Biomes

by Gen

A biome, in definition, is an entire community of living organisms in a single ecological area.

Here are some biomes:

Tundra - The tundra is a cold, treeless area; it is the coldest biome. The tundra is characterized by very low temperatures, very little precipitation, a short growing season, few nutrients, and low biological diversity. The word tundra comes from the Finish word tunturia, which means "treeless plain"

Taiga - A taiga, also called a boreal forest or northern coniferous forest, is a cold woodland or forest. The taiga is characterized by a cold, harsh climate, a low rate of precipitation, and short growing season.

Deciduous Forest - Deciduous forests are forests in cool, rainy areas; they have trees that loose their leaves in Fall and regrow them in Spring. Deciduous forests are found in the middle latitudes around the globe and have four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.

Grasslands - A grassland is a grassy, windy, partly-dry biome, a sea of grass. Almost 1/4 of the Earth's land area is grassland. In many areas, grasslands separate forests from deserts. Deep rooted grasses dominate the flora in a grassland; there are very few trees and shrubs in a grassland... less than one per acre.

Savanna - A savanna is a hot, seasonally dry grassland with scattered trees. Savannas are located in the dry tropics and the subtropics, often bordering a rainforest. Savannas have an extended dry season and a rainy season.

Desert - Deserts cover about 1/5 of the Earth's land area. The desert is a harsh enviroment with very little rainfall and extreme temperatures. Some deserts get both very hot during the day, and very cold at night... when temps can fall below freezing!

Some deserts, however, are always cold. For example, the Gobi Desert of Asia and the desert on the continent on Antarctica.

Tropical Forests - Rainforests are very dense, warm, wet forests. They are haven for millions of plants and animals. Rainforests are extremely important in the ecology of the Earth. The plants of the rainforest generate much of the Earth's oxygen. These plants are also very important to people in other ways; many are used in new drugs that fight disease and illness.