Desert
evaporation exceeds precipitation
Tropical deserts
hot and dry most of the year. They have few plants and a hard, windblown surface strewn with rocks and some sand. They are the deserts we often see in movies.
Temperate deserts
Daytime temperatures are high in summer and low in winter and there is more precipitation than in tropical deserts.
Cold deserts
winters are cold, summer are warm or hot. and precipitation is low
Grasslands or prairies
occur mostly in interiors of continents in areas too moist for deserts and too dry for forests
Types of grasslands
temperate, tropical, and polar
Tropical grasslands: Savannas
tropical grassland dotted with widely scattered clumps of trees. Has warm temperatures year round and alternating dry and wet seasons. Tropical savanna is the birthplace of humankind.
Deserts: animals
Animals live by two rules: Beat the heat, and every drop counts.
Animals survive by hiding under rocks to maintain a cool temperature, have thick furs to avoid water loss through evaporation
their wastes are dry and concentrated (urine)
They get their wat
Temperate grasslands: Fertile soil
winters are bitterly cold, summers are hot and dry, and annual precipitation is fairly sparse and falls unevenly through the year.
Temperate grasslands: plants
The natural grasses have adapted to where fires ignited by lightening can be burned above ground, but the roots remain undisturbed where new life can form.
Temperate grasslands: plant species
short grass prairies and tall grass prairies.
Polar grasslands: Arctic Tundra
lie sound of the arctic polar ice cap. During most of the year, these treeless plants are bitterly cold, swept by frigid winds, and covered with ice and snow. Winters are long and dark, and the scant precipitation falls mostly as snow.
Polar grasslands: Plants/survival
Under the snow, this biome is carpeted with a thick, spongy mat of low growing plants, primarily grasses, mosses, lichens, and dwarf shrubs.
permafrost
underground soils in which captured water stays frozen for more than 2 consecutive years. During the winters, the surface soil also freezes. During the summers, the frozen water gets melted into shallow lakes, marhses, and boggs, where hordes of mosquitoe
Temperate shrublands/chaparral
Closeness to the sea provides a slightly longer winter rainy season than early temperate desert have and fogs during the spring and fall reduce evaporation. Long warm and dry summers
Chaparral: plants
consists mostly of dense growths of low-growing evergreen shrubs and occasional small trees with leathery leaves that reduce evaporation. Soil is thin and not very fertile. Many of these plants store water in their fire resistant roots and have seeds that
Tropical Rain forests
Found near the equator, where hot, moisture-laden air rises and drops its moisture. year round warm temp, high humidity, and heavy rainfall almost daily. HUGE plant diversity.
Tropical rain forests: plants
Huge trees with shallow roots and wide bases. A dense canopy blocks sunlight from illuminating the forest floor. Many of the plants have broad leaves to catch what little sunlight is exposed on the forest floor. Low wind=little pollination happening=the p
Temperate deciduous forests: Changing with the seasons
Grow in areas with moderate average temperatures that change significantly with the season. Have long warm summers, cold but not too severe winters, and abundant precipitation, often spread fairly evenly throughout the year.
Temperate deciduous forests: plants
Dominated by a few species of broadleaf deciduous trees such as oak, hickory, and maple. The leaves change color before they drop. Higher plant diversity at the forest ground because of the lack of canopies.
Evergreen Coniferous forests: Cold winters, wet summers, and Conifers
Winters are long, dry and extremely cold. in the nothernmost taiga, sunlight is available only 6-8 hours a day. Summers are short, with cool to warm temp.
Temperate rain forests
most of the trees are evergreen because of the huge supply of water, these trees dont find the need to shed leaves. Tree trunks and the ground are often covered in moss and ferns. Cool and moist.
Mountains
Dramatic changes in altitude, climate, soil, and vegetation. Habitats for endemic species. Mountains help regulate the earth's climate. They also play a critical role in the hydrologic cycle by gradually releasing melting ice, snow, and water stored in th