The document provides an overview of various biomes, detailing their climates, vegetation, and geographical locations. It covers tundra, coniferous forests, deciduous forests, temperate forests, tropical rainforests, deserts, grasslands, and savannas, highlighting their distinct characteristics and adaptations. Each biome is described with temperature ranges, rainfall levels, and typical plant life, emphasizing the environmental conditions that shape them.

11. TUNDRA
Coldest of all biomes
Coldest of all biomes

“
“tunturia” (Finnish) –treeless plains
tunturia” (Finnish) –treeless plains

-40 – 18
-40 – 18o
o
C with low amounts of
C with low amounts of
precipitation (similar to desert)
precipitation (similar to desert)

Almost no trees due to short growing
Almost no trees due to short growing
season and
season and permafrost
permafrost

lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, shrubs
lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, shrubs

Regions south of the ice caps of the
Regions south of the ice caps of the
Arctic and extending across North
Arctic and extending across North
America, Europe, and Siberia (high
America, Europe, and Siberia (high
mountain tops)
mountain tops)

13. Arctic Tundra = Arctic tundra is located in the northern hemisphere, encircling the north pole and extending south
to the coniferous forests of the taiga. The arctic is known for its cold, desert-like conditions. The growing season
ranges from 50 to 60 days. The average winter temperature is -34° C (-30° F), but the average summer temperature
is 3-12° C (37-54° F) which enables this biome to sustain life.
Alpine tundra is located on mountains throughout the world at high altitude where trees cannot grow. The
growing season is approximately 180 days. The nighttime temperature is usually below freezing. Unlike the
arctic tundra, the soil in the alpine is well drained.

15. Largest terrestrial biome
Largest terrestrial biome
Coniferous forest
Coniferous forest
 consist mostly of conifers (needles and cones)
Conifers tend to be evergreen, that is, they bear
needles all year long which help conifers survive in
areas that are very cold or dry.
 Some of the more common conifers are spruces,
pines, and firs.
 -40°C to 20°C, average summer temperature is 10°C
 Restricted to the northern hemisphere (taiga/boreal)
yet some tropical conferous forests exist in Asia and
the lower latitudes
 Canada, Europe, Asia, and the United States
TAIGA/BOREAL

19. Seasonal and most colorful biome
Seasonal and most colorful biome
Deciduous forests
Deciduous forests
 most notable for their four seasons. Leaves change
color in autumn, fall off in the winter, and grow
back in the spring which allows plants to survive
cold winters
 -30°C to 30°C, yearly average is 10°C, hot summers,
cold winters
 Broadleaf trees (oaks, maples, beeches), shrubs,
perennial herbs, and mosses
 Eastern United States, Canada, Europe, China, and
Japan
TEMPERATE FORESTS

20. TEMPERATE FOREST
 Coniferous
 Montane
 Pine
 Temperate Rainforest
 Broadleaf
 Deciduous
 Temperate Woodlands
 Piňon-Juniper woodland
 Temperate Evergreen

24. Most diverse and humid among all biomes!
Most diverse and humid among all biomes!
Wet the whole year round
Wet the whole year round
 20°C to 25°C, must remain warm and frost-free

2,000 to 10,000 millimeters of rain per year
2,000 to 10,000 millimeters of rain per year

Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of
Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn
Capricorn

known for its dense canopies of vegetation that
known for its dense canopies of vegetation that
form different layers
form different layers
TROPICAL RAINFOREST

25. Tropical, Rainforest

26. Tropical, Dry Forest

28. Hottest and driest of all biomes
Hottest and driest of all biomes

The temperature in the desert can change
The temperature in the desert can change
drastically from day to night because the
drastically from day to night because the
air is so dry that heat escapes rapidly at
air is so dry that heat escapes rapidly at
night.
night. Average of 38°C (day), average of -
3.9°C (night)
 about 250 mm of rain per year which means
which means
that the desert only gets 10 percent of the
that the desert only gets 10 percent of the
rain that a rainforest gets (2000mm)!
rain that a rainforest gets (2000mm)!

Cacti, small bushes, short grasses
Cacti, small bushes, short grasses

Between 15° and 35° latitude (North and
Between 15° and 35° latitude (North and
South of the equator); examples are
South of the equator); examples are
Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahua, and Great
Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahua, and Great
Basin (North America); Sahara (Africa);
Basin (North America); Sahara (Africa);
Negev (Middle East); and Gobi (Asia)
Negev (Middle East); and Gobi (Asia)
DESERT

30. Grass, grass, grass!
Grass, grass, grass!
 generally open and continuous, fairly flat areas of
grass.
 Grasses (prairie clover, salvia, oats, wheat,
barley, coneflowers) and a lot of herbivores
 The height of grass correlates with the amount of
rainfall it receives. Grasslands receive about 500
to 900 mm of rain per year (deserts <300 mm and
tropical forests >2,000 mm)
 The prairies of the Great Plains of North
America, the pampas of South America, the veldt
of South Africa, the steppes of Central Eurasia,
and surrounding the deserts in Australia
 Found on every continent except Antarctica
GRASSLAND

33. GRASSLANDS and SAVANNAS
GRASSLANDS and SAVANNAS

34. GRASSLANDS
 Domestic
 North American Grasslands
 Tallgrass prairie
 Mixed-grass prairie
 Shortgrass prairie
 Desert grassland
 Annual grassland
 Eurasian Steppes
 South American Pampas
 South African Veld
 Australian Grasslands

35. TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS
Precipitation usually occurs in the late spring and early summer. The annual
average is about 50.8 to 88.9 cm (20-35 inches). 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

36. Temperate Grassland: Marked by seasonal drought and fires, and grazing by
large animals. Rich habitat for agriculture.

38. TROPICAL SAVANNA BIOMES
TROPICAL SAVANNA BIOMES
Savannas are always found in warm or hot climates where the annual rainfall is from
about 50.8 to 127 cm (20-50 inches) per year. The soil is porous, with rapid drainage of
water. It has only a thin layer of humus (the organic portion of the soil created by partial
decomposition of plant or animal matter), which provides vegetation with nutrients. The
predominant vegetation consists of grasses and forbs (small broad-leaved plants that
grow with grasses).

39. Tropical Savanna

40. Chaparral: Dense, spiny, evergreen shrubs, mild rainy winters; long, hot,
dry summers. Periodic fires, some plants require fire for seeds to
germinate.

41. Thank you for Listening