Biome Pictures
Use these pictures to help you create
your biome index cards.
Remember that you need to include
not only plants and animals but also
soil colors, precipitation, and other
climate factors.
Desert
Deserts cover about one fifth of our planet, and are caused by extremely
low rainfall over an area. Theses biomes are nonetheless home to many
plants and animals which have through the course of their evolution
adapted to this dry environment
Desert
Boreal, or Taiga biomes
The largest of the land biomes is the boreal, or Taiga biome. Taiga biomes can
be found in areas with shorter, warm summers and long winters; there are
Taiga Biomes in Europe, Asia, Siberia, and North-America. Because of the
cold climates, plant life in the boreal forest is sturdy, consisting mainly of
evergreens and other resilient vegetation. Because the forests' canopy is
dense, forest floor vegetation is thin. Animal life in the boreal forest consists
mainly of birds and mammals, such as deer, wolves, and various rodents, and
very few reptiles. Most of the boreal forests' creatures are well adapted to
the cold climate, and hibernate during the long winters.
Tropical Rainforest
Tropical forests are characterized by the greatest diversity of species. They
occur near the equator, within the area bounded by latitudes 23.5 degrees N
and 23.5 degrees S. One of the major characteristics of tropical forests is their
distinct seasonality: winter is absent, and only two seasons are present (rainy
and dry). The length of daylight is 12 hours and varies little.
Temperate Deciduous
Temperate deciduous forest are a close relative of the Taiga biome, and can
be found in areas with a milder, shorter winter season. In addition to
evergreens, trees in the temperate forest include maple, elm, oak, cedar and
other trees which shed their leaves in the fall. The temperate forest's soil in
richer than that of the boreal forests' and features a larger assortment of
forest floor plan life; this is also due to the fact that the forests' canopy is
thinner, allowing more light and heat to penetrate, permitting photosynthesis
in the forest floor plants, and the survival of smaller, and cold blooded
animals such as garter snakes, turtles, and a few amphibians. Again, several
of the temperate forests' species hibernate, and/or burrow in the ground to
pass the winter months.
Grassland Prairie
Grassland biomes are unaltered areas of land
where grass is the dominant plant life, as
opposed to other terrestrial biomes where
trees occupy most of the land
surface. Grassland are found around the globe
and have served as grazing areas for a large
number of animals, and have been exploited as
farming grounds or plantations by humans
Prairies are generally humid and are densely
covered in tall grass. There are very few trees
on prairies, most of them usually found on hill
slopes or more humid near springs and
rivulets. The prairie soil is rich in nutrients and
is ideal for the growth of plant life, which is why
prairie regions have been exploited by farmers
for centuries. Grazing animals such as oxen and
bison who fed on the prairie grass were also
exploited by humans, with the bison being
driven to near extinction by hunters.
Tropical Grassland- Savanna
Savanna biomes are distinguished by their warmer drier climates, and their seasonal droughts.
Savanna plant life is highly adapted to the hot and dry climate, with trunks that can store water for
days, or special built-in mechanisms allowing the plant to lie dormant during periods of drought.
Another variant of this grassland biome is the Tropical Savanna, which is perhaps the most
ecologically diverse of the grasslands; here, several species of animals including birds, mammals,
reptiles, and insects congregate and feed upon the trees and grass or each other. One good example of
the tropical savanna is found in Africa, where lions, elephants and warthogs make their home.
Again, humans have exploited many of the animals of the savanna biome, either for sport, fur, or illegal
poaching. Rhinos and elephants are now endangered species due to the illegal trading of their horns
and tusks. Frequent fires have also contributed to the diminishing savanna biome, and though most
occur because of the dry heat, they are more frequent in areas populated by humans.
Tundra
Tundra, the "ice desert", "frozen prairie", the cold plains of the Far North
get their name from the Finnish word "tunturia", which means treeless land.
The tundra biome is the coldest of all terrestrial eco-systems, and also the
most chaotic. Still, the tundra is host to a surprising number of plants and
animals, and represents a fascinating testament to nature's adaptability,
and cruel beauty.
TUNDRA - Arctic tundra
The arctic tundra occupies earth's Northern hemisphere,
circling the North Pole all the way down to the evergreen
forests of the boreal biomes. The arctic tundra sees little
rainfall, like the cold deserts of Russia. The soil of the
arctic tundra is poor in nutrients, which accounts for the
low amount of vegetation. There is an under-layer of soil
called permafrost which remains completely frozen at all
times, allowing little room for deep rooting plants and
trees. The plants that do survive the frozen landscapes are
extremely resilient, and their roots are close to the surface
of the hard soil, as to intake what little water falls upon the
ground; most of the arctic tundra's plant life consists of
shrubbery, lichen, moss, and flowers. Icy rivers flow
through the tundra to the arctic ocean, and are home to
trout, salmon and other freshwater fish. Sometimes rainfall
produces small, temporary ponds, which serve as mating
areas for flies and mosquitoes.
Other animal species occupying the tundra consist of polar
bears, caribou, musk ox, grey wolves, lemmings, rabbits,
squirrels, and birds such as penguins, falcons, ravens, terns,
and loons. All are greatly adapted to their environment,
with extra layers of fat, and the ability to hibernate during
the colder months, although this has more to do with the
lack of food than the cold. Birds of the tundra migrate
south during the winter months, causing constant change
in the animal population.