Biomes of The WorldFrom http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/index.html

Chaparral

ChaparralLocation:

Found in small sections of most continents, including the west coast of the U.S.

Climate:

Very hot and dry

Mild winter (about 50°F)

Hot summer (up to 100°F)

Chaparral

Plants:

Have large, hard leaves, which hold moisture are well adapted to fires

Animals:

Adapted to hot, dry weather

Chaparral

Other Information:

land includes flat plains, rocky hills, and mountain slopes

Fire occurs naturally, but can also be caused by human activity

Deciduous Forest

Deciduous ForestLocation:

Eastern United States, Canada, Europe, China, Japan, and parts of Russia

Climate:

Has four changing seasons including winter, spring, summer, and fall

Second greatest amount of precipitation (30 - 60 inches)

Mild Summers (70°F)

Winter temperatures below freezing

Deciduous ForestPlants:

trees lose their leaves in late fall, and grow them back in the spring

Animals:

Many hibernate or migrate in the winter to escape the cold

Other Information:

It’s where we live in Ohio

Desert

Desert

Location:

Found on every continent

Climate:

Extremely dry

Can be hot or cold

Desert

Plants:

Are good at storing and finding water

Hot Desert Ex: cacti

Few plants can survive in cold desert (Ex: algae, grasses)

DesertAnimals:

Have adaptations to survive extreme conditions

Hot desert- Mostly cold-blooded animals and small mammals

cold desert-Fewer animals live here (ex. seals, penguins, polar bears)

Desert

Other information:

Sahara in Africa is the largest hot desert

Antarctica is the largest cold desert

offers many types of recreation like rock climbing, hiking and dirt biking

Grasslands

GrasslandsLocation:

North America (Great Plains in U.S.), Eurasia, South America, South Africa

Climate:

hot summers & cold winters

20 - 35 inches of rain per year

Grasslands

Plants:

Grasses are dominant

Animals:

Has many ungulates (herbivores, or plant-eating animals, that graze on grasses and have hoofs)

Grasslands

Other Information:

Sometimes called prairies

Has the darkest, most nutrient-rich soil, which is used for farming

Savanna

SavannaLocation:

covers half the surface of Africa, large areas of Australia, South America, and India

Climate:

temperatures range from 68° to 86°F

6 - 8 month wet summer season, 4 - 6 month dry winter season

10 - 30 inches per year

SavannaPlants:

Coarse grass, few trees

Animals:

Ex: elephants, zebras, giraffes, lions, hyenas

Birds and large mammals migrate elsewhere in search of water during the dry season

Taiga

TaigaLocation:

Extends across North America (Canada & Alaska), Europe, and Asia

Climate:

Long, cold winters, and short, mild, wet summers

yearly precipitation is 10 - 30 inches

Taiga

Plants:

Many conifer (cone-bearing)/evergreen trees that can withstand cold temperatures and snow

Not many plants due to the rocky and acidic soil

TaigaAnimals:

Many have thick coats of fur to insulate against the cold, some hibernate, while Others migrate

deer, moose, elk, and snowshoe hare, grizzly bears, wolves, lynxes and wolverines

Some have fur that changes colors to blend into the different summer and winter habitats

Tropical Rainforest

Tropical Rainforest Location:

Covers 6 - 7% of the Earth’s land surface

can be found on Central and South America, western Africa, southeast Asia, and Australia

Climate:

Average temperature ranges from 70°F to 85°F

80 to 400 inches of rain per year

high humidity of 77% to 88% year-round

Tropical RainforestPlants:

home to half the plant species on Earth

Many Plants, especially trees, that have adapted to wet climate

divided into four zones (top to bottom):

1) emergent layer- trees over 150 feet

2) canopy- shorter trees, vines, and majority of life The next layer

3) understory- dark, cool area shaded by trees

4) forest floor- dead plants and animals decompose here, many insects

Tropical RainforestAnimals:

home to half the animal species on Earth

Other Information:

Provide us with Oxygen, food, medicine, timber, travel, and more

Threatened by deforestation

Tundra

TundraLocation:

covers about one fifth of the land on earth

arctic circle & Antarctica

Climate:

coldest and the driest of all the biomes on Earth

Temperatures ranges from -50 degrees to 50 degrees

Less than ten inches of precipitation a year

TundraPlants:

few plants because of frozen ground

Ex: lichens, mosses, and small shrubs

Animals:

Have adaptations to survive freezing temperatures

Ex: (See animals in cold desert)

Other Information:

Means “Treeless Plain”