Biomes and Ecosystems

Climate ZonesBiomes

Biome

• A biome is a large region with plants and animals that are able to live in that location with its particular climate.

• Plants and animals have adapted in different ways to the amounts of water, heat, and soil in that area.

World Climate Zones

• Two of the most important factors determining an area's climate:

- temperature and - precipitation.• World biomes are controlled by climate. • All three components, climate, vegetation, and animals are

interwoven to create a biome.

Biome and Ecosystem• Ecosystem: How the living things interact with each other

and interact with the nonliving things in a particular area is called an ecosystem.

There is a difference between a Biome and an Ecosystem.

• A biome can be thought of many similar ecosystems throughout the world grouped together.– Ex: in the forests there is the rotting tree stump ecosystem, the forest

floor ecosystem, the canopy ecosystem, etc. They are all a part of one biome - the deciduous forest biome.

• An ecosystem is much smaller than a biome.

Aquatic – Saltwater and Freshwater

• 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water.

• Includes rivers, lakes, oceans, and every other body of water on Earth.

• This water is teeming with life of tremendous diversity.

Forestlands - Deciduous

• Located in the mid-latitude areas, in places that have four seasons.

• Many different kinds of trees, shrubs, and herbs grow in deciduous forests.

• They have four seasons: summer, spring, fall, and winter.

Forestlands - Coniferous

• Coniferous forests consist mostly of conifers, trees that grow needles instead of leaves.

• These adaptations help conifers survive in areas that are very cold or dry.

• Some of the more common conifers are spruces, pines, and firs.

Forestlands – Rainforest

• There are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate.

• Tropical rainforests are found closer to the equator where it is warm.

• The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome where it rains all year long.

Grasslands - Savanna

• Grassland that grows under hot, dry climatic conditions

• trees above a continuous tall grass.

• All the rain comes in 6-8 months.

• The largest areas of savanna are found in Africa, South America, Australia, and India.

Video

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuk-JW-wng0

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Activity

• Landforms Puzzle.• Complete by end of class.• Put in binders.

Grasslands - Steppe• The Steppe is a dry, cold,

grassland that is dominated by short grasses, and no trees.

• Term usually refers to the grasslands of Central Asia

• No humidity in the air because Steppe is located away from the ocean.

Grasslands - Prairie

• Dry grassland very similar to a steppe, but with longer grasses.

• Usually refers to grasslands of North America.

Grasslands - Pampas

• Temperate grassland located in South America.

• Essentially same as prairie or steppe.

Desert• Deserts are defined by

rainfall – receiving less than 10” of rain in an average year.

• Deserts typically have little vegetation.

• Most Hot and Dry Deserts are near the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. Cold Deserts are near the Arctic part of the world..

Tundra• The tundra is located at

the top of the world, near the North Pole.

• The most distinctive characteristic of tundra soil is its permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of ground.

• The tundra has cool summers and very cold winters.

Definitions and Matching

• Define all terms.• Match the definitions to the terms.– Due for HW next class.