global ecosystems

• Climate

  • Determines what type of ecosystem forms
• Major types of ecosystems

  • Tundra
  • Boreal Forest
  • Grassland
  • Temperate Deciduous Forest
  • Tropical Rainforest
  • Hot Desert
  • Polar
• Tundra


  Found at high latitudes (above 60 N) in Northern Europe, Canada and Alaska. Winters are very cold, summers are brief and there is little rainfall. There are hardly any trees-vegetation includes mosses grasses and low shrubs. There's a layer of permanently frozen ground called permafrost
• Boreal Forest


  Also known as taiga. Found between 50-60 N. Winters are cold and dry, and summers are mild and moist. Trees are coniferous-they are evergreen and have needles
• Grassland

  There are two types: Savannah grasslands are found between the tropics with distinct dry and wet seasons, although rainfall is still relatively low. Most of the vegetation is grasses with a few scattered trees. Temperate grasslands are found at higher latitudes where there is more variation in temperature and less rainfall. There are no trees here-just grasses.
• Temperate Deciduous Forest


  Found mainly in the mid-latitudes where there are four distinct seasons. Summers are warm, winters are relatively mild and there's a good amount of rainfall year round. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter to cope with the colder weather
• Tropical Rainforest


  Found around the equator between the tropics, where it's hot and wet all year round. This is an area of lush forest, with dense canopies of vegetation forming distinct layers.
• Hot Desert


  Found between 15 and 35° north and south of the equator where there's little rainfall. It's very hot during the day and very cold at night. Shrubs and cacti are sparsely distributed in the sandy soil.
• Polar


  Found around the north and south poles. They are very cold, icy and dry. Not much grows at all. They remain dark for several months each year so the growing season is very short-about two months