1. Terrestrial Biomes:

1. Terrestrial biomes:

- Tropical forest

- Savanna

- Desert

- Chaparral

- Temperate grassland

- Temperate deciduous forest

- Coniferous forest

- Tundra

The tropical rain forest is a forest of tall trees in a region of year-round warmth (mean temp. 25OC). An average of 50 to 260 inches (125 to 660 cm.) of rain falls yearly.

Almost all rain forests lie near the equator.

Evergreen trees produce new leaves and shed old ones through the year. TRF produce more litter than other forest biomes.

It is the richest biome, both in different kinds of species found and total amount of living matter.

The soil is highly weathered, humus poor, and not good nutrient reservoirs. WHY??

Rainforests now cover less than 6% of Earth's land surface. Scientists estimate that more than half of all the world's plant and animal species live in tropical rain forests. Tropical rainforests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen.

Tropical trees often have buttressed bases to help support their heavy above-ground biomass.

Important Facts:

-- Amazon rainforests produce about 40% of the world's oxygen

-- One in four pharmaceuticals comes from a plant in the tropical rainforests

-- 1400 rainforest plants are believed to offer cures for cancer

-- 40% of tropical rainforests have already been lost in Latin America and Southeast Asia

Tropical Forest: Vertical stratification with trees in canopy blocking light to bottom strata. Many trees covered by epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants).

Tropical deciduous forest: many trees drop some or all of their leaves during a pronounced dry season.

SAVANNAS:

Savannas or tropical savannas are grasslands with scattered drought-resistant trees that generally do not 10 meters in height. Tree and shrub species shed their leaves during dry season to reduce water loss.

Savannas are characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons. Temperatures are hot all year long. Savannas support the richest diversity of grazing mammals in the world. They have many types of plants and animals. Fire is an important abiotic factor.

Savanna vegetation is typical composed of a mixture of grass and trees.

Giraffes are a common grazer on the African savanna. Savannas are also home to a number of predator species who prey on grazing animals.

Prairie is temperate grassland

Natural grassland ecosystems are dominated by various species of grass.

The dominant animals are grazing and burrowing types. Grazing and periodic fires keep shrublands and trees from encroaching on the fringes of many grasslands.

Prairie is a temperate grassland.

Marked by seasonal drought and fires, and grazing by large animals. Rich habitat for agriculture, very little prairie exists in US today

Common in organic rich and black chernozemic soil, so most grassland ecosystems have been modified by humans to grow grain and other dryland crops.

Chernozems are among the richest in nutrients and consequently the most fertile in the world.

Chaparral

Dense, spiny, evergreen shrubs, mild rainy winters; long, hot, dry summers. Periodic fires, some plants require fire for seeds to germinate.

This biome is sometimes also called Mediterranean Scrubland or sclerophyll forest.

The Desert: Land of Little Rain

Desert habitat devoid of vegetation.

Plants are drought-tolerant (capable to survive without

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