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Earths Biomes Dawn Girard Environmental Science Legacy High School

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Biomes Unit Decisions Biomes Videos: You will be watching Pole to Pole to give you a general overview of all the biomes on Earth. How ever I like to show two other videos in this unit. Which two Planet Earth Videos would you like to see? Fresh WaterDesertsIce Worlds Great PlainsJunglesShallow Seas Seasonal ForestsOcean Deep 2

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Biomes regions in the world that share similar plant structures, plant spacing, animals, climate and weather. classified as either terrestrial or aquatic. do not have distinct boundaries. often defined by abiotic factors such as climate, relief, geology, soils and vegetation along with their biotic factors of animals, plants, fungi, etc. 3

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Biomes There is a general disagreement among scientists about how many biomes exist. According to the scientists these range from 6 to 8 biomes. We will be studying the following 7 Biomes, but not necessarily in this order. 1. Deserts XXX 2. Forests XXX 3. Taiga/Boreal Forest XXX 4. Tundra XXX 5. Fresh Water 6. Marine 7. Grasslands XXX 4

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Earths Biomes: Tundra

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A tundra is a vast, treeless plain in the arctic region. Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes.

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Characteristics of Tundra 7 1.Extremely cold climate 2.Low biotic diversity 3.Simple vegetation structure 4.Limitation of drainage 5.Short season of growth and reproduction 6.Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material 7.Large population oscillations

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Location 8 There are two kinds of tundras, Arctic and alpine. Arctic tundras lie near the Arctic Ocean. They include Greenland, northern parts of Alaska, Canada, Europe and Russia. The Alpine tundra is located at the top of mountains across the world.

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Climate 9 Its freezing for almost all of the year. The average temperature per year is 16 degrees F. Summer temperatures get up to 45 degrees F. (last 6-10 weeks) Lowest temperature it can get is 10 degrees F below 0- 20 degrees F.

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Precipitation 10 Most of the precipitation that falls is snow. In summer it falls as rain with occasional snow. Average precipitation per season is 4.5 in. Average precipitation per year is 18 inches.

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Plant Life 11 The plants growing in the tundra are often small and grow close to the ground. This helps resist cold temp. and snow during the winter. Due to permafrost, there are no deep root system in the plant life of the arctic tundra. (1,700 different kinds of plants)

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Plant Life 12 They carry out photosynthesis at low temperatures. Plants are more likely to reproduce vegetatively by division and budding than by flower pollination sexually, due to the short growing season.

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Animal Life 13 The frigid cold and deep snow makes life in the tundra very difficult. Animals are adapted to handle long, cold winters and to breed and raise young quickly in the summer. Some have grown thick fur which turns white in the winter.

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Animal Life 14 Mammals and birds have additional insulation from fat. Others find a place to hibernate during the winter months b/c food is not abundant. Reptiles & amphibians are few or absent b/c of extremely cold temp.

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Earths Biomes: Taiga/Boreal Forest

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Characteristics Boreal forest refers to southern part of biome Taiga refers to edge of boreal forest where forest gradually gives way to tundra Stretches in a band around the world between 45 and 65 North Worlds largest terrestrial biome Characterized by coniferous forests Forests grow slowly Tolerate weathered, nutrient poor soil High bird/mammal diversity Dominant trees: pines, hemlocks, spruce, cedar, fir Extreme cold and short summers 16

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Climate & Temperature Dominated by cold arctic air brought by winds from Arctic circle Because of earth's tilt, the taiga is turned away from the sun in the winter. Winter lasts 5-6 months with temperatures varying from 50 C to 30 C (-58F to 86F) Summers are short and generally mild, rainy, humid, and short (30 F to 70 with average of 50F) 17

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Fauna of the Taiga & Boreal Forest Animals Snowshoe Rabbit Gray Wolf Black Bear Bald Eagle Bobcat Lynx Grizzly Bear Owl Red Fox Otter Common Adaptations Thick Woolly Coats Large rear feet & toes that can spread out to act like snowshoes feet also have fur on the bottom, which protects them from the cold and gives them traction in the snow In the summer its fur is rusty, grayish brown but is turns pure white in the winter helping it avoid predators 18

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Flora of the Taiga/Boreal Forest Plants Black Spruce Siberian Spruce Balsam Fir Douglas Fir Red Cedar Jack Pine White Fir White Poplar White Spruce Common Adaptations Pine Cones Enjoys poorly drained soil Able to survive in the colder climates because of its layered twigs, waxy pine needles, and rough bark Thick waxy coating that is water proof and protects the needles from drying winds. 19

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Keystone Species- Indicator Species Siberian Tiger Top of food chain, hunts deer and boar Without, deer and boar become slow, small, and overpopulated, and damaging Have potential to destroy habitat, overgrazing areas and trampling and dangerously compacting soil Typically poached, so presence is indicator of health in the face of human activity As they are endangered, also an indicator of overall special diversity and prominence in biome 20

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Earths Biomes: Desert

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Hot and Dry (Temp.) The temperatures in the hot and dry deserts are extreme because of the lack of humidity Humidity- air which contains high amounts of water vapor Without humidity there is a lack of protection from the suns ray Average temp. ranges from 20-25 degrees Celsius Extreme high temp. ranges from 43.5- 49 degrees Celsius Min. Temp. can drop to 18 degrees below zero Celsius 22

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Rainfall is usually limited and only in short bursts in between long periods of time Rainfall depends on regional location Ex. Rainfall in Chile is less than 1.5 cm, while deserts in the US it averages up to 28 cm Evaporation rates often exceed rainfall rates Fun Fact: once in a while rainfall can sometimes evaporate before reaching the ground 23 Hot and Dry (Rainfall)

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Hot and Dry (Vegetation) Plants are mainly ground-hugging shrubs and short woody trees. Leaves have water-conserving characteristics. They tend to be small, thick and covered with a thick cuticle (outer layer). These plants include: yuccas, ocotillo, turpentine bush, prickly pears, false mesquite, sotol, ephedras, agaves and brittlebush 24

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Hot and Dry (Organisms) The animals include small nocturnal (active at night) carnivores. The dominant animals are burrowers and kangaroo rats. There are also insects, arachnids, reptiles and birds. The animals stay inactive in protected hideaways during the hot day and come out to hunt at dusk, dawn or at night, when the desert is cooler. 25

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Hot and Dry (Food Chains) Hawk Rattlesnake Jack Rabbit Ground Hugging Shrubs 26

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Semi- Arid (Temp/ Rainfall) Avg. Temp. 21- 27 degrees Celsius The temp. rarely gets above 38 degrees Celsius and rarely gets below 10 degrees Celsius This helps with the condensation of dew in the night, which can exceed the moisture some deserts get from rainfall Average Rainfall 2-4 cm annually Footer text here27

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Semi- Arid (Vegetation) Spiny nature plants in order to reduce transpiration: Silvery Glossy leaves Ex. Creosote Bush, Bur Sage, white Thorn, Cat Claw, Mesquite, Brittle bush, Lyceums, and jujube 28

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Semi-Arid( Animals) Protection in underground burrows where they are insulated from heat and aridity Ex. Kangaroo rates, rabbits, skunks, grasshoppers, ants, lizards, snakes, burrowing owls, California thrasher 29

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Avg. Temp: 13- 24 degrees Celsius Winter: 5 degrees Celsius or below Max: 35 degrees Celsius Min: -4 degrees Celsius Rainfall: 8- 13 cm Max: 37 cm Min: 5 cm 30 Coastal desert (Temp/ Rainfall)

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Coastal Desert (Vegetation) They grow in fine textured soil with moderate salt content Extensive root systems sloe to the surface Have thickly fleshy leaves or stems to take in available water Ex: salt bush, buckwheat bush, black bush, rice grass, and black sage 31

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Coastal Desert (Animals) Specialized adaptations for dealing with heat and lack of rain Ex: Coyote, badger, toads, great horned owl, golden eagle, bald eagle, lizards, snakes 32

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Cold Desert (Temp/ Rainfall) Temperature Cold winters with high snowfall and high overall rainfall Short moist and moderately warm summers with fairly long and cold winters Winter: -2 to 4 degrees Celsius Summer: 21- 26 degrees Celsius Rainfall Avg. annual precipitation is 15- 26 cm Max: 46 cm Min: 9 cm 33

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Cold Desert (Vegetation) Widely scattered 10 percent of the ground is covered with plants The areas of sage bush goes up to 85 percent Heights vary between 15- 122 cm Most are deciduous 34

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Cold Deserts (Animals) Widely distributed Ex: jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, pocket mice, grasshopper mice, antelope, and ground squirrels 35

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Earths Biomes: Forests

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Forests Forests occupy approximately one- third of Earth's land area, account for over two-thirds of the leaf area of land plants, and contain about 70% of carbon present in living things 37

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Forest Contributions timber fuel wood drinking and irrigation water Fodder non-timber products (vines, bamboo, leaves) food (honey, mushrooms, fruit, game) 38

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Forest Services removal of air pollutants emission of oxygen cycling of nutrients an array of watershed functions (infiltration, purification, flow control, soil stabilization) maintenance of biodiversity sequestering of atmospheric carbon moderation of weather extremes and impacts generation of soil provision of employment provision of human and wildlife habitat provision of aesthetic enjoyment and recreation 39

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Deciduous Forest 60-80% relative humidity helps to moderate temperature change from day to night Precipitation is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year, there are no rainy or dry seasons. There are four seasons: Spring (Moderately Cool & Warm) Summer (Hotter Temperatures) Fall (Moderately warm to cool) Winter (Cold) 40

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Deciduous Forest Animal Deer Raccoons Salamanders Snakes Arthropods Birds: Owl, Hawk Vegetation Beech Trees Hickory Trees Oak Trees Maple Trees Ferns Black Berry and raspberry Bushes 41

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Tropical Rain Forest These trees grow in places that are hot and wet all year. Trees are very tall and the leaves are always green. The forest has three layers. 42 Canopy Understory Forest floor

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Tropical Rainforest The average temperature in a tropical rainforest region would range between 20 and 29 degrees Celsius ( 68 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit.) Tropical rainforest are located at and equatorial latitude which keeps the average temperature and day length the same throughout the entire year. In tropical regions where the temperatures are constantly high, the rainfall count is greater then 1,800 to 2,500 mm a year. Rainfall occurs evenly over the course of the year. 43

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Tropical Rain Forest Animal Insects 300 different species of Parrot Chimpanzees Bengal Tigers Vegetation Strangler figs Bamboo Coconut Trees Mosses Bougainvillea Mangrove Forests 44

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Coniferous Forest Grows in places with very cold winters and cool summers. The leaves look like needles so they dont need very much water. Seeds grow in cones. Get less rain than all the other forests. 45 Seed cone

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Coniferous Forest Long cold winters (average temperature -15 C) with extreme temps (-30 C). Short summers with long days short growing season (3 months). Low precipitation (500mm) cold air unable to hold much water vapour. Winter snowfall melts only in spring. 46

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Coniferous Forest Animal Fir Trees Spruce Trees Fungus Lichens/Mosses Vegetation Deer Elk Moose Grizzly Bear Black Bear 47

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Human Impacts on Forest Biomes Logging Deforestation Mining Over Hunting/Hunting out Species 48

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Earths Biomes: Grasslands 49

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General Information Occupy a central place among terrestrial ecosystems Not too hot, wet, or dry Significant amounts of sun and wind Bread Baskets of the World; Lots of Agriculture Conservation efforts require everyones collaboration 50

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General Information Climate Dependent on latitude, yearly range can be between -20C to 30C Precipitation About 500 to 900 mm of rain per year or 20-40 inches annually 51

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Locations of Grasslands Grasslands are located in the middle latitudes, in areas with too much rain for deserts and too little for forests (yellow to the right). Savannas are located near the equator (pink to the right). They have short wet seasons and long dry seasons. 52

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Temperate Grasslands In Europe, temperate grasslands are called steppes. In North America, they are called prairies. There are three types of grasses which dominate temperate grasslands: shortgrasses, midgrasses, and tall grasses. 53

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Grass Types Shortgrasses grow where the climate is the driest, and once dominated the Great Plains. Tall grasses appear in the wettest parts of the grassland. Midgrasses fill the spaces between areas of tall grasses and shortgrasses. 54

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Tropical Grasslands Tropical grasslands, also called savannas, cover much of Africa, and parts of India, Australia, and South America. They are covered by clumps of grasses, as short as a few centimeters or as tall as ten feet, with acacia, baobab, and palm trees interspersed. 55

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Seasons in the Savanna During the dry season, which is exceptionally long and distinct in tropical grasslands, grasses and trees wither and die, many times being consumed in raging fires. When the wet season returns, grasses grow at incredible rates, up to 2.5 centimeters a day. 56

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Animals in the Grassland Animals in the temperate grassland primarily are smaller grazing animals. Larger animals in the temperate grassland are almost entirely grazing animals. Bison at one point dominated the North American grassland. 57

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Animals in the Savanna Animal life on the savanna is extremely diverse, far more so than the temperate grassland Life consists of everything from small grazers, like hyraxes, to large grazers, like zebras, to predators, like lions, to fast grazers in woody areas, like dik-dik, to slow grazers in watery areas, like hippos. 58

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Overuse of Grasslands Grassland is the most overused biome in the world. Over 70% of all agriculture occurs in grasslands. The European Steppe and the Great Plains have almost completely disappeared to overdevelopment. 59

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Earths Biomes: Marine 60