Biomes
The major communities characterized by the types of vegetation and the
adaptations they made to their particular environments
Desert - an arid biome characterized by low and unpredictable precipitation
of less than 10 inches a year and by vegetation adapted to conserve water by
having succulent or reduced leaves and thickened stems that store water.
Deciduous temperate forest - mid-latitude regions which have sufficient
moisture to support the growth of large, broadleaftrees which lose their
leaves during unfavorable growing seasons. Precipitation is relatively high
and evenly distributed throughout the year, though ground water will be
unavailable in the winter if soil freezes on clod winter days. Trees drop
leaves in the fall and are dormant through winter; they produce new growth
in the spring from buds.
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Savanna - A tropical grassland biome with scattered individual trees, large
herbivores, and three distinct seasons based on rainfall, maintained by
occasional fires and droughts.
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Taiga - a coniferous or boreal forest biome characterized by considerable
snow, harsh winters, short summers and evergreen trees.
Temperate Grasslands - grasslands found in temperate zones that have
between 10 and 30 inches of rainfall per year. This biome persists due to
seasonal droughts, occasional fires, and grazing by large animals.
Tropical rainforest - is a biome characterized by complex communities
located near the equator, where rainfall is abundant and temperatures are
warm. There are more species of plants and animals in tropical rainforest
biomes than there are in all other terrestrial biomes combined.
Tundra - a biome located at high altitudes or near north or south poles that
have extremely harsh conditions, a short growing season with low intensity
of sunlight, long periods of darkness, and cold temperatures. Plants are
limited to low shrubby or mat-like vegetation.
Tundra
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Severe Winter ­
Permafrost
Cool Desert
Cool, Cold Weather
~Grasslands
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Temperate
Deciduous Forest
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0
0
Warm, hot
Tropical Rainforest
5
10
15
20
25
30
Rainfall (inches per year)
35
40
45