Biomes What is a Biome A biome is

Biomes

What is a Biome? A biome is a large area having a distinct climate and specific types of plant and animal life.

Tundra � The tundra covers the northern parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. � The arctic tundra has a cold, dry, harsh climate. � Mammals of the tundra include caribou, musk oxen, lemmings, foxes, wolves, polar bears, and hares. � Plants are small and have shallow root systems.

Taiga � The largest of Earth's land biomes is the taiga (TY guh). � It is sometimes called a boreal forest. � Taigas are found south of tundra areas and north of temperate forests. � These forests are found in the northern Rocky Mountains and Alaska in the US and all across Canada, northern Europe, and northern Asia. � Squirrels, deer, moose, elk, black bears, wolves, and birds are some of the animals that live in the taiga. Trees are mostly conifers- spruce, fir, pine, and cedar.

Desert � For a place to be defined as a desert, it must receive less than 10 inches of rainfall in an entire year. � The Sahara Desert is the world's largest desert. � Deserts cover about 20% of the land area on Earth. � The only continent without a desert is Europe. � Sagebrush and cacti are prominent in the desert. Animals include fennec foxes, jackrabbits, and camels.

Rainforests � � 1. 2. 3. 4. � � The Amazon is the world's largest rain forest. Rainforests have four layers: Forest Floor -Tapirs, termites, and scorpions are among many of the animals that we can find here. Understory -Residents here include bees, snakes, frogs, and leopards. Canopy -Most of the rain forest animals live here, including several familiar faces - toucans, parrots, sloths, and monkeys. Emergent -Birds of paradise, eagles, and macaws all live here. At least 50% of all the plant and animal species in the world are in the rain forest. Rain forests are near the Equator: Asia, Africa, Australia, Central America, and South America.

Temperate Deciduous Forest There are five layers (also called zones or strata) in the temperate deciduous forest. These include the: Tree stratum, the tallest layer, 60 -100 feet high, with large oak, maple, beech, chestnut, hickory, elm, basswood, linden, walnut, or sweet gum trees. Small tree or sapling layer - short tree species and young trees. Shrub layer - shrubs like rhododendrons, azaleas, mountain laurels, and huckleberries. Herb layer - short plants. Ground layer - lichens, clubmosses, and true mosses. � Temperate deciduous forests are found in the middle latitudes around the globe and have four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. �

Grasslands • Grasslands can be divided into two groups: temperate grasslands and savannahs. • Like the name suggests, grasses dominate the landscape in grasslands. • On average, grasslands receive about 25 -50 inches of rainfall a year. • At least one-fifth of the Earth's land area is grasslands. It can be found in every continent except Antarctica.

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