Lesson 1: Biomes

In this lesson, you will learn about the characteristics of different biomes. Also, the marine
environment and freshwater ecosystem characteristics will be included in the discussions. At the end,
overall patterns of human disturbance of world biomes are presented.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
∙ Acquire high level of awareness about the environment and its significance. ∙ State the
characteristics of some major terrestrial biomes as well as the factors that determine their
distribution.

Discussion
Biomes
- General type of communities with similar climate conditions, growth patterns, and vegetation
types.

Source: (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2012)

Major World Biomes

Terrestrial Biomes
o Characteristics of biological communities vary with temperature, precipitation, and latitude. o
Hot, humid regions generally have greater biological productivity than cold or dry regions. o
Climate graphs are used to describe and compare precipitation and temperature in different
biomes.
o Temperature and precipitation are the most important determinants in biome distribution on
land.
 o If the general temperature range and precipitation level is known, the kind of biological
community likely to occur there can be predicted in the absence of human disturbance. o
Vertical zonation occurs as vegetation type change rapidly from warm and dry to cold and wet as
you go up a mountain.

Source: (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2012)

o According to average annual temperature and precipitation, shown in figure the biomes
that most likely to occur in the absence of human disturbance or other disruptions.
Note: This diagram does not consider soil type, topography, wind speed, or other
important environmental factors. Still, it is a useful general guideline for biome location.
Tropical Moist Forests
Kinds of Moist Tropical Forests

⮚ Cloud Forests – are found high in the mountains where fog and mist keep vegetation
wet all the time.
⮚ Tropical rainforests – occur where rainfall is abundant – more than 200 cm (80 in)
per year – and temperatures are warm to hot year-round.

The soil of these tropical moist forest types tends to be old, thin, acidic, and nutrient-poor, yet
an enormous number of species can be present. For example, it has been estimated that there are
millions of insect species in the canopy of tropical rain-forests. And it is believed that one-half to two
thirds of all species of terrestrial plants and insects live in tropical forests.
 Source: (Giles)

Cloud Forest
Tropical montane cloud forest at about 2000 meters elevation near Tandayapa, in
Pichincha Province, Ecuador, in mid-March (Giles).

Source: (Francis, 2019)

Tropical Rainforest
Tropical rainforests are located along the equator of continents such as South America,
Africa, Asia and Australia.
Many can also be found in Sumatra and New Guinea. The best-known tropical rainforests are: The
Amazon (Brazil), El Yunque (Puerto Rico), The Congo (Africa). Tropical rainforests are usually located
on the eastern coastline with warmer ocean currents, ranging between 20 and 35 degrees of latitude,
but extending only about 15 degrees equatorward and 40 degrees poleward (Francis, 2019).
Tropical Seasonal Forests
- Drought-tolerant forests that look brown and dormant in the dry season but burst into vivid
green during rainy months.
- Often called Dry Tropical Forests because they are dry much of the year; however, there must
be some periodic rain to support tree growth.
- Many of the trees and shrubs in a seasonal forest are drought-deciduous: they lose their leaves
and cease growing when no water is available.
- Seasonal forests are often open woodlands that grade into savannas.

Source: (cyanophycean314, 2013)

Tropical Seasonal Forests

Tropical Savannas and Grasslands
- Grasslands - also known as prairies or steppes; receive between 25 and 75 cm of rain per
year.
- Savannas - extensive grasslands w/ occasional or patches of trees; typically, tropical w/ 50-150
cm of rain per year.
- Like tropical seasonal forests, most tropical savannas and grasslands have a rainy season, but
generally the rains are less abundant or less dependable than in a forest.
- During dry seasons, fires can sweep across grassland, killing off young trees and keeping the
landscape open.
- Savannas and grassland plants have many adaptations to survive drought, heat, and fires. -
Grazing pressure from domestic livestock is an important threat to both the plants and the
animals of tropical grasslands and savannas.
 Source: (Savanna Worldlife)

Savanna

Source: (Kerlin, 2018)

Grassland
Desert
- Occur where precipitation is rare and unpredictable, usually with less than 30 cm of rain per
year.
- Their vegetation is sparse, but it can be surprisingly diverse, and most desert plants and animals
are highly adapted to survive long droughts and extreme heat, and many can survive extreme
cold.
- Desert is more vulnerable, sparse, slow-growing vegetation is quickly damaged by off-road
vehicles.
- Desert soils recover slowly.
- Desert is also vulnerable to overgrazing.
- In Africa’s vast Sahel (southern edge of the Sahara Desert), livestock are destroying much of
the plant cover. Bare, dry soil becomes drifting sand, and restabilization is extremely difficult.
 Source: (Rosenberg,2019)

Desert
Temperate Grasslands
- As in tropical latitudes, temperate (mid-latitude) grasslands occur where there is enough rain to
support abundant grass but not enough for forests.
- Most grassland is a complex, diverse mix of grasses and flowering herbaceous plants,
generally known as forbs.
- Deep roots help plants in temperate grasslands and savannas survive drought, fire, and extreme
heat and cold. These roots, together with an annual winter accumulation of dead leaves on
the surface, produce thick, organic-rich soils in temperate grasslands.

Source: (Savedge,2017)

Temperate Grassland
Temperate Shrublands
- Evergreen shrubs with small, leathery, sclerophyllous (hard, waxy) leaves form dense thickets. -
Scrub oaks, drought-resistant pines, or other small trees often cluster in sheltered valleys.
Periodic fires burn fiercely in this fuel-rich plant assemblage and are a major factor in plant
succession.
 - In California, this landscape is called chaparral, Spanish for “thicket”.
- These areas are inhabited by drought-tolerant animals such as jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, mule
deer, chipmunks, lizards, and many bird species.
- Very similar landscapes are found along the Mediterranean coast as well as southwestern
Australia, central Chile, and South Africa.

Source: (Creative Commons Zero (CC0))

Chaparral
Temperate Forests
Deciduous Forests
- Broadleaf forests occur throughout the world where rainfall is plentiful.
- In mid latitudes, these forests are deciduous and lose their leaves in winter.
- At lower latitudes, broadleaf forests may be evergreen or drought-
deciduous. - Can re-grow quickly because they occupy moist, moderate
climates.

Source: (Chavasse,2019)

Temperate Grassland
 Temperate deciduous forests are located primarily in the eastern half of the United States,
Canada, Europe, parts of Russia, Chile and Japan. This biome is in the mild zone of the Northern
hemisphere (Mbgnet.net, 2019)
Coniferous Forests
- Grow in a wide range of temperature and moisture conditions.
- Often they occur where moisture is limited: in cold climates, moisture is unavailable (frozen)
in winter; hot climates may have seasonal drought; sandy soils hold little moisture, and
they are often occupied by conifers.
- Provide most wood products in North America.
- Coniferous forests of the Pacific coast grow in extremely wet conditions. The wettest
coastal forests are known as temperate rainforest, a cool, rainy forest often enshrouded in
fog.

Source: (Jordan,2019)
Coniferous Forest
The Coniferous Forest is the largest terrestrial biome, found in the northern parts of Europe,
North America and Asia.
Tundra
- A treeless landscape that occurs at high latitudes or on mountaintops, has a growing season of
only two or three months, and it may have frost any month of the year.
- A variant of grasslands because it has no trees
- Very cold desert because water is unavailable (frozen) most of the year.
Arctic Tundra
- An expansive biome that has low productivity because it has a short growing season. During
midsummer, 24-hour sunshine supports a burst of plant growth and an explosion of insect
life.
 Source: (Bailey, 2018)

Arctic Tundra
Alpine Tundra
- Occurring on a near mountain top, has environmental conditions and vegetation similar to arctic
tundra. These areas have a short, intense growing season. Many alpine tundra plants also
have deep pigmentation and leathery leaves to protect against the strong ultraviolet light in the
thin mountain atmosphere.

Source: (Rinkesh)

Alpine Tundra
Marine Ecosystem
- Vary mainly with depth, temperature, and salinity.
- Coral reefs and estuaries are among the world’s most productive and diverse ecosystem. -
Vertical stratification is a key feature of aquatic ecosystems, mainly because light decreases
rapidly with depth, and communities below the photic zone (light zone, often reaching about 20
m deep) must rely on energy sources other than photosynthesis to persist. Temperature also
decreases with depth.
 - Deep ocean species often grow slowly in part because metabolism is reduced in cold
conditions.
- Temperature also affects the amount of oxygen and other elements that can be absorbed in
water.
- Phytoplankton are microscopic floating algae that carry on photosynthesis in pelagic
ecosystem - Zooplanktons are small, weakly swimming animals that feed on phytoplankton.

Coral Reefs – are among the best-known marine ecosystems because of their extraordinary
biological productivity and their diverse and beautiful organisms.

Source: (Madaan)

Coral Reefs
Mangroves – are trees that grow in salt water. They occur along calm, shallow, tropical
coastlines around the world. Mangrove forests or swamps help stabilize shorelines, and they
are also critical nurseries for fish, shrimp, and other commercial species.

Source: (Larsen)

Mangrove
 Estuaries – are bays where rivers empty into the sea, mixing fresh water with
saltwater.

Source: (Wilke, 2020)

Estuary
Salt marshes – shallow wetlands flooded regularly or occasionally with seawater, occur on shallow
coastlines, including estuaries.

Source: (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica)

Salt Marsh
Tide Pools – are depressions in a rocky shoreline that are flooded at high tide but retain some water
at low tide. These areas remain rocky where wave action prevents most plant growth or sediment
(mud) accumulation.
 Source: (Kennedy, 2020)

Tide Pool
Barrier Islands – are low, narrow, sandy islands that form to parallel to a coastline. They occur
where the continental shelf is shallow and rivers or coastal currents provide a steady source of
sediments.

Source: (Peak Aerials, 2014)

Barrier Islands
Freshwater Ecosystems
∙ Vary according to depth and light penetration, which control size and types of
vegetation. ∙ Often small but they are disproportionately important in biodiversity
Freshwater Lakes
- Like marine environments, have distinct vertical zones.
 Vertical Zones
∙ Benthos – the bottom, occupied by a variety of snails, burrowing worms, fish and other
organisms.
∙ Epilimnion – a warmer upper layer that is mixed by wind and warmed by the
sun. ∙ Hypolimnion – below the epilimnion. A colder, deeper layer that is not
mixed. ∙ Thermocline – Sharp temperature boundary.
∙ Mesolimnion – below thermocline, the water is much colder.

Source: (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2012)

Vertical Zones

Source: (Pesterev, 2018)

Freshwater Lake
National Park Banff, Banff, Canada
Wetlands
- Shallow ecosystems in which the land surface is saturated or submerged at least part of the
year.
- Have vegetation that is adapted to grow under saturated conditions.
Swamps
- Also known as wooded wetlands
- Wetlands with trees.
Marshes
- Wetlands without trees.
Bogs
- Areas of saturated ground, and usually the ground are composed of deep layers of
accumulated, undecayed vegetation known as peat.
Fens
- Similar to bogs except that they are mainly fed by groundwater, so that they have mineral-rich
water and specially adapted plant species.
Human Disturbance
- Humans have become dominant organisms over most of the earth, damaging or disturbing
more than half of the world’s terrestrial ecosystems to some extent.
- By some estimates, humans preempt about 40 percent of the net terrestrial primary productivity
of the biosphere either by consuming it directly, by interfering with its production or use, or by
altering the species composition or physical processes of human-dominated ecosystems.
- Conversion of natural habitat to human uses is the largest single cause of biodiversity losses. -
Researchers from the environmental group Conservation International have attempted to map
the extent of human disturbance of the natural world. See below figure.

Source: (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2012)

Domesticated Lands
- The greatest impacts have been in Europe, parts of Asia, North and Central America, and
islands such as Madagascar, New Zealand, Java, Sumatra, and those in the Caribbean.