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DIFFERENT BIOMES

The document provides an overview of various natural environments, including rainforests, deserts, grasslands, tundra, and aquatic ecosystems, detailing their geographical extents, vegetation, and wildlife. It highlights the specific latitudinal ranges for each biome and the adaptations of both plants and animals to their respective climates. Major countries associated with each environment are also mentioned, illustrating the global distribution of these ecosystems.

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Manan Sai
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
7 views9 pages

DIFFERENT BIOMES

The document provides an overview of various natural environments, including rainforests, deserts, grasslands, tundra, and aquatic ecosystems, detailing their geographical extents, vegetation, and wildlife. It highlights the specific latitudinal ranges for each biome and the adaptations of both plants and animals to their respective climates. Major countries associated with each environment are also mentioned, illustrating the global distribution of these ecosystems.

Uploaded by

Manan Sai
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PRIOR KNOWLEDGE TASK

Brief Description of Geographical/Latitudinal Vegetation and Wildlife


the natural extent of the Natural
environment Environment as per the
important latitudes
(include major countries
that fall in this
geographical extent)

Rainforests Rainforests are a → Rainforests are found Vegetation:


unique natural mainly near the latitude
environment in that between 10° north and → Due to the differing amounts of
they only cover a south of the Equator. sunlight received by vegetation in the
fraction of the They are a subset of the rainforest, the plants and trees grow in
Earth’s surface - tropical forest biome that distinct layers, with those that receive
about 6 percent - occurs roughly within the the most growing the tallest and those
and are home to 28° latitudes. This means receiving the least remaining at a
over half the species that they are in the lower level.
of plants and animals tropical zone.
in the world. Their → The forest floor is dark and gloomy.
location close to the → The geographical It has very little vegetation between
equator ensures a extent of rainforests are the trees and is susceptible to flooding
warm and humid between 23.5°N (Tropic during periods of extreme rain due to
climate with plenty of Cancer) and 23.5°S the lack of plants to absorb the water
of rainfall, which (Tropic of Capricorn). and protect the ground. The plants and
means that shrubs that do grow in the lower layers
vegetation grows in → The major countries have had to adapt over time to the
abundance. that fall under this limited light they receive. The under
geographical extent are canopy also has limited sunlight and is
Central and South where woody climbers called
America, central and lianas are found. These have adapted
western Africa, western by growing up the
India, Southeast Asia, trunks of the trees to reach the
New Guinea, and sunlight they depend upon for
Australia. survival. The canopy is where the
crowns of the majority of
trees are found and this leafy
environment is home to insects,
birds and some mammals. The
emergent layer experiences
the most sunlight and is home to the
tops of the tallest trees.
These trees have straight tree trunks
and their lower parts.

Wildlife:

Rainforests boast a huge variety of


wildlife thanks to the near constant
supply of water and the diversity of
foods for the animals. In addition to
large animals such as gorillas, jaguars
and tigers, small animals including
monkeys, birds, snakes, rodents, frogs
and lizards are common in the
tropical rainforest. Many never set foot
on the ground, favouring the tall trees
and under canopy to provide shelter,
hiding places from their predators and
a source of food.

→ The vast numbers of animals living


in the rainforest produces pressure for
food. Adaptation is a way of
overcoming this problem, and one of
the most common adaptations is to
eat food that is eaten by no other
animal. The toucan, for example, has a
long bill that allows it to reach fruit on
high branches that are too small and
weak to support their body weight.
The bill is also sharp enough to cut
fruit from the trees.

Deserts Deserts are biomes → Deserts cover more Vegetation in hot deserts:
that receive very than one-fifth of the
limited amounts of Earth's land area and are → The vegetation that grows in hot
precipitation each located on every desert areas has adapted to be able to
year. To be classed as continent. Most hot cope with the extremes in rainfall and
a desert area, less deserts are found near temperature, which may reach 50°C
than 250mm of rain the Tropics of Cancer and during the day and may fall to below
or other Capricorn, between 0°C at night. The cactus is a good
precipitation must 15-30° north and south of example of a plant that has adapted to
fall annually. Deserts the Equator. its environment.
are not always the
hot and sandy areas → China has the highest
we imagine them to number of deserts (13),
be; there are also followed by Pakistan (11)
cold deserts. and Kazakhstan (10).
Antarctica, the Other countries in Asia
coldest, driest that have deserts include
continent of all, is in Afghanistan, Bahrain,
fact the world’s Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Iraq,
largest desert, Jordan, the United Arab
stretching over Emirates, Syria, and
14,000,000km2. Oman.
Whether deserts are
hot or cold, their Desert Wildlife:
extreme conditions
create challenges in → Many desert animals are nocturnal,
supporting only coming out in the cooler night to
vegetation and hunt and eat, and many spend most of
wildlife. their time underground in burrows
where it is a lot cooler. Due to the lack
of available prey to hunt, most animals
in the desert are herbivores, which
means that they eat desert plants and
seeds. Some animals get all of the
water they need from the
insects, bulbs and seeds they eat and
do not need to drink water even when
it is available; for others, the morning
dew is enough to maintain their water
intake. As well as these adaptations,
there are some specific ways in which
their bodies have adapted too.

→ In addition to the camel, there are


many other forms of desert wildlife
that have adapted to the harsh
conditions that they face. Although
these creatures may look vastly
different from one another, they tend
to all share the following
characteristics: they are usually light in
colour, can often provide their own
shade and can conserve water.

Grasslands Grassland areas, → Grasslands are Vegetation:


sometimes known as generally open and
tropical savanna continuous, fairly flat → Grasslands are often viewed as
grasslands, are areas of grass. They are transitional zones between tropical
different from desert often located between rainforests and deserts, with
and rainforest temperate forests at high vegetation varying according to the
regions in that they latitudes and deserts at distance between the two distinct
have a distinct wet subtropical latitudes. The zones. Savanna vegetation includes
and dry season. biome is dominated by scrub, grasses and occasional trees,
These areas run in a grass and/or shrubs which grow near water holes or
band along the located in semi-arid to seasonal rivers. Due to the distinct wet
equator between the semi-humid climate and dry seasons experienced in the
Tropics of Capricorn regions of subtropical and grassland regions, the vegetation
and Cancer, between tropical latitudes. Tropical varies depending on the time of the
tropical rainforests grasslands are mainly year.
and desert regions. found between 5 degrees
They cover much of and 20 degrees in both The Wet Season:
Africa as well as large North and south of the
areas of Australia, Equator. → During the wet season, the
South America and vegetation does all of its growing and
India. → There are at least 57 storing of water. Lush green grasses
or more countries with thrive due to the hot and wet
identified grasslands, conditions and quickly reach heights of
including Argentina, 3–4 metres before flowering and
Australia, Brazil, producing new seeds. Wooded areas
Botswana, Chile, China, emerge and the baobab tree (Figure
Costa Rica, Ethiopia, 5.14) with its thick trunk stores water
Ghana, India, Iraq, Kenya, for the dry season. Acacia trees (Figure
Kazakhstan, Mali, Mexico, 5.15) flourish and their wide, flat
Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, foliage provides shelter and shade for
Pakistan, Peru, Paraguay, wildlife.
Russia, Sudan, Tanzania,
Ukraine, United Kingdom, The Dry Season:
United States and etc.
→ As there is very little rain in the dry
season (which lasts for approximately
five months, depending on the exact
location of the grasslands), vegetation
has to adapt. Many plants are
xerophytic (drought resistant),
including the acacia tree, which has
small, waxy leaves and thorns to
reduce transpiration. Most vegetation
has long roots to reach down to the
water table and sustain itself when no
water is available. The lush grasses of
the wet season turn yellow, eventually
becoming straw-like before withering
and dying.

Wildlife:

→ The plentiful food that springs into


life in the wet season draws and
supports huge herds of grazing animals
as water holes appear and vegetation
thrives, but animals may migrate great
distances in search of food and water
during the dry seasons. The grassland
regions support both herbivores and
carnivores, with tropical grassland
animals including lions, leopards,
cheetahs, jackals, wild dogs and
hyenas. The Serengeti plains of
Tanzania are one of the best known of
the African grassland regions and are
rich in wildlife including giraffes,
zebras, elephants, lions and over 2
million wildebeest. Many of the
animals found on the Serengeti can be
found nowhere else in the world and
while this is a unique and attractive
feature of the area, it has also meant
that human choices have led to
environmental change which may
make life unsustainable here.

Tundra Tundra are the Arctic → The tundra climate Vegetation Adaptations:
areas of Europe, Asia region geographically
and North America located between 60° and → All plants need sunlight and warmth
(see Figure 5.3). They 75° of latitude, mostly in order to thrive and the tundra
experience very little along the Arctic coast of vegetation is no exception to this,
precipitation, North America and despite the extreme cold and long dark
temperatures remain Eurasia and on the winters of the tundra.
below 0 °C for most coastal margins of
of the year and the Greenland. In such areas, → Vegetation in the tundra has
soil is frozen almost winters are long and cold adapted to tolerate the cold by
all year round. especially in the region remaining close to the ground to
Tundra areas are north of the Arctic Circle. protect itself from frequent high winds
often at first glance and by growing close together in
thought to be barren → Tundra form in two clusters for protection and shelter.
and desolate distinct cold and dry Their low height means that in winter
environments due to regions. Arctic tundra are months the plants are often covered
the fact that they are found on high-latitude under a layer of snow, which serves as
covered in ice and landmasses, above the insulation and further protection. They
snow for much of the Arctic Circle—in Alaska, have adapted to be able to
year. However, while Canada, Russia, photosynthesize in cold temperatures
they are treeless and Greenland, Iceland, and where there is limited sunlight, many
flat, they are home Scandinavia, for of them having small, dark leaves
to a range of example—or on far which conserve moisture by reducing
vegetation and southern regions, like transpiration and absorbing what heat
wildlife which have Antarctica. the sun does bring.
adapted to survive in
the extreme → Cottongrass is an example of a plant
conditions. that is well adapted to the tundra
environment. It has a short growing
season and life cycle, seeds that
scatter in the wind and a dense flower
head to reduce heat loss. Its roots are
also shallow so that they do not need
to penetrate the frozen soil. Other
tundra vegetation includes mosses,
lichens and lowgrowing shrubs and
grasses.

Wildlife:

→ As with the wildlife in the other


natural environments you have
explored, the wildlife of the tundra has
a range of physical and behavioural
adaptations which support survival in
the extreme conditions. One of the
most common behavioural adaptations
is migration – most birds and
mammals use the tundra as a summer
home when the days are long and the
sun shines 24 hours a day. Hibernation
is a combination of physical and
behavioural adaptation, with many
animals, such as the brown bear,
consuming as much food as possible
during the six to ten weeks of summer
and then sleeping for the majority of
the cold, winter months. The food
consumed during the summer forms a
layer of fat under the fur and this fat is
converted to energy which keeps the
bear alive while in deep hibernation.
The snowshoe hare also changes
between summer and winter – in the
winter its fur is white for camouflage
and in the summer it turns a reddish
brown to match the landscape that is
revealed as the snow melts. Polar
bears are also well camouflaged during
the winter with their thick white fur
which covers layers of fat, both of
which act as insulation against the
cold. Their coats are also greasy, so
after they have been hunting for food
in the water they shed the water easily
and therefore their fur does not freeze
in the low temperatures. Many
animals, including the polar bear, are
rounded in shape with their limbs
close to the ground, which provides a
small surface area to volume ratio and
further serves to minimize heat loss.

Aquatic Aquatic → Fresh water makes up Freshwater Environments


Environmen environments are less than 3% of the
ts - water-based natural world's water resources, → Freshwater natural environments
Freshwater, environments and and just 1% of that is can be categorized into three groups:
Wetlands can be categorized readily available. About lakes and ponds, streams and rivers,
and Marine into freshwater and 70% of the world's and wetlands. They cover
marine areas. The freshwater reserves are approximately 20 per cent of the Earth
freshwater biome is frozen in Antarctica. Just and are found in various locations all
defined as having a 3% of it is extracted for over the world. It is difficult to discuss
low salt content human consumption. freshwater environments in general
whereas the marine terms as they are all unique,
biome is → The total area under containing a range of animal and plant
predominantly wetlands in India is species, and various amounts of water,
saltwater like the estimated to be around and experiencing different climates.
ocean. 153391.93 km2. This
accounts for 4.7% of the Lakes and Ponds:
total geographical area of
the country. → Although found all around the
world and essential for many species,
→ The Global Ocean including humans, lakes and ponds
you would have a total make up just 3 per cent of the Earth’s
area of the ocean of surface area. Ponds and lakes vary in
about 361,000,000 km² size from just a few square metres to
(which is ~71% of the thousands of square kilometres, with
Earth's surface), a total Lake Superior in North America being
volume of roughly the largest freshwater lake by area.
1,370,000,000 km³, and
an average depth of → The species found in ponds and
3,790 m. lakes are usually of limited diversity
due to the fact that these bodies of
→ Countries like Brazil, water are usually isolated. Ponds are
Canada, and Russia are lakes are, however, divided into
rich in freshwater different zones, each having its own
resources, including distinct biodiversity.
rivers, lakes, and
reservoirs. Brazil hosts Streams and Rivers:
the Amazon River, Canada
has 20% of the world’s → In contrast to lakes and ponds,
freshwater in the Great streams and rivers are bodies of
Lakes, and Russia is home flowing water moving in one direction
to Lake Baikal, the world’s – travelling from the source to the
deepest freshwater lake. mouth. The source of the river is found
in higher ground and the mouth is
→ Major wetland regions where the river or stream meets a
exist in Brazil, Canada, larger body of water that it discharges
and India, where into. The characteristics of a river or
ecosystems like the stream change during its journey from
Pantanal (Brazil), Hudson the source to the mouth, with the
Bay Lowlands (Canada), most dramatic changes being noted in
and Sundarbans longer rivers.
mangroves (India) thrive.
These wetlands support → In contrast to lakes and ponds,
diverse biodiversity and streams and rivers are bodies of
play a key role in carbon flowing water moving in one direction
storage and water – travelling from the source to the
filtration. mouth. The source of the river is found
in higher ground and the mouth is
→ Countries like where the river or stream meets a
Australia, USA, and larger body of water that it discharges
Indonesia dominate into. The characteristics of a river or
marine environments. stream change during its journey from
Australia boasts the Great the source to the mouth, with the
Barrier Reef, the USA has most dramatic changes being noted in
vast coastlines along the longer rivers.
Atlantic and Pacific, and
Indonesia spans a vast → When the river nears the end of its
archipelago with some of journey and moves from its middle to
the richest marine lower course the water becomes
biodiversity on Earth. murky from all the sediments that it
has picked up upstream. This
decreases the amount of light that can
penetrate the water and therefore
there is less diversity of plant life. This
in turn produces lower oxygen levels,
which means that the river can only
support fish that require less oxygen.
As with the plants found near rivers,
the wildlife also differs depending on
the river’s location in the world but, in
addition to fish, may include snails,
crabs, snakes, crocodiles, otters and
beavers.

Wetlands:

→ Wetlands include bogs, swamps and


marshes, and differ from both rivers
and streams and ponds and lakes in
that they are made up from a
combination of water and land. They
are lands that are saturated with
water; the land may be submerged all
year round or just at certain times.
Wetlands are often found near other
bodies of water, such as lakes and
rivers, and can be instrumental in
preventing flooding as they provide an
overflow area. Wetlands also help to
purify and filter water of excess
nutrients and dangerous pollutants
that may be present in rain and storm
water run-off. This takes place before
the water reaches the sea, which is
vital for marine life and fishermen.
Wetlands do this by acting as giant
sieves – many of the impurities are
trapped as the water works its ways
slowly through the wetland soil and
vegetation.

→ The wetlands rival rainforests in


terms of their biodiversity, supporting
a huge variety of plants and animals as
their conditions make them ideal for
amphibians, birds and reptiles. The
largest predators are alligators and
crocodiles with other animals including
beavers, minks, raccoons and deer.
Wetland vegetation has adapted to the
moist and humid conditions and is able
to grow entirely underwater, float on
the top or grow with only its roots in
the water. This versatility adds to the
biodiversity of plants that the wetlands
can support. Vegetation that thrives in
wetland areas includes water lilies,
cypress trees and mangroves.

Marine Environments

→ Marine environments are made up


of oceans (which cover approximately
two-thirds of the Earth’s surface),
estuaries, salt marshes, coral reefs and
coastal areas such as lagoons. They are
home to fish, aquatic plants, seabirds
and smaller, but no less important,
organisms such as krill and plankton.
The biodiversity in oceans varies, as
with freshwater lakes, from closer to
the surface to the vast depths of the
ocean floor.

→ The ocean is generally divided into


four major ocean basins: the Atlantic,
Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans.
Despite their differing locations, they
are all believed to be similar below the
first 200 metres or so as it is too dark,
cold and murky for much life to exist
and any that does is the same from
ocean to ocean and place to place.
However, in the areas where the
sunlight is able to reach, the
characteristics vary greatly.

→ The salt content of oceans can vary


greatly, depending largely on the
amount of freshwater that it receives
and the rate of evaporation that is
occurring. Oceans tend to experience
higher levels of salinity in hotter,
sunnier climes as when water
evaporates it leaves behind salts and
other minerals. Ocean temperature
varies with proximity to the equator
and poles with temperatures being as
high as 27 °C near the equator and as
low as –2 °C near the poles.

→ Biodiversity of marine
environments is highest in areas that
support coral reefs. These are found in
tropical oceans near the equator and
between the tropics of Capricorn and
Cancer with the largest, and arguably
most famous, being the Great Barrier
Reef located off the Australian coast.

→ Coral are a type of invertebrate


animal. An individual coral is known as
a polyp and these are small organisms
which are formed primarily of a
stomach with a tentacle-bearing
mouth on top. They survive by
extending their tentacles at night to
sting and then eat even smaller
organisms such as plankton. Coral live
together in huge groups to form
colonies and it is their hard skeletons
that form coral reefs when they die –
they gradually build up over long
periods of time and form homes for
many other species such as fish, other
invertebrates and algae. Reefs occur
only in shallow areas that are reached
by sunlight as they depend on algae,
which needs the sunlight for
photosynthesis. Many people confuse
coral with plants as they stay in one
place and rely on the sun for some of
their energy.

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