This document provides information about biomes. It begins with a brief history of biomes, noting they were originally defined based on vegetation and climate. It then introduces the four main classifications of biomes: 1) Terrestrial Biomes, 2) Freshwater Biomes, 3) Marine Biomes, and 4) Anthropogenic Biomes. The document focuses on describing the characteristics and examples of different biomes within the Terrestrial and Freshwater classifications. It provides details on tundra, forest, grassland, and desert biomes, as well as ponds/lakes, streams/rivers, and wetlands.

1. BIOME

2. BIOME

3. BIOME
ASSIGNMENT TOPIC
BIOME
NAME
MUHAMMAD waseem
ROLL NO.
13(E)
SEMESTER
1ST
DEPARTMENT
BS BOTANY
SUBJECT
ZOOLOGY
SUBMITTED TO
MAM MARYAM
SUBMITTED DATE
9.01.2021

4. BIOME
CONTENTS
History of biome
Introduction of biome
Classification of biome
1 Terrestrial Biomes
2 Freshwater Biomes
3 Marine Biomes
4 Anthropogenic Biomes

5. BIOME
History of biome
The term was suggested in 1916 by Clements, originally as a synonym for biotic
community of Möbius (1877). Later, it gained its current definition, based on
earlier concepts of phytophysiognomy, formation and vegetation (used in
opposition to flora), with the inclusion of the animal element and the exclusion of
the taxonomic element of species composition. In 1935, Tansley added the climatic
and soil aspects to the idea, calling it ecosystem. The International Biological
Program (1964–74) projects popularized the concept of biome.
However, in some contexts, the term biome is used in a different manner. In
German literature, particularly in the Walter terminology, the term is used similarly
as biotope (a concrete geographical unit), while the biome definition used in this
article is used as an international, non-regional, terminology—irrespectively of the
continent in which an area is present, it takes the same biome name—and
correspondsto his "zonobiome", "orobiome" and "pedobiome" (biomes determined
by climate zone, altitude or soil).
In Brazilian literature, the term "biome" is sometimes used as synonym of
"biogeographic province", an area based on species composition (the term "floristic
province" being used when plant species are considered), or also as synonym of the
"morphoc limatic and phytogeographical domain" of Ab'Sáber, a geographic space
with subcontinental dimensions, with the predominance of similar geomorphologic
and climatic characteristics, and of a certain vegetation form. Both include many
biomes in fact.

6. BIOME
Introduction Biome
A biome is a community of plants and animals that have common characteristics
for the environment they exist in. They can be found over a range of continents.
Biomes are distinct biological communities that have formed in responseto a
shared physical climate. Biome is a broader term than habitat;any biome can
comprise a variety of habitats.
While a biome can cover large areas, a microbiome is a mix of organisms that
coexist in a defined space on a much smaller scale. For example, the human
microbiome is the collection of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that are
present on or in a human body.
Aspects of the physical environment such as precipitation, temperature, and water
depth, have a strong influence on the traits of species living in that natural
environment, and thus biological communities experiencing similar environmental
conditions often contain species that have evolved similar characteristics.
Historically however, biomes have been identified and mapped based on general
differences in vegetation type associated with regional variations in climate and
terrain.
Classification of biome
There are four classifications of biomes, these are:
1 Terrestrial Biomes
2 Freshwater Biomes

7. BIOME
3 Marine Biomes
4 Anthropogenic Biomes
(1) Terrestrial Biomes
Terrestrial biomes characterize ecosystems on land, and are usually identified by
the growth form of the dominant vegetation, climate, and/or where they are located
on the earth. The major terrestrial biomes include the tundra biome, the forest
biome, the grassland biome, and the desert biome. Note that forests and
grasslands are defined based on the growth form of the dominant vegetation
whereas deserts are classified based on the dominant climatic conditions. The
geographic distribution of terrestrial biomes is mostly influenced by climatic
conditions such as rainfall and temperature.

8. BIOME
TERRITRIAL BIOME
Tundra Biomes
The tundra biome is the coldest of all biomes. It is also quite big. The tundra
covers about one fifth of the land on earth. The word tundra comes from a Finnish
word that means treeless plain, which is a good description of the biome. Tundra
biome is located in the Arctic Circle, which is a circle that surrounds the North

9. BIOME
Pole, but this is not the only place we can find freezing cold temperatures and a
few animals. In Antarctica, and other cold environments, there are areas that can be
described as part of a tundra biome as well.
TUNDRA BIOME
Characteristics:
i. Extremely cold climate.
ii. Low biotic diversity.
iii. Simple vegetation structure.
iv. Limitation of drainage.
v. Short season of growth and reproduction.
vi. Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material.
Forest Biomes

10. BIOME
Forest Biomes represent the largest and most ecologically complex systems. They
contain an assortment of trees, plants, mammals, reptiles, amphibians,
invertebrates, insects and micro-organisms which vary depending on the zone's
climates. Sadly, boreal and rainforest biomes are being cut down at an alarming
rate, with hundreds of species of plants and animals disappearing from the planet
on a daily basis. The forest biome occupies about one third of the Earth's surface
and there are three different types of forests found around the world: tropical
forests, temperate forests and boreal forests.
Tropical Forests
Tropical forests are found near the equator, have super-hot temperatures all year
long and get up to 80 inches (2000 mm) of rain a year.

11. BIOME
TROPICAL FOREST
Characteristics:
i. Temperature is on average 20-25° C and varies little throughout the year.
ii. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year.
iii. Soil is nutrient-poor and acidic.
iv. Tropical forests are multi layered and continuous, allowing little light
penetration.
v. Flora is highly diverse
vi. Fauna include numerous birds, bats, small mammals, and insects.
Temperate Forests

12. BIOME
Temperate forests, which are also known as deciduous forests, have four distinct
seasons, which means all the tree leaves fall off in the winter months. Temperate
forests are found in the Eastern United States, Canada, Europe, China and Japan.

13. BIOME
TEMPERATE FOREST
Characteristics:
-30° C to 30° C.
i. Precipitation (75-150 cm) is distributed evenly throughout the year.
ii. Soil is fertile, enriched with decaying litter.
iii. Flora is characterized by 3-4 tree species per square kilometer.
iv. Trees are distinguished by broad leaves that are lost annually and include
such species as oak, hickory, beech, hemlock, maple, basswood,
cottonwood, elm, willow, and spring-flowering herbs.
v. Fauna is represented by squirrels, rabbits, skunks, birds, deer, mountain lion,
bobcat, timber wolf, fox, and black bear.
Boreal Forests
Boreal forests, or taiga, represent the largest terrestrial biome. Occurring between
50 and 60 degrees north latitudes, boreal forests can be found in the broad belt of
Eurasia and North America. Seasons are divided into short, moist, and moderately

14. BIOME
warm summers and long, cold, and dry winters.

15. BIOME
BOREAL FORESTS
Characteristics:
i. Temperatures are very low.
ii. Precipitation is primarily in the form of snow.
iii. Soil is thin, nutrient-poor, and acidic.
iv. Canopy permits low light penetration.
v. Flora consist mostly of cold-tolerant evergreen conifers with needle-like
leaves, such as pine, fir, and spruce.
vi. Fauna include woodpeckers, hawks, moose, bear, weasel, lynx, fox, wolf,
deer, hares, chipmunks, shrews, and bats.
Grassland Biomes
About one quarter of the earth is covered by grasslands. This biome can be found
on every continent except Antarctica. Grassland biomes are large areas of grasses,
herbs and flowers. Trees have a hard time surviving in most grassland biomes,
because the soil is too fine and dry. Grassland biomes are divided into two main
sections savannas and temperate grasslands.

16. BIOME
GRASSLAND BIOME
Savannas
Savannas are grasslands scattered with individual trees. Savannas cover almost half
of Africa and large areas of Australia, South America and India. Savannas are
always found in warm or hot climates
.

17. BIOME
Characteristics:
i. Grasses and trees.
ii. Rainy and dry seasons, have two distinct seasons in regards to precipitation.
iii. Large herds of animals.
iv. It is pretty warm all year.
v. It cools down some during the dry season, but stays warm and humid during
the rainy season.
Temperate Grasslands
Temperate grasslands are characterized as having grasses as the dominant
vegetation. Temperatures vary more from summer to winter, and the amount of
rainfall is less in temperate grasslands than in savannas. The major manifestations
are the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, the steppes of the former Soviet Union,
and the plains and prairies of central North America.

18. BIOME
Characteristics:
i. Trees and large shrubs are absent.
ii. The soil of the temperate grasslands is deep and dark, with fertile upper
layers.
iii. The fauna (which do not all occur in the same temperate grassland) include
gazelles, zebras, rhinoceroses, wild horses, lions.
iv. The temperature range is very large over the course of the year. Summer
temperatures can be well over 38° C, while winter temperatures can be as
low as -40° C.

19. BIOME
Desert Biomes
Deserts are areas that have hardly any rain, are extremely dry and are usually very
hot. Animals and plants have adapted to the harsh environment so they can survive
the extreme conditions.
Desert biomes can be classified according to several characteristics. There are four
major types of deserts: hot and dry desert, semi-arid desert, coastal desert and
cold desert.
Hot and dry deserts
North America has four major hot and dry deserts: Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Mojave
and the Great Basin. The plants found here are all small, thick shrubs and short
trees. The largest desert in the world is a hot and dry desert called the Sahara. The

20. BIOME
Sahara covers most of the northern African continent.
HOT AND DRY DESERTS

21. BIOME
i. Characteristics:
ii. The soil is coarse and rocky (like gravel) and drains well, which means the
soil is very dry.
iii. The plants found here are all small, thick shrubs and short trees.
iv. Temperatures in a hot and dry desert average about 20-25 C, but can reach
as high as 50 C.
v. Rainfall is usually very low and/or concentrated in short bursts between long
rainless periods.
vi. Evaporation rates regularly exceed rainfall rates.
vii. Sometimes rain starts falling and evaporates before reaching the ground.
Semi-arid deserts
Major semiarid deserts include regions of Utah, Montana of United States. There
are also semi-arid deserts in Greenland, Russia, Europe and northern Asia. The soil
is sandy and fine but also has loose pieces of rock and it can be gravelly. There

22. BIOME
isn't a lot of water, however, there are lots of spiny plants that provide shade.
Characteristics:
i. Summer temperatures usually average between 21-27° C.
ii. Cool night.
iii. Animals include mammals such as the kangaroo rats, rabbits, and skunks.
iv. THE SUMMERS ARE MODERATELY LONG AND DRY.

23. BIOME
Coastal Deserts
These deserts occur in moderately cool to warm areas such as the Nearctic and
Neotropical realm. A good example is the Atacama of Chile.

24. BIOME
ATACAMA DESERT
Characteristics:
i. The soil is fairly porous with good drainage.
ii. Some plants have extensive root systems close to the surface where they can
take advantage of any rain showers.
iii. Some animals have specialized adaptations for dealing with the desert heat
and lack of water.
iv. The average rainfall measures 8-13 cm in many areas.
Cold Deserts
Cold deserts are found in the Antarctic, Greenland, Northern and Western China,
Turkestan, Iran and the Nearctic area. Cold deserts can also be found in certain
mountainous areas, such as the Great Basin area of western United States. These
deserts are characterized by cold winters with snowfall and high overall rainfall

25. BIOME
throughout the winter and occasionally over the summer.

26. BIOME
Characteristics:
i. High average of rainfall (15-26 cm.).
ii. Short, wet moderately warm summers.
iii. Mean average winter temperature -2 to 4ºC
iv. Mean average summer temperature 21-26º
v. Heavy, relatively porous soil with a lot of silt and salt
vi. Good drainage to leach out most of the salt.
(2) Freshwater Biomes
Freshwater biomes are generally distinguished by characteristics such as water
depth and whether the water is moving or standing. Major freshwater biomes
include ponds and lakes, streams and rivers, and wetlands.

27. BIOME
Ponds and Lakes
Ponds and lakes support similar organisms but ponds don't stick around for very
long. Ponds are often seasonal, meaning they are created in the rainy seasons and
often dry up after a few months. Lakes, on the other hand, will often survive for
hundreds of years.
Characteristics:
i. It sustains a fairly diverse community, which can include several species of
algae (like diatoms), rooted and floating aquatic plants.
ii. In the case of the insects, such as dragonflies and midges, only the egg and
larvae stages are found in this zone.

28. BIOME
iii. The vegetation and animals living in the littoral zone are food for other
creatures such as turtles, snakes, and ducks.
iv. Temperature varies in ponds and lakes seasonally.
v. During the summer, the temperature can range from 4° C near the bottom to
22° C at the top.
vi. During the winter, the temperature at the bottom can be 4° C while the top is
0° C (ice).
Streams and Rivers
A stream or river can be started in a lot of different ways. Some are the product of
a natural spring bubbling out of the earth. Others find their way out of a mountain
lake. Then there are the streams and rivers started by melting snow.
Characteristics:

29. BIOME
i. The characteristics of a river or stream change during the journey from the
source to the mouth.
ii. The temperature is cooler at the source than it is at the mouth.
iii. At the source the water is also clearer, has higher oxygen levels, and
freshwater fish such as trout.
iv. Towards the middle part of the stream or river, the width increases, as does
species diversity
v. Toward the mouth of the river or stream, the water becomes murky from all
the sediments
vi. that it has picked up upstream, decreasing the amount of light.
vii. Since there is less light, there is less diversity of flora, and because of the
lower oxygen levels, fish that require less oxygen, such as catfish and carp.
Wetlands
A wetland is a body of standing water that supports aquatic plants. Marshes,
swamps and bogs are all forms of wetlands.
Characteristics:
i. Have the highest species diversity of all ecosystems.
ii. These are not considered freshwater ecosystems as there are some, such as
salt marshes, that have high salt concentrations.
iii. These support different species of animals, such as shrimp, shellfish, and
various grasses.

30. BIOME
(3) Marine Biomes
Marine regions cover about three fourths of the Earth's surface and include oceans,
coralreefs, and estuaries. Marine algae supply much of the world's oxygen supply
and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The evaporation of the
seawater provides rainwater for the land.
Oceans
The largest of all the ecosystems, oceans are very large bodies of water that
dominate the Earth's surface. Some say that the ocean contains the richest diversity
of species even though it contains fewer species than there are on land.
Characteristics:
i. It has a great diversity of species
ii. The ocean can extend in some places down to depths of several miles, or
kilometers.
iii. Characteristics such as temperature, turbulence, and salinity can be very
different from location to location.

31. BIOME
Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are widely distributed in warm shallow waters. They can be found as
barriers along continents (e.g., the Great Barrier Reef off Australia).Coral reefs
generally refer to a marine ecosystem in which the principal organisms are corals
that harbor algal symbionts within their tissues.
Characteristics:
i. The dominant organisms in coral reefs are corals.
ii. The fauna include several species of microorganisms, invertebrates, fishes,
sea urchins, octopuses, and sea stars.
iii. They are restricted to shallow waters of tropical and subtropical regions.
OCEAN LIFE

32. BIOME
Estuaries
An estuary is where a stream or river merges with the ocean. The mixing of fresh
and salt water creates a unique salt concentration that is found nowhere else in the
world.
Characteristics:
i. Microflora like algae, and macroflora, such as seaweeds, marsh grasses, and
mangrove trees (only in the tropics), can be found here.
ii. Estuaries support a diverse fauna, including a variety of worms, oysters,
crabs, and waterfowl.
(4)Anthropogenic Biomes
Humans have fundamentally altered global patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem
processes. As a result, vegetation forms predicted by conventional biome systems
are rarely observed across most of Earth's land surface. While not a replacement
for existing biome systems, anthropogenic biomes provide an alternative view of
the terrestrial biosphere based on global patterns of sustained direct human
interaction with ecosystems, including agriculture, human settlements,
urbanization, forestry and other uses of land. Anthropogenic biomes offer a new
way forward in ecology and conservation by recognizing the irreversible coupling
of human and ecological systems at global scales, and moving us toward an
understanding how best to live in and manage our biosphere and the anthropogenic
biomes we live in.

33. BIOME
Biomes References
Botkin, D., and E. Keller. 1995. Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Canada.
Brown, L. 1972. The Life of the African Plains. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New
York.
Campbell, N.A. 1996. Biology, 4th Edition. The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing
Company, Inc., Menlo Park, California.
Chernov, Y.I. 1985. The Living Tundra. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

34. BIOME
Costello, D.F. 1969. The Prairie World. Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York.
Farb, P. 1970. Ecology. Time, Inc., New York.
Ketchum, R.M. 1970. Secret Life of the Forest. American Heritage Press, New York.