Biomes - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Biomes

Geographical Regions of the WorldSlide2
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Slide4

Biome Graphs

HOLDRIDGE LIFE ZONESSlide5

WHITAKER

BIOME

DIAGRAMSlide6

What are BIOMES exactly?

Biomes are

large

terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate, soil, plants, and animals, regardless of where they are found in the

world.

They are a vital part of the earth’s natural capital.

Differences in average annual precipitation and temperature lead to the formation of tropical, temperate, and cold deserts, grasslands, and forests, and largely determine their locations.

Differences in elevation also contribute to biome locationsSlide7

There are 8 distinct Biomes

DESERT

GRASSLAND

SAVANNA

CHAPPARAL

RAIN FOREST

TEMPERATE FOREST

CONIFEROUS FOREST (TAIGA)

TUNDRASlide8

DESERT

There are 3 types of desert

Tropical Deserts – examples: Sahara and Namib (Africa)

hot, dry, few plants, hard wind blown surface strewn with rocks, sand, large dust storms

Temperate Deserts – examples: Mojave (United States)

more precipitation than tropical deserts, sparse vegetation mostly succulents and cacti, high daytime temps in summer, low daytime temps in winter

Cold Deserts – examples: Gobi (Mongolia)

Winters are cold, summers are hot, precipitation is

low

Deserts have low annual

precipitation. Plants and animals have adaptations to help them survive the heat and obtain enough water to survive. Ecosystems here are fragile due to the soils taking decades to hundreds of years to develop, which means slow plant growth, low species diversity, slow nutrient cycling, and lack of water. Off-road vehicles are the major environmental threat to these biomes. Slide9

Climate Graph

Mojave DesertSlide10

Grasslands

There are 3 types of grassland

Tropical grassland – examples: Savannas (East Africa)

s

cattered clumps of trees, thorny plants, herds of herbivores, warm temperatures, dry and wet seasons

Temperate grassland – examples: Tall and Short grass prairies (United States, Canada)

c

old winters, hot and dry summers, sparse and uneven precipitation, fertile soils, grasses have long roots

Cold grassland – examples: Artic Tundra (Alaska, Russia)

s

outh of the artic polar ice caps, treeless, covered by ice and snow, permafrost, winters long and dark, short growing seasonGrasslands tend to be very windy which means that evaporation is rapid. They are also susceptible to fires which helps keep trees from taking over. The tundra is susceptible to permafrost melting, which provides breeding grounds for insects making it ideal for migratory birds. Development and erosion are the major environmental threats to these biomes.Slide11

Climate Graph

Arctic TundraSlide12

CHAPARRAL

Chaparral is a temperate

shrubland

, found along the coasts of southern California, the Mediterranean Sea, central Chile, southern Australia, and southwestern South Africa.

Consists of dense growths of low lying evergreen shrubs, occasional small trees with leathery leaves, thin and not very fertile soils,

warm and

dry summers, mild wet

winters,

large populations of humans due to the ideal climate.

Mudslides and fires are the major environmental threats to this biome.Slide13

Forest

There are 3 types of forest

Tropical

Rain Forest – examples: Amazon, Congo Basin (S. America, Africa)

tons of biodiversity, nutrient poor soils due to maximum growing conditions year round, large trees make huge canopies that block out sunlight to lower levels, warm, wet, lots of rainfall daily, decomposition is rapid

Temperate Deciduous Forest – examples: Appalachian Mountains (U.S.)

Long warm summers, cold but not too severe winters, abundant precipitation, trees shed leaves in winter, nutrient rich soils from leaf litter, decomposition is moderate

Boreal Forest (Taiga) – examples: Yukon (Canada)

Winters are long, dry, and extremely cold, summers are short, sunlight varies with seasons, some days long hours of daylight others few hours of day light, low wildlife diversity due to the cold weather, decomposition is very

slow

Deforestation for development is the major environmental threat to these regions.Slide14

Mountains play

important ecological roles

Contain majority of world’s forests

Habitats for endemic species

Sanctuaries for migrating species

Regulate earth’s climate

Critical role in hydrologic cycleSlide15

Natural Capital Degradation

major human impacts on terrestrial ecosystems

Deserts

are impacted by large desert cities, soil destruction by off-road vehicles, soil salinization from irrigation, depletion of groundwater, and land disturbance and pollution from mineral extraction.

Grasslands

are impacted by conversion to cropland, release of CO

2

to atmosphere from burning grassland, overgrazing by livestock, and oil production and off-road vehicles in the artic tundra.

Forests

are impacted by clearing for agriculture, livestock grazing, timber, and urban development, conversion of diverse forests to tree plantations, damage from off-road vehicles, and pollution of forest streams.

Mountains are impacted by agriculture, timber extraction, mineral extraction, hydroelectric dams and reservoirs, increasing tourism, urban air pollution, increased ultraviolet radiation from the ozone depletion, and soil damage from off-road vehicles.