Biomes

A biome is a large region of Earth that has a certain climate and certain types of
living things. The plants and animals of each biome have traits that help them to survive
in their particular biome. Plants and animals that live within smaller areas of a biome also
depend on each other for survival. These smaller areas are called ecosystems. Each
biome has many ecosystems.
Biomes are grouped into;
a. Freshwater
b. Marine
c. Desert
d. Forest
e. Grassland
f. Tundra

a. Freshwater
Freshwater is defined as having a low salt concentration — usually less than 1%.
Plants and animals in freshwater regions are adjusted to the low salt content and would
not be able to survive in areas of high salt concentration (i.e., ocean). There are different
types of freshwater regions:
1. Ponds and lakesn
2. Streams and rivers
3. Wetlands

1. Ponds and lakes

These regions range in sizes some are small and others are big. Many
ponds are seasonal, lasting just a couple of months (such as sessile pools) while
lakes may exist for hundreds of years or more. Ponds and lakes may have limited
species diversity since they are often isolated from one another and from other
water sources like rivers and oceans.
2. Streams and rivers
These are bodies of flowing water moving in one direction. Streams and
rivers can be found everywhere — they get their starts at headwaters, which may
be springs, snowmelt or even lakes, and then travel all the way to their mouths,
usually another water channel or the ocean. River is called a River because it is
larger, deeper, and longer than a stream, as for a stream it is much than a river not
as deep, some you can even walk across. Another difference is that a stream is a
small flowing water.
 3. Wetlands
Wetlands are areas of standing water that support aquatic plants. Marshes,
swamps, and bogs are all considered wetlands. Plant species adapted to the very
moist and humid conditions are called hydrophytes.

b. Marine
Marine regions cover about three-fourths of the Earth's surface and
include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. Marine algae supply much of the
world's oxygen supply and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon
dioxide. The evaporation of the seawater provides rainwater for the land.
There are different types of marine regions:
1. Oceans
2. Coral reefs
3. Estuaries

1. Oceans
 The largest of all the ecosystems, oceans are very large bodies of saline
water that dominate the Earth's surface. Oceans covers 71% percent of Earth’s
surface. There are five named ocean basins: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic,
and Antarctic. Our country- Philippines is located in the pacific ocean.

2. Coral reefs
Coral reefs are widely distributed in warm shallow waters. They can be
found as barriers along continents (e.g., the Great Barrier Reef off Australia) and
fringing islands. Naturally, the dominant organisms in coral reefs are corals. Corals
are interesting since they consist of both algae (zooanthellae) and tissues of
animal polyp.

3. Estuary
Estuaries are areas where freshwater streams or rivers merge with the
ocean (sea). This mixing of waters with such different salt concentrations creates
a very interesting and unique ecosystem.
C. Desert
Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface and occur where rainfall is less
than 50 cm/year. Soils often have abundant nutrients because they need only water to
become very productive and have little or no organic matter. Disturbances are common
in the form of occasional fires or cold weather, and sudden, infrequent, but intense rains
that cause flooding.
D. Forest
A forest is a large area dominated by trees. Hundreds of more precise definitions
of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree
height, land use, legal standing and ecological function. Forest are categorized into:
1. Tropical rainforest
2. Temperate deciduous forest
3. Boreal forest (Taiga)

1. Tropical rainforest
Tropical forests are characterized by the greatest diversity of species. They
occur near the equator. One of the major characteristics of tropical forests is their
distinct seasonality: winter is absent, and only two seasons are present (rainy and
dry). The length of daylight is 12 hours and varies little.

2. Temperate deciduous forest

Temperate forests occur in eastern North America, northeastern Asia, and
western and central Europe. Well-defined seasons with a distinct winter
characterize this forest biome. Moderate climate and a growing season of 140-200
days during 4-6 frost-free months distinguish temperate forests.

3. Boreal forest (Taiga)

Boreal forests, or taiga, represent the largest terrestial biome. Occurring
between 50 and 60 degrees north latitudes, boreal forests can be found in the
broad belt of Eurasia and North America: two-thirds in Siberia with the rest in
 Scandinavia, Alaska, and Canada. This forest characterized by the abundance of
pine trees.

E. Grassland
Grasslands are characterized as lands dominated by grasses rather
than large shrubs or trees. There are two main divisions of grasslands:
1. Tropical grasslands or savannas
2. Temperate grasslands

1. Tropical grasslands or savannas

Savanna is grassland with scattered individual trees. Savannas of one sort
or another cover almost half the surface of Africa (about five million square miles,
generally central Africa) and large areas of Australia, South America, and India.
Climate is the most important factor in creating a savanna.

2. Temperate grasslands
Temperate grasslands are characterized as having grasses as the
dominant vegetation. Trees and large shrubs are absent. Temperatures vary more
from summer to winter, and the amount of rainfall is less in temperate grasslands
than in savannas.
F. Tundra

Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. t is noted for its frost-molded
landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients,
and short growing seasons. Dead organic material functions as a nutrient
pool. There are two main divisions of tundra;
1. Arctic tundra
2. Alpine tundra

1. Arctic tundra
Arctic tundra is located in the northern hemisphere, encircling the north pole
and extending south to the coniferous forests of the taiga. A layer of permanently
frozen subsoil called permafrost exists, consisting mostly of gravel and finer
material.
2. Alpine tundra
Alpine tundra is located on mountains throughout the world at high altitude
where trees cannot grow. The nighttime temperature is usually below freezing.
Unlike the arctic tundra, the soil in the alpine is well drained.