The Earth's Biomes

BIOMESTHE EARTH’S © Inquisitive Pty Ltd. 1

The Earth’s Biomes Page 2 What is a Biome? Page 3 The Earth’s Biomes Page 4 Oceans Page 5 Wetlands Page 6 Temperate Forests Page 7 Tropical Forests Page 9 Alpine Page 10 Grasslands Page 11 Deserts Page 12 Polar and Tundra 1 © Inquisitive Pty Ltd.

What is a Biome? The continents of the Earth can have their spaces organised in many ways. The organisation of spaces is usually shown in maps. There are climate maps, vegetation maps, political maps (which show countries, states and territories) physical maps (which show the natural features), population maps and many more. Scientists also divide the continents into large natural areas called biomes. A biome is a community of plants and animals suited to a place because of its climate and natural features. AUST LIA Indonesia Timor-Leste Papua New Climate Map Arafura Sea Guinea Climate Timor Sea Vegetation Political Map Map Map Gulf of Carpentaria INDIAN Ta sm an OCEAN Sea Great Australian Bight CLIMATE LEGEND 0 250 Miles Vegetation Zones Scrubland Warm Humid Summer Country Boundary Desert Rainforest Mid Warm Summer Cold Winter 0 250 500 Km Grassland Open Forest Hot Humid Summer Copyright © 2017 www.mapsofworld.com Woodland Hot Dry Summer Cold Winter Hot Dry Summer Mid Winter Warm Summer Cool Winter AUST LIA Indonesia Timor-Leste Arafura Sea Papua New Gulf of Guinea Population Map Carpentaria Physical Population Timor Sea Biome Map Map Map INDIAN Ta sm an OCEAN Sea LEGEND Great Australian Bight Country Boundary Above 500,000 0 250 Miles 100,000 - 500,000 0 250 500 Km 50,000 - 100,000 Copyright © 2017 www.mapsofworld.com 10,000 - 50,000 Below 10,000 © Inquisitive Pty Ltd. 2

The Earth’s Biomes The most important part of a biome is its climate. How much rain its gets and the average temperature will determine what plants grow there. Plants are an important food source for animals so the types of plants will determine what animals live there. Polar bears can’t live in a desert and rainforests won’t grow in snow. Every part of the Earth is divided 3 into biomes, even the oceans. Every continent has many different types of biomes but biomes have changed and moved many times over the Earth’s history. Humans can also have an impact on the world’s biomes, for example by clearing rainforests to grow crops. There is no exact way to divide the Earth into biomes. Scientists use between six and seventeen categories depending on how specific they want to be. This map divides the Earth into eight categories. © Inquisitive Pty Ltd.

Oceans Oceans, sometimes called the Marine Biome, is the biggest biome in the world. It covers over 70% of the Earth. It includes the five oceans – Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean and the Arctic Ocean as well as gulfs and bays. It is made up of salt water. The Ocean is not the same everywhere. There are many different ecosystems in the ocean, for example coral reefs. Most of the plants and animals in the ocean live in the top layer where the sunlight breaks through. Animals and plants which live deeper in the ocean have adapted to living without much light. Animals of the ocean: Sharks, whales, tuna, scallops, oysters, pufferfish, octopus, dolphins, star fish, clams, conch, prawns, lobsters, dugong, crabs, squid, eels, jelly fish, fish, krill, turtles, sting rays, coral. Plants of the ocean (vegetation): Kelp, seaweed, seagrass, algae, sea anemone. Resources (Natural Features): Fish, transportation, gas, oil, sand, renewable energy (tidal power), medicines. Threats: Overfishing, plastic waste, oil spills, climate change, habitat destruction, sewage, pollution. Climate: The ocean plays an important part in climate control. The oceans absorb sunlight which causes the water to evaporate and eventually make rain. The ocean currents move warm water around the Earth helping to regulate the global climate. © Inquisitive Pty Ltd. 44

Wetlands Wetlands are usually found near a river, lake or stream. They include swamps, bogs and marshes. They can be made of fresh water, salt water or a combination of both. Wetlands are made up of both land and water. The type of animals and plant life will depend on the type of water. Every continent, except Antarctica has wetlands. Wetlands can have water in them all the time or only during certain times of the year. Animals of wetlands: Water birds (ducks, geese, swans, pelicans, cormorants, ibis, egrets, shorebirds), fish (carp, perch, cod), frogs, reptiles (turtles, water skinks, snakes, alligators, water dragons), mammals (water rats, platypus, otters, beavers), insects (butterflies, mosquitoes, dragonflies), leeches. Plants of wetlands: Sea grasses, ribbon weeds, rushes, pig face, sedge, reeds, water lilies, bulrushes, mangroves, river red gums. Resources: Wet lands clean and filter water, provide flood control, keep the shoreline stable, aquaculture (fish farming, rice growing), medicines, plants for weaving, peat (can be burnt as a fuel or used for fertilizer). Threats: Dams, drainage, dredging, pollution, housing, farming, fires, floods, droughts, cyclones, invasive plants and animals. Climate: Most wetlands are in a temperate zone so temperatures are not extreme. Rainfall varies depending on the type of wetland. © Inquisitive Pty Ltd. 55

Temperate Forests Forests make up about 30% of the land on Earth. Temperate forests grow halfway between the equator and the poles. Temperate means mild or moderate, so a temperate forest has temperatures which are not too cold or too hot. They have two layers, a canopy of tall trees with a lower layer of scrub and ferns. Temperate forests play an important part in climate control. Animals of Temperate Forests: The types of animals will depend on the location of the forest. Deer, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, wolves, black bears, possums, raccoons, birds, echidnas, wombats, koalas, kookaburras, lyrebirds, dingos, wallabies, cockatoos, fairy wrens, reptiles. Plants of Temperate Forests: Large and tall trees, conifers, (trees which have needles instead of leaves and cones instead of flowers, like pine trees), deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in winter), broad-leafed trees, eucalyptus, ferns. Resources: Trees, bark, food, water. The soil is rich and fertile. Threats: Harvesting wood, clearing for farms, introduced animals and plants, urban development (building houses), fires, floods, high winds. Climate: Four seasons – summer, autumn, winter, spring. Rain falls evenly throughout the year. 6 An annual rainfall of over 140 cm. © Inquisitive Pty Ltd.

Tropical Forests A Tropical Forest is sometimes called a rainforest or jungle. It is called a rain forest because of the high amount of rain it gets. A Tropical Forest is very hot and humid. Rainforests now cover less than 6% of the Earth but scientists estimate that more than half of the world’s plants and animal species live in Tropical Forests. Tropical Forests produce 40% of the Earth’s oxygen. About 25% of all medicines we use come from Tropical Forest plants. There are four layers of trees in a tropical rainforest: 1 The tallest trees grow above the forest. They have straight, smooth trunks with only a few branches 2 The upper canopy has plenty of sunshine but not much light gets through it. Most of the forest’s animals live in the upper canopy 3 The under story has smaller trees, shrubs, plants and small trees. The humidity is very high and it is always in the shade 4 The forest floor is in complete shade. The soil is very thin and poor quality. Few plants will grow here. A lot of leaf litter falls to the ground and is home to insects © Inquisitive Pty Ltd. 7

Animals of Tropical Forests: The types of animals will depend on the location of the forest. Tree kangaroos, possums, parrots, cassowaries, frogs, snakes, sugar gliders, birds, insects. Plants of Tropical Forests: Chocolate trees, vines, strangler figs, buttress rooted trees, orchids, avocados, brazil nuts, passionfruit and macadamia nuts. Resources: Trees, rubber, gum, dyes, medicines, fruit, water, animals. Threats: Harvesting wood (logging), clearing for farms, fires, mining. Climate: Tropical Forests are lush and warm all year long. Temperatures don’t change between day and night. The temperature ranges from 21ºC to 30ºC. The environment is very wet and humid. It has a high rainfall. Rainfall can be heavy – 5cm in one hour. Rainforests help to regulate the Earth’s temperature. © Inquisitive Pty Ltd. 8

Alpine The Alpine biome is found in mountains. It is where the snow line of a mountain begins, usually above 3,000 metres. The Alpine biome is very cold and windy and without much rain. It is a difficult environment for plants to grow. Most plants are small groundcover plants. Animals of the Alpine: The types of animals will depend on the location of the Alpine area. Mountain goats, sheep, elks, llamas, yaks, alpacas. Plants of the Alpine: Daisies, button grass, snow gums. The top of the Alpine zone is too cold for trees to grow. Resources: The soil is poor, mining (gold, silver, copper), rocks. Threats: Climate change, ski resorts, feral animals, weeds. Climate: In winter the temperature is below freezing and in summer the temperature ranges from 4ºC to 15ºC. The temperature can change from warm to very cold in one day. The rainfall is quite low, around 30cm a year. © Inquisitive Pty Ltd. 9

Grasslands Grasslands are usually found between deserts and forests. Grasslands are big areas of land with low growing plants like grasses and wildflowers. There is not enough rain to grow forests but a few trees may grow. Grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. Grasslands have very good soil so are often used for farming. Grasslands in America are called prairies. 25% of the Earth is covered by Grasslands. There are Grasslands on every continent except Antarctica. Grasslands can survive fires and in fact, fires help with weed control. Animals of the Grasslands: The types of animals will depend on the location of the Grassland. Mice, snakes, lizards, insects, kangaroos, emus, prairie dogs, bison. Plants of the Grasslands: Grass, shrubs, wild flowers, spinifex, jarrah trees. Resources: Timber, water, animals, wheat, corn, gas, rich soil. Threats: Drought, over farming, over grazing, housing, wind. Climate: There is a wide variety of climates in Grasslands depending on how far away they are from the ocean. The Australian grasslands have a hot summer and cold winter with a low rainfall (46 cm a year). The North American prairie is similar but has strong wind blowing most of the year. 10 © Inquisitive Pty Ltd.

Deserts Deserts cover about 20% of the Earth. Most hot and dry deserts don’t have many plants because of the extreme temperature range. The day time temperature in summer can reach 45ºC and the night time temperature can drop to below freezing in winter. Deserts have a very low rainfall (less than 25cm a year). The soil is usually sand but can also have small rocks. Plants are almost always ground hugging shrubs and short woody weeds. The plants that grow in the Desert store water in their stems. They grow spaced apart so their roots can spread out to find water. Most animals burrow under the ground and are nocturnal (come out at night). Animals need to store water in their bodies or get it from their food. Deserts are found on every continent except Europe. Animals of the Desert: Snakes, lizards, insects, mice, kangaroo rats, bilbies, camels. 11 Plants of the Desert: Cactus, spinifex, sage bush, baobab trees, mulga trees. Resources: Gold, silver, uranium, minerals, oil. Threats: Dust storms, there can be sudden, heavy rain which causes flooding, fire, off road vehicles. Climate: Hot during the day and cold at night. There is very little moisture in the air. Deserts have a very low rainfall. © Inquisitive Pty Ltd.

Polar and Tundra The Polar biome covers about 10% of the Earth. Polar ice can be found in the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. It is the coldest place on Earth. The temperature is always below 0ºC. The lowest temperature ever recorded was in Antarctica, it was -89ºC. In summer the sun will shine for 24 hours of the day and in winter there is no sunshine at all. The Tundra climate is very similar to the Polar climate but slightly warmer – at least one month of the year will average above 0ºC. Northern Canada and Alaska have a tundra climate. Animals of the Polar Region: The types of animals will depend on the location of the region. Most animals 12 live below the ice and get their food from the ocean. Polar bears, seals, whales, penguins. Animals of the Tundra Region: Artic foxes, caribou, ermine, grizzly bear, snowy owl. Plants of the Polar Region: The soil in the Polar biome is mostly frozen so very few plants will grow. Lichen, mosses, algae. Plants of the Tundra Region: Artic moss, Bearberry, Caribou Moss, Labrador Tea, Artic Willow. Resources: Oil, gas, minerals, rare metals, gold, coal, quartz. Threats: Pollution, oil and gas exploration, global warming. Climate: Cool summers and very cold winters. The polar regions are permanently covered by snow and ice. There is very little rainfall. The Polar biome is the driest place on Earth. © Inquisitive Pty Ltd.