miƩrcoles, 1 de octubre de 2008

main land biomes




What is a biome? A biome is a large geographical area that is characterized because it has certain types of plants and animals, also because of the prevailing climate. Is define by the interactions of plants and animals with the climate, rock formation, soil types, water resources, latitude of an area.

What aspects determine the characteristics of each biome? The aspects that determine the characteristic of each biome are the climate factors that interact in the creation and maintenance of a biome, precipitation and distributed fairly evenly throughout the year, the major determinant is temperature that includes whether it ever freezes, length of the growing season. Also if there is ample rainfall.These habitats are mainly identified by the vegetation and animals that populate them. The location of each biome is determined by the regional climate.
The main information about the main land biomes.
Dessert
Deserts cover about one fifth of the earth surface, it occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm per year. It can occur on low latitudes, but there are also cold deserts, in the basin and range of Utah. Have considerable amount of specialized vegetation, as well as specialized vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Soil have abundant nutrients, it has a little of no organic matter. Disturbances are common in the form of occasional fires or cold weather, sudden, infrequent, but intense rains that cause flooding.
Tropical Forest the tropical rainforest is earth's most complex biome in terms of both structure and species diversity. It occurs under optimal growing conditions: abundant precipitation and year round warmth. There is no annual rhythm to the forest; rather each species has evolved its own flowering and fruiting seasons. Sunlight is a major limiting factor. A variety of strategies have been successful in the struggle to reach light or to adapt to the low intensity of light beneath the canopy.
Savanna
It is found in tropical regions of Africa, Australia and south America, savannas are grassland with scattered tress. Savanna grasses grow rapidly, providing food for many grazing animals. It is characterized by a grassy ground layer and a distinct upper layer of woody plants. Where this upper layer is near the ground the vegetation may be referred to as Shrubveld, where it is dense as Woodland, and the intermediate stages are locally known as Bushveld.

Chaparral
Is temperate coastal biome dominated by dense evergreen shrubs. The climate consists of mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The largest area of chaparral occurs around the Mediterranean Sea, similar ecosystems are found in the world including California. Chaparral dry woody, shrubs are frequently ignited by lighting and are adapted to survive periodic brushfires.


Grassland
Are large areas with rolling hills of grasses and wildflowers, are found in every continent except Antarctica.
Sometimes grassland is called prairies, savannahs, or steppes.
Roots of the grasses and small plant made the soil rich and great for farming, there are also used for animal grazing.
Grasslands are extremely hot during the summer months and very cold during the winter months. The grasslands receive anywhere from 10-30 inches of rain per year.
Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients and short growing seasons, dead organic material functions, low biotic diversity, simple vegetation structure, limitation of drainage, short season of growth and reproduction and large population oscillations. The two major nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorus.
Deciduous Forest Dense stands of deciduous trees that drop their leaves each year characterize temperate deciduous forests. These forests occur throughout the temperate zone where there is enough precipitation to support the growth of large trees. In his region winters tend to be very cold, while summers can be quite hot.
Coniferous Forest is a forest of Conifers. A Conifer is a tree that produces its seeds in cones. The Pine tree is the most common example. Conifer leaves conserve water with the thick, waxy layer that covers their leaves, also known as needles. The vegetation in the Coniferous forest is small in size, but large enough to feed the vast herbivore population. Most of these animals survive the brutal winters by migrating or hibernating.

Which organism’s life there? Describe main animals and type of plants.
Tundra
Animals: There are very small animals such as mice, prairie dogs, little insects called aphid. There are also big animals such as elephants, lions, zebras, giraffe, black rhinoceros, cheetahs, buffalo and coyotes.

Plants: Prairies, grasslands, have many beautiful wildflowers. There are not many tall trees or bushes in the grasslands, because there is just not enough water for them to live. Also, there is too much wind on the prairie for tall trees to survive.



Tropical Forest
Animals: Wildlife such as the Siberian tiger, woodpeckers, hawks, moose, bears, weasels, foxes, wolf, deer, hares, chipmunks, and bats live there. There are also Squirrels, beavers, rabbits, skunks, birds, deer, mountain lions, bobcats, timber wolfs, foxes, black and brown bears and birds can be found there.

Plants: The more dominant plants are horsetails, club mosses, ferns, Paleozoic, gymnosperms, trees and woody vegetation.


Dessert
Animals: the most known animals in the dessert is the camels and the jack rabbit.

Plants: The most known plants are the cacti and the Joshua tree.

Grassland
Animals: herbivore, rabbit, predator, red hawk tail, larva, monarch, beetle, invertebrates.
Plants: The most known are grasses that are in the family of poaceae and share the grass characteristics, linear leaves. They often have inconspicuous flowers and rhizomes or stolons and many have silica throughout their tissue. Silica is what sand is mainly composed of and it makes grass strong and hard to chew and digest. They are very strong growers, accumulating a large amount of biomass each growing season, and their seeds are dispersed by wind or animals.

Savanna
Animals: The birds that are found in this biome are shrikes, hornbills, grey louries, flycatchers, knysna, purple-crested louries, green pigeons, rollers and raptors. Larger mammals of this biome are lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, buffalos, rhinoceroses, giraffes, hippopotami, gazelles , zebras, kudus, waterbucks, oryxes
Plants: grasses such as Rhodes grass, red oats grass, star grass, lemon grass, and some shrubs. Most savanna grass is coarse and grows in patches with interspersed areas of bare ground. There are not many trees because of the little rainfall. trees or small groves of trees; these mostly live near streams and ponds. The Acacia tree is an interesting plant in the savanna. It has an umbrella shape, with branches and leaves high off the ground that giraffes like to eat. Baobab trees also live in the savanna. They deal with dry conditions by storing water between the bark and meat of the tree.

Chaparral:
Animals: Are mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry weather. Coyotes, jack rabbits, mule deer, alligator lizards, horned toads, praying mantis, honey bees and ladybugs. In Europe one might find wild goats, sheep, cattle, mouflon, horses, lynx, wild boar, rabbits, vultures and eagles. There are also many small mammals, reptiles and insects, just like in California. The fynbos of South Africa also has many butterfly species that rely on this habitat.

Plants: It has large hard leaves which hold moisture. The plants are also very adapted to fires. They have root systems designed to get as much water as possible. toyon, chemise, poison oak, scrub oak, Yucca and other shrubs, trees and cacti. The maquis contains plants such as myrtle, hawthorn, and broom. The Australian mallee is more open than these other types of chaparral and consists mainly of dwarf eucalyptus trees. The fynbos is also composed mainly of scrub and shrubs, such as heathers and protea plants.

Deciduous Forest:
Animals: Animals living within this biome must adjust to cold winters and hot summers. Leaves generally fall off in the fall, leaving animals with less cover to hide themselves from predators. Also in the deciduous forests are such animals as fox, black bear, and brown bear.
Plants: there are many flowers like the passion berry and the blue lily. Maples trees, oaks, beeches, and hickory shed their leaves in autumn .The Deciduous forest does not have much vegetation but there are many trees that contain outrageous amounts of flowers. Animals need these trees because they provide shelter and some use them for food and even water from the leaves. The trees adapt to this forest by having thick bark barriers on the trees to keep the animals out and the trees from dying.

Coniferous Forest:
Animal: Most animals are herbivores; however some carnivores and omnivores are thrown in. Animals in Coniferous Forests include the red fox, moose, snowshoe hare, great horned owl, and the crossbill.
Plants: Many softwood trees such as fir, pine, spruce, and hemlock.