Ecosystems with distinctive communities of life and found on land
Different biomes exist because of variations in light, temperature, and moisture across the biosphere
Temperature and moisture
The main factors that determine the dominantplants in each location
The vegetation influences which other organisms can live in each area
Other abiotic factors
Wind
Rocks and soil
Periodic disturbances
Biomes are formed when subjected to different precipitation and temperature
Polar Ice
Coldest place of terrestrial biomes
Known for barren landscapes, glaciers, and huge ice sheets
Has monthly temperature below 0°C that allows snow and ice to accumulate despite low precipitation levels
Polar areas are covered in ice with some ice-free areas called Nunataks
Extremely cold, dry, and windy
The primary producers are the marine algae called phytoplankton
Tundra
Known for its extreme coldness and dryness
Dryness is caused by extremely low precipitation, even less precipitation than deserts
Still a wet place because water evaporates slowly
Its ground remains frozen year-round, that is why there is a layer of permanently frozen ground below the surface, called permafrost
Plants that grow here are small and have short growing seasons
Animals have thick fur
Taiga
Also called northern coniferous forest or boreal forest
The largest terrestrial biome on Earth
Found in cool high elevations in more temperate latitudes
Characterized by long, cold winters and short, wet summers that are occasionally warm
There may be possible precipitation and it is usually in a form of snow
The soil is usually thin, nutrient-poor, and acidic but evergreen trees are abundant here
Only some mammals and birds stay year-round, because it is cold and relatively dry here
Temperate Rainforest
Also called temperate coniferous forest
Has mild winters, cool summers, and abundant rain
Common in coastal areas that have mild winters and heavy rain
Life includes large evergreens, amphibians, mammals, and fish
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Occurs where there is sufficientmoisture to support the growth of large trees
Has warm summers, cool winters, consistent rainfall
While precipitation is fairly distributed throughout the year, ground water can be temporarily unavailable if the soil freezes on very cold winter days
Characterized by broad-leaf deciduous trees
Have a distinct annual rhythm in which trees drop leaves and become dormant in winter, then produce new leaves in spring
Temperate Grassland
Shares some of the characteristics of tropical savanna, but they are found in regions of relatively cold winter temperatures
Has hot summers, cold winters, and is moderately moist
The key to the persistence of all grasslands is seasonal drought, occasional fires, and grazing by large mammals, all of which prevent woody shrubs from invading and becoming established
The soils tend to be deep and among the most fertile in the world, one of the reasons is grasslands have an abundant amount of mulch, or decaying plant material that is deposited each year
Chaparral
May be called Mediterranean shrubland
Coastal areas that are often characterized by mild, rainy winters and long, hot, drysummers are dominated by this biome
Has hot and dry summers, and cool and moist winters
There is a combination of environmental stresses in chaparral: aridity, shortgrowing season, low-nutrient soil, and frequent fires
Plants are resistant to fire and drought thrive; some shrubs have strands of dense, spiny shrubs with tough evergreen
Desert
Driest of all terrestrial biomes
Characterized by low and unpredictable precipitation
Always dry
Might be cool or hot
These belts are particularly dry because of global air circulation patterns, which result from descending dry air absorbing available moisture
Its plants store water and most animals are active at night
Tropical Savanna
A grassland with scattered individual trees
It is warm year-round and has three distinct seasons: (1) cool and dry, (2) hot anddry, (3) warmand wet
Most savanna soils are lowin nutrients, due in part to their porosity
It is relatively simple in physical structure but often rich in number of species
Animals are most prominent in rainy seasons and there are few trees or shrubs
Terrestrial biomes are ecosystems with distinctive communities oflife and is found in land
Different biomes exist because of the variations of light, temperature, and moisture across the biosphere
Temperature and moisture arethe main factors that determine the dominant plants in each location
The vegetation then influences which other organisms can live in each area