Biomes Flashcards
What is the climate like in the tundra biome
The tundra experiences low temperatures all year round with temperatures reaching -20 degrees in winter
- Precipication is also low in the tundra biome with less than 250mm of rainfall per year
- Tundra is found at high latitudes so experiences continous daylight during summer and little in winter
What is vegetation like in the tundra biome
- The cold climate and lack of sunlight means it is hard for any vegetation to grow in the tundra biome
- Barely any trees grow and the main type of vegetation is grasses,shrubs and mosses
- The soil in the tundra is nutrient poor and there is a layer of permafrost which keeps water from draining away
What is the climate like in boreal forests
- Boreal forests have short summers and long winters
- Temperatures in summer can reach 10 degrees whereas temperatures in winter are around -20 degrees
- Boreal forests have low precipation -less than 500mm per year
- There is lots of daylight in summer and virtually none in winter
What is vegetation like in the boreal forest
- Most plants in the boreal forest are evergreen so can grow wherever there is enough light
- There are coniferous trees like pine and fir and also undergrowth such as moss and lichen
What is the climate like in temperate forests
- Temperate forests have four distinct seasons. There are hot summers and cool winters
- There is high rainfall and rain all year round
- Hours of sunlight vary throughout the year
What is vegetation like in temperate forests
- The vegetation in temperate forests is mainly made up of decidous trees (broad leaved) that drop their leaves during autumn
- There is undergrowth such as bramble and shrubs such as ferns
What is the climate like in temperate grasslands
- temperate grasslands have hot summers and cool winters
- Precipitation is between 250-500 mm per year
- The amount of light varies over the year as it is further from the equatir
What is the vegetation like in temperate grasslands
- The vegetation in temperate grasslands is mainly made up of grass and small plants. There are hardly any trees.
- The hot summers means decomposition is fast and the soil is nutrient rich
What is the climate like in deserts
- There is hardly any rainfall in deserts (there is less than 250mm per year) and it usually only rains once a yar
- Temperatures are very high in the day (45 degrees)and cooler at night
- There is more daylight in summer than winter and there are lots of daylight hours per day due to the little cloud cover
What is the vegetation like in deserts
- There is little vegetation because of the lack of rainfall , only plants like cacti can grow
- The soil is nutrient poor as not much decomposition happens
What is the climate like in tropical grasslands
- In tropical grasslands there is quite low rainfall with 800-900 mm of rainfall per year
- There are distinct wet and dry seasons with temperatures in wet seasons reaching 35 degress and in dry seasons reaching 15 degrees
- Tropical grasslands are found near the equator so there is lots of sunshine all year round
What is the vegetation like in tropical grasslands
- Tropical grasslands mainly consist of grass,small plants and shurbs
- The grass dies during the dry season leaving the soil nutrient rich for a while before all nutrients are washed out during the wet season
What is the climate like in tropical rainforests
- The climate is the same all year round in tropical rainforests
- It is hot (20-28 degrees) and there is constant rainfall
- There is the same amount of daylight all year round so plants get lots of sunlight
What is the vegetation like in tropical rainforests
-The main thing that grows in tropical rainforests is trees. Trees are evergreen and have adapted to absorb the most light
How does altitude affect biome distribution
Higher altitudes are colder so less plant species grow there and less animal species grow there. This means there is less organic matter so soil are thin or non existent
