Biomes

A biome is a large natural area where certain types of plants grow. It also includes the animals that feed on the plants. Soil, water, rocks and climate help determine the types of plants that grow in a biome. The earth has more than 30 kinds of biomes.

Biomes blend into one another. Some animals migrate from one biome to another when seasons change.

The plants and animals in a biome depend on one another for survival. Plants provide food and shelter for animals. Animals help spread the seeds of plants.

The plants and animals that live in a biome depend on its climate. Climate is the weather that an area has had over a long period of time. Rain, snow, temperature, wind and sunlight are all parts of climate. The location of a biome also affects its climate.

Forest Biomes:

1. Boreal Forests or Taiga: are located in northern areas of the world and near the tops of high mountains. They have long, dry, cold winters and short, warm summers. In winter, thick, snow covers the ground. It acts as a blanket and prevents the ground from freezing.  Conifers or evergreens as well as bushes, shrubs, ferns and mosses grown in boreal forests. Carnivores, including weasels, mink, wolves, wolverines, owls, and hawks hunt in the taiga. Deer, bear, and squirrels live in taiga all year around, while caribou live there in the winter.

2. Temperate forests: have warm, wet summers and cool winters. Temperate rainforests receive a high rainfall. Conifers, broad-leaved trees, ferns, bushes and flowers all grow in the temperate rainforest. Deciduous forest have trees with broad lives. These trees do not make food during winter because there is not enough rain or sunshine. Their leaves turn color in the fall. Temperate forests are full of animals: birds, squirrels, rabbits, fox, frogs, and snakes.

3. Tropical rainforest: found near the equator where there is little change in the weather throughout the year. In the top layer of the rainforest, the canopy, birds, bats, squirrels and monkeys live. The middle layer of small trees and vines is where snakes, ocelots, tree frogs, and birds live. Tapirs, jaguars and snakes live on the forest floor.

Shrub and Scrublands:

Shrub and scrubland biomes are found in dry, temperate area. They have mild winters and very hot summers. Dry weather and lightening storms sometimes cause flash floods during the summer. Flash fires start and spread quickly. They make room for new plants to grow by burning the large, older plants. The heat of the fire causes seed shells to crack. After the fire, the seeds sprout and grow into new plants. The main plants are low-growing woody plants with evergreen leaves. These plants have a tough skin that holds in moisture and thorns that protect the plants from grazing animals. Many plants have long roots that enable them to find water underground. Some suck water from the stems of other plants.

Deserts:

Deserts are biomes that receive little rainfall (less than 25 cm a year). There are hot and cold deserts. Some deserts are huge areas of sand where plants cannot grow. Others are bare patches of rock. Most of the plants in this biome are succulents. They have thick, waxy skin and needles for holding in water. Kangaroo rats, rattlesnakes, peccary, camels, jackrabbits, prairie dogs, and reptiles have all adapted so that do not lose or use much water.

Grasslands:

Grassland biomes are covered with grass, shrubs, and a few trees. Most type of trees cannot grow in grassland biomes because there is not enough rain. Prairies, plains and meadows are temperate biomes that receive between 25-50 cm of rain each year. Natural fires that occur in grasslands kill trees but they do not kill the grass. Some animals in the meadow and prairie biomes include bison, hawks, ground squirrels, grouse, mice and snakes.

The savannah is a tropical grassland. It is hot and dry for more than half the year. During the dry season, the grass turns brown and dies. Sometimes fire burns the grass. When it rains, its deep roots sprout again and the grass grows tall. Some of the largest animals in the world live in the savannah. Herbivores such as elephants, giraffes, and wildebeest feed on grasses, small shrubs, and trees. They travel from one area to another in search of new plants to eat. Savannah predators include lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas. 

Kangaroos live in the grassland animals in Australia and New Zealand.

Arctic Tundra:

The land just below the northern ice cap is called the arctic tundra. This biome is a cold desert - very little snow or rain fall there. During part of the winter, the sun never rises, and during part of the summer, it never sets.

Only small, strong plants are able to survive. Larger trees such as trees cannot grow because the soil is frozen beneath the surface (permafrost). Arctic plants include lichens, mosses, sedges and some flowering plants. Hardy tundra plants grow close to the ground, where they find protection from cold winds.

Arctic animals have adapted to the cold tundra winters. Sea mammals like seals and walruses have thick layers of blubber to keep them warm. Land mammals have thick fur coats. Ground squirrels and lemmings hibernate. Many animals migrate to the tundra for the summer - like birds and caribou. Polar bears, arctic foxes, snowshoe hares, seals, ptarmigan, and musk oxen stay all year.

Wetlands:

Bogs, swamps, and marshes are wetland biomes. All wetland biomes have waterlogged soil. Bogs and swamps are flooded, but a marsh is wet only part of the year. Some wetlands are flooded with salty ocean water; others are covered with fresh water from rivers and lakes.

Wetland biomes are found all over the world. They are often near lakes and rivers, but they also develop in sunken areas of grassy plains. All wetlands are important wildlife areas. Millions of plants and animals make wetlands their full or part time homes.

Grasses, reeds, mosses, and evergreen trees grow in wetlands. Most of these plants grow only in certain climates but sedges grow in all wetlands. Wetlands are important biomes for many types of animal life. Millions of birds make temporary homes in the wetland to raise babies. Fish and shellfish that lay eggs hatch among the roots of plants. Snakes, alligators, raccoons, turtles, frogs, raccoons and salamanders can find plenty of food in the wetlands. 

Freshwater Biomes:

Freshwater biomes are filled with water that is not salty. There are two kinds of freshwater biomes. Rivers and streams have slow-moving or still water. Less wildlife grows in rivers and streams because it is washed away by the current of water. Some freshwater animals have adapted to living in rivers so they are not carried away by the current. Fish swim upstream, other creatures hold onto rocks using suckers or slime.

Underwater plants need to stay close to the water's surface so sunlight can reach them. Some freshwater plants, such as water lilies, grow flowers and leaves that float on the water's surface.

Ponds have still water. Many types of plants and animals live in ponds because they are not in danger of being swept away by a current. Insects, birds, turtles, frogs, and fish are some of the animals you can find in a pond.

Oceans:

The oceans and seas form the marine biome, the world's largest biome. It covers three-quarters of the earth and reaches from the far north to the south of the planet. Oceans are filled with salt water. Their climate stays the same all year round, so the creatures of the sea do not have to adapt to changing seasons.

Ocean water is filled with nutrients that plants need to stay alive. Most marine creatures depend on plants called algae as their main food. Very small types of algae are called phytoplankton which float through the water. Sea grasses and seaweed, called kelp, are other plants found in this biome. All types of creatures live in the oceans. Zooplankton are the tiniest animals which float through the water and feed on the phytoplankton. Nekton are animals that move around by swimming. Many types of nekton include fish, whales and rays. Some ocean animals like sponges and anemones are attached to one place all of their life. These animals grab or suck in their food as it passes by on the ocean current. Lobsters, crabs and other crustaceans live on the sea bottom. Seals, sea lions, whales and dolphins are some of the mammals.

The coasts of oceans are separate biomes. There are rocky, sandy, stony and muddy coasts. Rocky coasts often have tide pools, areas where water is trapped when the tide goes out. Heat from the sun warms the tide pools until the tide returns. These warm pools are filled with wildlife like seaweed, sponges, starfish, sea urchins, chitons, snails, lichens, limpets, kelp, sea stars, shellfish, crabs, and minnows.