Biomes: Characteristics and Adaptations of Major Ecosystems, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Biomaterials

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Lesson Overview

4.4 Biomes

THINK ABOUT IT

Why does the character of biological communities vary from one place to another? Why, for example, do temperate rain forests grow in the Pacific Northwest while areas to the east of the Rocky Mountains are much drier? How do similar conditions shape ecosystems elsewhere?

The Major Biomes

Biomes are described in terms of abiotic factors

like climate and soil type, and biotic factors like

plant and animal life.

The Major Biomes

Latitude and the heat transported by winds are two factors that affect global climate. Other factors, among them an area’s proximity to an ocean or mountain range, also influence climate.

Regional Climates

Oregon borders the Pacific Ocean, and moist air carried by winds traveling west to east is pushed upward when it hits the Rocky Mountains. This air expands and cools, causing the moisture in the air to condense and form clouds.

Regional Climates

The clouds drop rain or snow, mainly on the upwind side of the mountains. As the air sinks on the downwind side of the mountain, it expands, warms, and absorbs moisture. As a result, west and east Oregon have very different regional climates, and different climates mean different plant and animal communities.

Major biomes include :

1. tropical rain forest

2. tropical grassland/

savanna

3. desert

4. temperate grassland

5. temperate woodland

6. tropical dry forest

7. temperate forest

8. northwestern coniferous forest

9. boreal forest

10. tundra.

Defining Biomes

Each biome is associated with seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation that can be summarized in a graph called a climate diagram. A climate diagram shows the average temperature and precipitation at a given location during each month of the year. On this climate diagram, temperature is plotted as a red line, and precipitation is shown as vertical blue bars.

What are the defining characteristics of the following Biomes?:

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

TAIGA

TUNDRA

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

Tropical rain forests are home to more species than all the other biomes

combined.

Rain forest get at least 2 meters of rain a year!

This biome has the greatest bio-diversity,

warmest temperatures and the most rainfall

of all biomes.

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

Abiotic Factors: Rain forests are hot and wet year-round. They have thin, nutrient-poor soils that are subject to erosion.

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

Biotic Factors – Plant Life Understory plants compete for sunlight, so most have large leaves that maximize capture of limited light.