Biomes are the Major Types of Terrestrial Ecosystems & Aquatic Ecosystems make up most of the

Biosphere

By: Matt & Jenna

BIOME

A major type of terrestrial ecosystem that covers a large region of Earth

Tropical Forest Biome• they occur near the

equator where temperatures are warm

all year• 350 cm of rain per year• diversity of plants• canopies more than 30

meters• greatest diversity of life

Savanna

• grasslands with scattered trees• savanna grasses provide food for grazing animals• warm climate with alternating wet and dry seasons• animals include: zebras, antelopes, kangaroos,

cheetahs, lions, and many insects

Desert• less than 30 cm of

rain per year• they can be found

in Asia, Australia, and Africa

• includes plants like cacti

• animals and plants here have to conserve water

Chaparral • a temperature coastal biome dominated by dense evergreen shrubs

• mild, rainy winters• hot, dry summers• found around the

Meditteranean Sea and parts of California

• animals: deer, birds, rodents

 

Temperate Grassland

• deep, nutrient rich soil• seasonal drought• diversity of microorganisms• grazing animals such as bison, coyotes, snakes, lizards,

and insects

Temperate Deciduous Forest• dense stands of deciduous trees• needs enough precipitation to support the tall trees• winters are cold• summers are hot• maples, oaks, breeches, and hickory trees• includes deer, squirrels, chipmunks, foxes, and bears

Coniferous Forest

• cone-bearing evergreen trees• pine, spruce, fir, and hemlock trees• Taiga- long cold winters and heavy snowfall• animals here are hares, moose, elk, wolves, and bears• in coastal Oregon, Washington, and British Colombia,

conditions are warmer and wetter

Tundra

• cold temperatures• high winds• found in Artic Circle

and high latitudes• permafrost• have a short

summer season• animals here are

caribou, reindeer, and snowy owl

 

Ponds and Lakes

• freshwater ecosystems• standing bodies of water• divided into zones based on water depth and

distance to shore• photic zone- shallow water close to shore,

light is available for photosynthesis• aphotic zone- deep, murky areas of the

lake where light levels are too low for photosynthesis

• benthic zone- the bottom made of rock, sand, and sediment

 

Streams and Rivers

• a body of flowing fresh water• streams are smaller than rivers• near the source, water is cold and low in

nutrients• water is warmer and murkier upstream• algae and anthropods live here• animals here are trout, waterfowl, frogs,

catfish, and other fish

Estuaries

• where streams and rivers merge with ocean water

• fresh water and salt water mix• nutrient rich soil supports a diversity of life• animals are crabs, oysters, clams, and small

fish• salt marshes are where grasses grow in salty

water

OCEAN ZONES• pelagic zone- open water above the the ocean floor• intertidal zone- area of shore between hight tide and low tide• neritic zone-  area of the ocean from the low tide line out to

the edge of the continetal shelf• oceanic zone- open ocean from the continental shelf outward

Coral Reefs• Biologically diverse ecosystem• Invert Sponges, sea anemones, worms, sea

stars, and mollusks• The vertebrates here are sea turtles and fish

Deep Sea Vents• They are spots on the

ocean floor where hot gases and minerals escape from Earth's interior into the water

• No sunlight reaches here because it is dark and deep, so communities here have to use chemical energy from the Earth’s energy

• The producers are prokaryotic

THE END