World Biomes

1
World Biomes

• By D. Buyarski dbuyarsk_at_nmu.edu
• April 18, 2004

2
Biome Classification

• 9 Types
• Tundra
• Taiga
• Grassland Deciduous Forest
• Chaparral
• Desert
• Savanna
• Rainforest
• Alpine

3
Tundra

• Location 55 to 70 degrees N. Latitude
• Almost Entirely Treeless
• Almost Entirely Located in the Northern
  Hemisphere
• Average Annual Temp. -70 Degrees F
• Very Cold

4
Taiga

• Located Below the Tundra Biome
• Made Up of Needleleaf Forest with lots of
  Coniferous Trees
• Winters Very Cold with lots of Snowfall
• Temp. Range -65 to 30 Degrees F
• Summers Warn, Rainy, and Humid
• Temp. Range 20 to 70 Degrees F
• Total Precipitation 30 to 85 cm

5
Grassland

• Made of rolling terrains of grasses, flowers, and
  herbs.
• Grasslands have over 80 species of animals and
  300 species of birds.
• Grassland soils are too thin and too dry for
  trees to survive.
• Temps. range between -40 degrees F in the
  winter and 70 degrees F in the summer.
• Average Rainfall 10 to 30 inches per year.

6
Deciduous Forest

• Average annual temp. 50 degrees F
• Average annual rainfall is 30 to 60 inches per
  year
• Four distinct seasons
• Spring
• Summer
• Autumn
• Leaves Change Color
• Winter
• Trees Lose Their Leaves

7
Deciduous Forest Cont.

• 5 Zones
• Trees Stratum Zone
• Oak, beech, maple, chestnut hickory, elm,
  basswood, linden, walnut, and sweet gum trees are
  found in this zone.
• This zone has a height range on 60 to 100 feet.
• Small tree and Sapling Zone
• Made up of young and short trees
• Shrub Zone
• Made up of rhododendons, azaleas, mountain
  laurel, and huckleberry shrubs
• Herb Zone
• Made up of plants and herbal plants
• Ground Zone
• Lichen, club mosses, and tree mosses make up this
  zone

8
Chaparral

• Winter Very Mild
• Temp. around 50 degrees F
• Summer Very hot and dry
• Temp. around 104 degrees F
• Fires and drought are very common
• Plants have small, hard leaves which hold moisture

9
Deserts

• Hot and dry desert
• Very little plant life
• Only animals that can burrow can survive the heat
  
• Temp. range 68 to 120 degrees F
• Annual precipitation is 15 cm
• Cold desert
• Never warm enough for plant growth
• Animals also burrow, but this is to get warm
• Temp. range 28 to 77 degrees F
• Get lots of snow, but only 15 to 26 cm of rain

10
Savanna

• Rolling grassland with shrubs and isolated trees
• Not enough rainfall to support forests
• Also known as tropical grassland
• Temp. is warm all year round

11
Tropical Rainforest

• Average rainfall is 50 to 260 inches
• Temp. range is 68 to 93 degrees F
• Average humidity is 77 to 88
• Covers less than 6 of Earth
• Produces 40 of Earths Oxygen

12
Alpine

• Cold, snowy, and windy
• Located at an altitude of 10,000 feet or more
• Summer average temp. 50 to 59 degrees F
• Winter lasts from October until May

13
Links to more information

• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra.htm
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/taiga.htm
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/grasslands.htm
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_forest.h
  tm
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/chaparral.htm
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert.htm
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/alpine.htm