(You do not need to write this down)
 This diagram shows
Canada divided in four
main biomes.
 There are technically
more Biomes but this
map is accurate enough
for our purposes.
 The four main biomes of
Canada are: Tundra,
Boreal Forest (Taiga),
Temperate Forest, and
Grassland.
 Worldwide, there are
many more biomes and
methods to classify
them. We are going to
study six.
World Biomes
 There are many different Land Biomes in the World.
 We are going to study 6 main Land Biomes.
 A Biome has distinct (unique) climate, soil, plants, and animals.
 The most common World Biomes are: Tundra, Boreal Forest (Taiga),
Temperate Forest, Tropical Rain Forest, Grassland, and Desert.
 Climate is the average weather of an area over a long period of time.
 Climate is defined by the range in temperature and amount of
precipitation (rain, snow, hail, etc.)
 Weather is the local conditions than can change frequently (even
hourly).
Tundra
 Located in high northern latitudes or high elevation (mountain tops).
 Very long, cold winters and short, cool summers.
 Less than 25cm of precipitation each year.
 Plants: grass, wildflowers, moss, small shrubs.
 Animals: caribou, polar bear, grizzly bear, Arctic fox, snow shoe hare,
owls, rodents…)
Boreal Forest (Taiga)
 Located in the mid to high latitudes such as most of Canada, Russia,
Sweden, and Scandinavia.
 Very cold winters and warm summers.
 About 50cm of precipitation each year.
 Plants: mostly evergreen trees such as spruce and fir.
 Animals: Moose, rabbits, lynx, black bear, wolves, many kinds of birds
Temperate Forest
 Located in the mid-latitudes like the United States, southern Canada and
western Europe
 Climate: mild summers and cold winters with four distinct seasons
 Between 75 – 150cm of precipitation per year.
 Plants: deciduous or ‘leafy’ trees such as oak, beech, and maple.
 Animals can include: wolves, deer, bear, small mammals, birds,
amphibians, and reptiles.
Tropical Rain Forest
 Located near the equator in Central America and Indonesia
 It’s hot all year long with lots of rain (200 – 600cm per year).
 Plants: very diverse variety of trees, ferns, vines, and orchids.
 Animals: more species of reptiles, amphibians, and insects than any
other biome. Also has monkeys, elephants, and variety of birds.
Grassland
 Located in the interiors of Canada and United States, central Africa, and
Eastern Europe.
 Cool in winter, hot in summer
 About 25 – 75cm of precipitation a year
 Plants: Mostly grass and small shrubs with some trees near water
 Animals: Grazing animals that eat grass – bison, prairie dogs, elephants,
zebras, giraffes, kangaroos
Desert
 Located in middle latitudes in western North America, central
Australia, and Northern Africa.
 Very hot days with cool nights.
 Less than 25cm of precipitation each year.
 Plants: cactus, grass, shrubs, and a few trees.
 Animals: rodents, snakes, lizards, camels, gazelles, and antelope.
Lower Mainland – A Rainforest in Canada
 We are much warmer in the winter than the rest of Canada because
our weather comes from over the Pacific Ocean that never freezes.
 We are a very warm and wet Temperate Forest (as much as 500cm of
rainfall per year).
 This makes us a Temperate Rain Forest or Coastal Rain Forest.
 Our Coastal Rain Forest is one of the wettest non-tropical areas in
the world!
 Canada’s Coastal Rain Forest is different from other Temperate Rain
Forests because it has more coniferous trees (evergreen) than
deciduous trees (‘leafy’).
 This is also where you find Canada’s largest trees.
 Huge Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Hemlock, and Sitka Spruce trees grow
in the mild, wet climate along the coastline.