

stays warm all year. There are too many animals to
count, and the vast numbers of trees keep their leaves
year-round. Many of these forests get so much rain
that there is not even much of a dry season – more like
a rainy season and a rainier season.

Temperate Forest
changing colours
Temperate forest.

This is the kind of forest where there are four relatively

distinct seasons. Many of the trees shed their leaves in
the fall and become inactive through the cold winter.
In these forests, you find deer, woodpeckers, and
bears, some of which hibernate through the winter.
Desert
sandy dunes
A desert with sand dunes.

Deserts make up the hottest biome but can also get

cold temperatures in winter. Such temperature swings
make this an extreme environment, where many
animals must burrow underground to find more stable
temperatures in order to survive. Plants and animals
here must be able to withstand long periods without
water.

Tundra
Tundra in Greenland.

Tundra is flat and cold with low plants like grass and
moss that only grow during the short summer. A thick
layer of ice lies just below the shallow soil (permafrost)
all year around, and trees cannot penetrate it to
anchor their roots. Many birds visit the tundra in the
summer to nest, but most escape the winter by
migrating to warmer areas. Mice and other small
mammals stay active during the winter in protected
tunnels under the snow.

Taiga (Boreal Forest)

Alaska
Boreal forest of Alaska.

Taiga is the largest land (terrestrial) biome in the

world. It is made up of mainly conical-shaped
evergreen trees with needle-like leaves. These trees
are called conifers because their seeds are clumped
into cones. The taiga has long, cold winters when most
mammals hibernate and birds migrate, or leave the
area because the winters are too cold for them to stay.
Animals like weasels, grouse and rabbits that do not
migrate or hibernate grow dense feathers or fur and
turn white to match the snow.

Grassland

Sometimes called plains or prairie, grasslands are

almost entirely short to tall grasses with no trees. This
land type gets just enough rain to help grasses,
flowers, and herbs grow, but stays dry enough that
fires are frequent, and trees cannot survive. Here we
find large mammals that often travel together in huge
herds.

Savanna in Tanzania.

These tree-studded grasslands receive enough

seasonal rainfall so that trees can grow in open groups
or singly throughout. The animals living here have long
legs for escaping predators and usually are seen in
herds. A combination of fire and grazing animals are
important for maintaining the savannah.

Freshwater
lake Saif ul muluk
Lakes are usually freshwater, like this lake in Pakistan.

This water biome is named for the low concentration

of salt found in the water. This includes most ponds,
streams, lakes, and rivers. Because salt is important to
body function, the plants and animals here have many
adaptations that help them save salt.

Marine
Porto Cove
Marine environments have salt water, like this tidepool
in Portugal.

This water biome is the largest biome in the world, as it

includes the five major oceans that cover 70% of the
Earth. Marine water has high levels of salt, so animals
and plants living here have adaptations that help them
get rid of salt or take on water.