Biomes
• A biome is a large region characterized by a specific type
of climate and certain types of plant and animal
communities.
• Each biome is made up of many individual ecosystems.
• The map shows the locations of the world's major land, or
terrestrial, biomes.
Biomes and Vegetation
• Biomes are described by their vegetation because the
plants that grow in an area determine the other organisms
that can live there.
• Plants in a particular biome have characteristics,
specialized structures, or adaptations that allow them to
survive in that biome.
• These adaptations include size, shape, and color.
Biomes and Climate
• Biomes are defined by their plant life.
• But what factors determine which plants can grow in a
certain area?
• The main factor is climate.
• Climate refers to the weather conditions—such as
temperature, precipitation, humidity, and winds—in an area
over a long period of time.
• Temperature and precipitation are the two most important
factors that determine a region's climate.
Temperature and Precipitation
• The climate of a biome is determined by average
temperature and precipitation.
• Most organisms are adapted to live within a particular range
of temperatures and precipitation, and will not survive at
levels too far above or below their range.
• .
As shown in this figure, as temperature and precipitation decrease, the climate of an area becomes drier and
vegetation becomes sparser
Latitude and Altitude
• Biomes, climate, and vegetation vary with latitude
and altitude.
• Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator and
is measured in degrees.
• Altitude is the height of an object above sea level.
• Climate gets colder as latitude and altitude increase.
Tropical Rainforests
• Forest biomes are the most widespread and the most diverse
of all the biomes in the world.
• Tropical, temperate, and coniferous forests are the three
main forest biomes of the world.
• Tropical rainforests are located in a belt around the Earth
near the equator.
Tropical Rainforest Climate
• Tropical rainforests are humid and warm and get about 200 to
450 cm of rain in a year.
• Because they are near the equator, tropical rainforests get
strong sunlight year-round and maintain a relatively
constant temperature year-round.
Nutrients in Tropical Rainforests
• The warm and wet conditions nourish more species of
plants than any other biome does.
• One hectare (10,000 square meters) of tropical rainforest
may contain more than 100 species.
• Decomposers on the rainforest floor break down dead
organisms and return nutrients to the soil, but plants
quickly absorb the nutrients.
• Because of heavy rainfall in tropical rainforests, many
nutrients are washed out and leached into the lower parts of
the soil.
• Therefore, the upper layers of the soil are not rich in nutrients.
Layers of the Rainforest
• There are four main layers in tropical rainforests, including
the Emergent Layer, the Upper Canopy, the Lower Canopy,
and the Understory.
Emergent Layer
• The top layer is called the emergent layer.
• This layer consists of the tallest trees, which reach heights
of 60 to 70 meters.
• Trees in the emergent layer grow and emerge into direct
sunlight.
• Animals such as eagles, bats, monkeys, and snakes live in
the emergent layer.
Canopy
• The next layer is called the canopy.
• Trees in the canopy can grow more than 30 meters tall.
• The tall trees form a dense layer that absorbs up to 90% of
the sunlight.
• The canopy can be split into an upper canopy and a
lower canopy.
Lower Canopy
• The lower canopy receives less light than the upper
canopy does.
• Plants called epiphytes, such as the orchid, grow on tall trees
for support and grow high in the canopy where their leaves can
reach the sunlight needed for photosynthesis.
• Most animals that live in the rainforest live in the canopy
because they depend on the abundant flowers and fruits
that grow there.
Understory
• Below the canopy, very little light reaches the next layer
called the understory.
• Trees and shrubs adapted to shade grow in the understory.
• Most plants in the understory do not grow more than 3.5
meters tall.
• Herbs with large, flat leaves that grow on the forest
floor capture a small amount of sunlight that penetrates
the understory.
Species Diversity
• The tropical rainforest is the biome with the greatest amount
of species diversity.
• The diversity of rainforest vegetation has led to the
evolution of a diverse community of animals.
• Some rainforest animals have amazing adaptations for
capturing prey, and other animals have adaptations that
they use to escape predators.
Epiphytes
Animal Adaptations
• For example, the Collared anteater uses its long tongue
to reach insects in small cracks and holes.
• The Wreathed hornbill uses its strong curved beak to
crack open nutshells.
• Insects, such as the Costa Rican mantis, use camouflage
to avoid predators and may be shaped like leaves or twigs.
Threats to Rainforests
• Every minute of every day, 100 acres of tropical rainforests
are cleared for logging operations, agriculture, or oil
exploration.
• Habitat destruction occurs when land inhabited by an organism
is destroyed or altered.
• If the habitat that an organism depends on is destroyed, the
organism is at risk of disappearing.
• An estimated 50 million native peoples live in tropical rainforests.
• These native peoples are also threatened by habitat destruction.
• Because they obtain nearly everything they need from the forest, the
loss of their habitat could be devastating.
