What makes each biome unique

It is important to understand the uniqueness of each biome in order to understand why certain animals and plants thrive in one area yet would not be able to survive in another.

Biomes are also very sensitive and each has special needs in order to maintain itself. Although there are many types of biomes, they each fit into two categories: aquatic biomes and terrestrial biomes. Aquatic Biomes Aquatic biomes are those that occur under water. This can be saltwater or freshwater. There is saltwater in the ocean and this is where one would find the ocean biome and the coral reef biome. The shallow part of the ocean that contains coral is a part of the coral reef biome.

A biome is an area classified according to the species that live in that location. Temperature range, soil type, and the amount of light and water are unique to a particular place and form the niches for specific species allowing scientists to define the biome.

However, scientists disagree on how many biomes exist. Some count six forest, grassland, freshwater, marine, desert, and tundra , others eight separating two types of forests and adding tropical savannah , and still others are more specific and count as many as 11 biomes. Use these resources to teach middle school students about biomes around the world. A biome is an area of the planet that can be classified according to the plants and animals that live in it.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Image Deciduous Forest Fall Trees in a deciduous forest during the fall. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Article Vocabulary. Trees in a deciduous forest during the fall.

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Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. View Collection. View Article. Ocean Biome. View Photograph. The animals living here have long legs for escaping predators and usually are seen in herds. A combination of fire and grazing animals are important for maintaining the savannah.

This water biome is named for the low concentration of salt found in the water. This includes most ponds, streams, lakes, and rivers. Because salt is important to body function, the plants and animals here have many adaptations that help them save salt. Marine environments have salt water, like this tidepool in Portugal. Image by Alvesgaspar. Marine water has high levels of salt, so animals and plants living here have adaptations that help them get rid of salt or take on water.

Take a virtual look inside some of these biomes using a computer, smart phone, tablet, or Google Goggles. Our first two virtual biomes are the desert and rainforest. Compare how the two are different and how they are the similar. Write up your results in our biologist notebook. Karla Moeller. Boundless Biomes. Try our Virtual Biomes. Biome Map Worksheet. Biome Matching Game Worksheet. By volunteering, or simply sending us feedback on the site. Scientists, teachers, writers, illustrators, and translators are all important to the program.

If you are interested in helping with the website we have a Volunteers page to get the process started. Digging Deeper. Digging Deeper: Depression and the Past. Digging Deeper: Germs and Disease. Digging Deeper: Milk and Immunity. How Do We See? How Do We Sense Smell? How Do We Sense Taste? How Do We Sense Touch? What is Evolutionary Medicine? What's a Biologist? What's a GMO? Terrestrial Primary Production: Fuel for Life. Terrestrial Biomes By: Irwin N. Citation: Forseth, I.

Nature Education Knowledge 3 10 The biome concept organizes large-scale ecological variation. Terrestrial biomes are distinguished primarily by their predominant vegetation, and are mainly determined by temperature and rainfall. Aa Aa Aa. Table 1: Raunkiaer life form classification system based on location of the perennating bud. Life forms can be classified by the location of perennating tissue and plant types. Tropical Forest Biomes.

Figure 2: Life-form spectra in different climates. Raunkiar classified plant life forms on traits that varied with climate, such as the perennating organ, or tissues that give rise to new growth the following season. Savanna Biomes. Figure 3: Life-form spectra in similar Mediterranean type climates on different continents. Life-form spectra are more alike in similar climates on different continents than they are in different climates on the same continent.

Desert Biomes. Figure 4: Biomes of the world. Biomes are regions of similar climate and dominant plant types. Figure 5: Tropical forest biome climate diagram. Climate in these areas show little seasonal variation with high yearly rainfall and relatively constant, warm temperatures. Grassland Biomes. Figure 6: Savanna biome climate diagram. Savannas are located north and south of tropical forest biomes and are characterized by lower yearly rainfall and longer dry seasons.

Figure 7: Desert biome climate diagram. There is a greater variability in desert types, with hot deserts, cold deserts, high elevation deserts, and rain shadow deserts. Figure 8: Grassland biome climate diagram. Grassland biomes occur primarily in the interiors of continents and are characterized by large seasonal temperature variations, with hot summers and cold winters. Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome. Figure 9: Temperate deciduous forest climate diagram.

Temperature deciduous forests occur in mid-latitudes and are characterized by cool winters, warm summers, and high year round precipitation occurs. Mediterranean Climate Biomes. Figure Mediterranean biome climate diagram. There are five separate regions between degrees N and S latitude with hot, dry summers, and cool, moist winters.

Northern Coniferous Forest Biome. Located at higher latitudes is a biome dominated by needle-leaved, drought tolerant, evergreen trees Figure 4 , and a climate consisting of long, cold winters and short, cool summers Figure Biodiversity is low in this two-layered forest made up of an overstory of trees and a ground layer of herbs or mosses. The overstory in much of the boreal forest is made up of only one or two species.

The low biodiversity is mirrored by low net primary productivity of — g m -2 yr Productivity varies with precipitation, the length of the frost-free period, and local soil drainage. In flooded areas, sphagnum bogs may develop. The acidic tissue of sphagnum, and the anoxic, flooded conditions, slows decomposition, resulting in the production of peat bogs. Figure Boreal forest biome climate diagram.

Boreal forests are characterized by needle-leaved, drought tolerant, evergreen trees, and a climate consisting of long, cold winters and short, cool summers.

Tundra Biome. Figure Tundra biome climate diagram. Very short growing seasons and temperatures that are below zero degrees Celsius for much of the year characterize tundras. References and Recommended Reading Archbold, O. Ecology of World Vegetation.