Biomes and
Ecosystems
I
Biosphere: the thin layer of land, air and
water where all life on Earth exists.
Biomes
• Biomes are the largest division of the
biosphere.
• Biomes are characterized by their biotic
(living) and abiotic (non-living)
components
• Abiotic factors determine where a biome
is and what its characteristics are.
Biomes
• Abiotic factors: The MAIN ones are
– Temperature
– Precipitation (rain, snow, mist & fog)
• These factors influence Temp. & Precip.
– Latitude
– Elevation
– Wind
– Ocean Currents
Biomes
• Earth has eight terrestrial (landbased) biomes.
Biomes - Tundra
• Located in the upper northern
hemisphere
• Due to permafrost, plants are short and
there are no trees.
• Precipitation is less than 23 cm annually.
• COLD ! -20⁰C to -30⁰C in winter
Biomes - Tundra
Biomes – Boreal Forest
•
•
•
•
Located in the far north
Temperature below zero for half the year
Mainly coniferous (cone) trees
30 – 85 cm precip. per year – mostly as
snow
Biomes – Boreal Forest
Biomes – Temperate Deciduous Forest
• Locations: eastern North America,
eastern Asia, and western Europe.
• Trees lose their leaves in the winter
• Large seasonal change – four distinct
seasons
• Precip: 75cm to 185 cm yearly
• Temp: from 30⁰C to -30⁰C over the year
Biomes – Temperate Deciduous Forest
Biomes – Temperate Rainforest
• Located along coastlines where ocean
winds drop large amounts of rainfall
• Precip: over 200cm yearly
• Temp is cool: 5⁰C to 25⁰C over the year
• Trees (mostly evergreens) grow very tall
Biomes – Temperate Rainforest
Biomes – Grassland
• Located in both temperate and tropical
areas
• Limited amounts of rainfall in both
• Covered with grasses that have deep
roots, which are well adapted to drought
Biomes – Grassland
Biomes – Tropical Rainforest
• Found around the world near the
equator
• Wet and warm year-round
• Climate allows the growth of a dense
canopy of tall trees
• Precip. > 250 cm year
Biomes – Tropical Rainforest
Biomes - Desert
•
•
•
•
Occur in temperate and tropical regions
Days are hot, nights are cold
Very little precipitation
Plants and animals adapted to reduce
water loss
Biomes - Desert
Biomes – Permanent Ice
• Includes the polar land masses – Arctic,
Antarctic, and Greenland
• The few animals that live here are well
insulated against the extreme cold
• Very cold all year long
Biomes – Permanent Ice
Adaptations
• Adaptations are characteristics that
enable organisms to better survive and
reproduce
• Organisms are specially adapted for
survival in the specific environmental
conditions of their biome
Adaptations
• There are three types of adaptations
– Structural adaptations
– Physiological adaptations
– Behavioural adaptations
Structural Adaptations
• These are physical parts or features of an
organism that enable it to survive and
reproduce.
Physiological Adaptations
• These are chemical or physical events that
take place in the body of an organism to
support its ability to survive and reproduce
Physiological Adaptations
• These are chemical or physical events that
take place in the body of an organism to
support its ability to survive and reproduce
Behavioural Adaptation
• Things that an organism does or the way it
behaves that enables it to survive and
reproduce. This may include how the
organism feeds, mates, migrates, or
hibernates.
Climatographs
Ecosystems
In an ecosystem, abiotic components like
oxygen, light, and water support the
biotic components like plants and
animals.
Ecosystems
Q: What’s the difference between a Biome, and
an Ecosystem?
A: Ecosystems are smaller than biomes. A biome
contains many different ecosystems. An
ecosystem can be as small as a tidal pool, or as
large as a Douglas fir forest.
Ecosystems
• Ecosystems contain different habitats. A
habitat is the place where an organism
lives. For example, a sculpin is a fish that
makes it’s habitat between rocks at the
bottom of a tidal pool ecosystem
Ecosystems