Tropical Rainforest
Temperature |
No temperature variation - warm around 27.2C |
Precipitation |
Above temp line - tons of water, no drought |
Growing season |
All months |
Species |
Most species of any terrestrial biome |
Plants |
- Warm, wet conditions speed the decomposition of detritus and the reabsorption of released nutrients by plants, so soils cannot support long-term agriculture
- C3 Photosynthesis: Present in most plants, not good at CO2 or H2O conservation but not needed because of plenty moisture in biome
-Plants with drip tips to avoid fungal infection and rotting
- Large, thin leaves |
Animals |
- Black and White Colobus Monkey
- Dung Beetle
- Jaguar
- Agouti |
Boreal Forest (Taiga)
Temperature |
Cold until growing season, avg 3.6C |
Precipitation |
Rain in growing season. Most precipitation falls as snow (severe winters) in other months. |
Growing season |
AMJJASO |
Plants |
- Poor and acidic soil
-Cold temperatures limit the decomposition of litter, so soils contain a great deal of organic matter
- Abundance of conifer trees like spruces, firs, and pines because they are shared like cones so can slough off heavy loads of snow to prevent damage
- Conifers have needles with thick waxy coatings and small surface area to resist cold conditions and minimize water loss
- Trees are evergreen because of a short growing season where there is not enough time to drop leaves and rebuild them every year
- Droughts trigger widespread canopy and soil fires that consume the abundant accumulated organic matter. |
Animals |
- Lynx
- Beaver
- Haire
- Elk |
Special |
World's largest terrestrial biome. Most in Russia and Canada |
Tropical Savanna/Seasonal Forest
Temperature |
Temperature varies little |
Precipitation |
Wet/dry seasons. Dry season between May and October. Outside of May and October is wet |
Growing season |
All year |
Plants |
- Tree/grass codominance, often require disturbance to maintain - Dry season makes a "thorn forest" because of many succulents. |
Animals |
- Elefant
- Giraffe
- Gaselle
- Eland |
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Desert
Temperature |
Line above precip, avg of 21.9C |
Precipitation |
Barely or none |
Growing season |
All months |
Plants |
- Plants can leave without water by metabolizing fat to obtain it
- Plants are thorny and adapted to conserve water (fleshy stems and leaves)
- Thick cuticles
- C4 (spatial separation of photosynthesis) and CAM Photosynthesis (temporal separation of photosynthesis) |
Animals |
- No big mammal because of no shade or water.
- Dominant mammals are burrowers {{nl} - Anochetus ant
- Texas horned lizard - squirts blood from eyes to defend itself because blood taste foul to predators
- Fat sand rat
- Greater roadrunner |
Temperate Forest
Temperature |
Avg temp 10.8C |
Precipitation |
- Summers are moist - Dinstict winter season with frost and snow |
Growing season |
MAMJJASON |
Plants |
- Soils are fertile and low acidity |
Animals |
- Bobcat
- Grizzly Bear
- Squirrel
- Deer
|
Tropical Savanna/Seasonal
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Tundra
3 Types |
Artic, Antartica, Alpine Tundra |
Temperature |
Cold, severe winters, avg -11.9C |
Precipitation |
Some rain but not much, similar to a desert. Cold air holds little moisture so most moisture is locked up as snow. |
Growing season |
JJAS - short growing season due to very severe winters |
Plants |
- Almost no trees due to permafrost
- Permafrost is a massive carbon storage area: with global warming, tundra (which used to be a sink) is now a source of carbon and methane (greenhouse gases)
- Most plants low to ground
- Plants produce anti-freeze protein
- Lichens, moss, heath - Slow decomposition of organic matter, so soil is infertile and low in oxygen |
Animals |
- Migration of animals out in cold months and in during growing season
- species-poor
- Peary caribou
- Lemming (don't run off cliffs)
- Wolf
- Polar bear |
Temperate Grassland/Shrubland
Temperature |
Temp line crosses precipitation line. Hot summers and cold winters |
Precipitation |
Some precipitation |
Growing season |
MAMJJASON |
Plants |
- Few trees, dominated by grasses - May become forest without disturbances when precipitation is high |
Animals |
- Bison
- Kangaroo
- Cheetah
- Prairie dogs |
Temperate Grassland/Shrubland
|
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