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What Is Biome? Biomes Are Very Large Ecological Areas On The Earth's Surface, With Fauna and Flora

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HOMEWORK

What is Biome?

Biomes are very large ecological areas on the earths surface, with fauna and flora
(animals and plants) adapting to their environment. Biomes are often defined by abiotic
factors such as climate, relief, geology, soils and vegetation. A biome is NOT an
ecosystem, although in a way it can look like a massive ecosystem. If you take a closer
look, you will notice that plants or animals in any of the biomes have special adaptations
that make it possible for them to exist in that area. You may find many units of
ecosystems within one biome.

Types of Biomes

1. Desert
This biome is the driest; it only receives 50cm of rainfall a year (about 10% of the
rainfall in the rainforest). Its plants and animals have to survive in an environment with
little water and dramatic temperature changes from day to night. Some animals and
plants may find if difficult to adapt, but reptiles and cacti thrive in these conditions. This
biome includes: Hot and dry, Semiarid, Coastal, and Cold deserts.
2. Forest
Forest biomes cover about 1/3 of the Earths land surface. They are dominated by
trees and contain many different plants and animals. Forests take in the carbon that we
exhale and give off the oxygen we breathe in, making them really important to our
survival. This biome includes: Tropical, Deciduous, and Taiga (boreal) forests.
3. Freshwater
Freshwater is water that has a salt level of less than 1%. Most species living in
freshwater cannot live in salt water, although there are some exceptions. This biome
also plays an important role for life on Earth. It provides drinking water for humans and
other animals, it is also vital for plant growth. This biome includes: Ponds, lakes,
Streams, Rivers and Wetlands.

4. Grasslands
It may not surprise you to hear that grasslands are filled with grasses. However, the
length of the grass and the number of trees within these biomes vary depending on the
amount of rainfall. Since rainfall in the grasslands is lower than rainforest but higher
than desert, trees exist, but they are limited to growing near streams and other water
sources. This biome includes: Savanna and Temperate grassland.

5. Marine
This biome covers more of the Earths surface than any other about 70%. Some
areas are so deep that they can contain entire mountains and even volcanoes. Like
many of the other biomes on the planet, they play an important role. This biome
provides most of the rainwater that comes down from the sky and it is home to some of
the planets most diverse species. This biome includes: Oceans, Coral Reefs, and
Estuaries.

6. Tundra
This is the coldest of all the biomes and species diversity is limited as a result. In
fact, its name comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It receives
even less rainfall than most deserts, although it remains wet because the cold
temperatures delay water from being evaporated. Plants, such as mosses and lichens,
adapt to these frigid conditions by having a shorter growing season. This biome
includes: Arctic and Alpine tundra.

http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/our-faves/types-of-biomes-2/
http://eschooltoday.com/ecosystems/what-is-a-biome.html

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