Biosphere

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Biosphere
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Biosphere

• The Biosphere refers to all life on Earth.
• Weather and climate influence what kinds of
  plants and animals can live in particular
  regions.

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Biomes

• Biomes- geographic regions with their own plant
  and animal life.
• Based on the interaction of
• Climate
• Landforms
• Bodies of Water
• Soils

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Midway Review

• What is the Biosphere?
• What two things influence where plants and
  animals can survive?
• What is a Biome?

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Latitudes Zones

• Biomes differ across latitude zones.
• Some are exclusive, others found on more than one

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Tropical Rain Forest

• Low latitudes
• Tropical climate, warm year round
• 2 seasons wet dry
• Contain the most biodiversity, many unique
  species
• Threated by deforestation
• Brazil, Peru, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Indonesia,
  Thailand

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Grasslands

• Mid and high latitudes hug TRF
• Have regional characteristics and names
• Plains or prairies in North America
• Pampas in South America
• Steppes in Central Asia
• Savannas in Africa
• Dominated by tall grasses, trees absent
• USA, Argentina, Kenya, Tanzania, Mongolia

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Chaparral

• Mid latitudes
• Smallest biome
• Mediterranean climate warm, dry summers cool,
  rainy winters
• Grass and small shrubs are abundant
• California (USA), Australia, France, Italy,
  Algeria

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Desert

• Mid and high latitude zones
• Receive less than 10 in. per year
• Hot deserts Mojave, Sahara, Arabian, Outback
• Cold deserts - Antarctica, Atacama, Gobi
• Desertification -

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Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Mid latitudes
• Temperate climate
• 4 distinct seasons of equal length
• Deciduous trees that lose their leaves
• Eastern USA, France, Germany, Japan, Koreas

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Taiga (Boreal Forest)

• High latitudes
• Polar climate
• Long winters, short summers
• Dominated by evergreen coniferous (cone bearing)
  trees with needle-like leaves
• Canada, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland

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Tundra

• High latitudes
• Polar climate
• Long, frigid winters short summer
• Little vegetation due to permafrost
• Most threatened due to climate change
• Northern Canada, Greenland,

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