What are biomes?
Biomes can be defined as a collection of plants and animal species interacting within specific certain climatic conditions such as rainfall, temperature, humidity, and soil conditions. The biosphere can be divided into 5 major biomes.
The following are five major biomes of the world:
- Forest biome
- Grasslands biome
- Desert biome
- Tundra biome
- Aquatic Biome
- Altitudinal Biome
Forest Biomes:
Forest biomes are comprised of trees and wildlife.
Forest biomes can be further classified into the following types:
- Tropical Rain Forest Biome
- Tropical Deciduous Forest Biome
- Temperate Forest Biome
- Boreal Forest Biome
Tropical Rain Forest Biome:
Region:
- It lies between 10 degrees north and south latitude.
Distribution of tropical rain forests in the world:
- In South America:
- Brazil
- Venezuela
- Colombia
- Peru
- In Africa:
- Congo
- Angola
- Zambia
- Uganda
- Madagascar
- New Guinea
- Australia
- Indonesia
- India
- Myanmar
- Sri Lanka
Climatic characteristics:
- No dry season, daily precipitation
- The average 20 to 25 degrees C temperature is evenly distributed.
Flora and fauna:
- Soil is acidic and poor in nutrients.
- It has a multi-layered canopy with tall and large trees.
Tropical Deciduous Forest Biome:
Region:
- It lies between 10°-25° latitude in both hemispheres.
Climatic characteristics:
- Around 100 cm of precipitation annually seasonally.
- Average 25 to 30 degrees C temperature
Flora and fauna:
- Soil is rich in nutrients.
- It has fewer dense trees with medium height;
Temperate Forest Biome:
Region:
- Eastern North America
- Northeastern Asia
- Western and Central Europe
Climatic characteristics:
- Rainfall is evenly distributed; around 75-150 cm of rainfall
- Temperature: Average 20 to 30 degrees C
Flora and fauna:
- Soil is rich in nutrients and humus.
- It has a moderately dense broad leaves tree with less diversity of tree species.
Boreal Forest Biome:
Region:
- A broad belt of Eurasia and North America
- It is part of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavian, and Siberia.
Climatic characteristics:
- Warm summer and long cold dry winter
- Precipitation in form of snowfall
Flora and fauna:
- Soil is acidic, poor in nutrients, and has a thin soil cover.
- It has evergreen conifers trees such as pine, fur, etc.
Desert Biome:
The Desert biome is in two categories:
- Cold desert
- Hot Desert
Region:
Hot deserts are:
- Sahara Desert
- Kalahari Desert
- Atacama
The major Cold desert is in Tundra climatic region.
Climatic characteristics:
- Very low rainfall
Flora and fauna:
- Soil is rich in nutrients with little or no organic matter.
- It has little vegetation.
Grassland Biome:
Grasslands are found in areas where not much rainfall happens.
The following are the types of Grasslands.
Tropical Grassland:
Tropical grasslands are found on either side of the equator and extend to the tropics.
Tropical grasslands get moderate to low amounts of rainfall.
Grasses can grow as tall as 3 to 4 meters high.
The following are the examples:
- Savanna in East Africa
- Campos in Brazil
- Liana in Venezuela
Temperate Grasslands:
It is found in mid-latitudinal zones and interior parts of continents.
Grasses are short and nutrients
Animals are wild buffalo and Bison
The following are the examples:
- Pampas: Argentina
- Prairie: North America
- Veld: South Africa
- Steppe: Central Africa
- Down: Australia
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