Biomes of the World Quiz

Biomes of the World

• Biomes are basic units of the biosphere, referring to large geographical regions with a specific climax community.
• They group Earth's biological communities based on dominant vegetation, location, climate, and other factors.
• The physical environment (precipitation, temperature, water depth) heavily influences the traits of species within a biome.
• Similar climates often lead to the same biome occurring in geographically separate areas.

Terrestrial Biomes

• Terrestrial biomes are large-scale environments shaped by temperature ranges and precipitation amounts that dictate the types of vegetation and animals.
• Vegetation height generally increases from cool, dry climates to warm, wet climates.
• Vegetation forms define major biomes — tundra, forest, grassland, and desert.
• Biomes are structured ecosystems influenced by the growth forms of dominant vegetation and factors like climate and location on Earth.

Tundra

• Tundra, the coldest biome, stems from a Finnish word meaning "treeless plain."
• It is located south of the Arctic and spans across North America, Europe, and Siberia.
• Arctic tundra is a cold, desert-like region in the northern hemisphere.
• Alpine tundra occurs at high altitudes on mountains worldwide.
• Permafrost (permanently frozen ground), low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, high winds, and short growing seasons characterize tundra.
• Common vegetation includes lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, and low-growing shrubs.
• Representative animals include reindeer, caribou, wolves, arctic hares, arctic foxes, and snowy owls.

Taiga (Boreal)

• Taiga is the largest terrestrial biome found south of tundra.
• It transitions from tundra to extensive evergreen forests; it is found widely in Eurasia and North America (two-thirds in Siberia, rest in Scandinavia, Alaska, and Canada).
• Long, frigid winters and shorter cool summers define the climate.
• Precipitation is moderate to low, with growing seasons typically lasting about 120 days.
• Taiga is dominated by coniferous trees (pine, fir, spruce), and supports diverse mammals like woodpeckers, hawks, moose, bears, weasels, lynxes, wolves, deer, hares, chipmunks, shrews, and bats.

Forest

• Forests are dominated by trees and other woody vegetation, categorized by various characteristics, with seasonality being a key factor.
• Tropical rainforests stand out for their high diversity of species in uniformly warm, moist climates found around the equator.
• Different species of trees, including those with large broadleaves and epiphytes, and vines characterize forests.
• Diverse animals like snakes, lizards, frogs, lemurs, sloths, and monkeys, along with colorful birds and insects, are common in forests.
• Temperate deciduous forests display moderate temperatures and rainfall, seasonal variations, widespread distribution in Europe and Eastern North America.
• Common trees include oaks, maples, hickories, and chestnuts.
• Common animals include wolves, gray foxes, bobcats, deer, squirrels, hawks, turkeys, and more.

Grassland

• Grasslands feature grasses, rather than large shrubs or trees, found in temperate and tropical climates.
• Characterized by moderate to low precipitation, hot summers, and cold winters.
• Various mammals, including large herds, or a diversity of smaller ones inhabit grasslands.
• Examples include savanna, steppes, pampas, and prairies.

Desert

• Deserts are hot, dry environments typically with sandy or poor soil.
• Specialized vegetation, particularly cacti, is characteristic.
• Reptiles (snakes, lizards), insects, scorpions, and rodents are common animals.

Aquatic Biomes

• Aquatic biomes are classified into marine and freshwater categories.

Marine

• Water depth is a key factor distinguishing marine biomes.
• Three types: oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries.

Oceans

• Huge bodies of water covering over 70% of the Earth's surface.
• Organisms include benthos (clams, starfish, snails), plankton (protozoa, algae, crustaceans), and nekton (fish, squid, turtles, whales).
• Oceans are structured into intertidal, pelagic, abyssal, and benthic zones, each with diverse species.
• The neritic zone occurs on continental shelves (shallow regions of the ocean), characterized by well-oxygenated water, silt, and a stable temperature, supporting phytoplankton, Sargassum seaweed, zooplankton, small fish, shrimp, and important fish in fisheries.
• Pelagic zone (open ocean). Photic zone where light penetrates (up to ~200 m). Deeper aphotic zone where light is absent. The deepest abyssal zone, often with hydrothermal vents where chemosynthetic bacteria begin food webs, support unique deep sea organisms, is colder, and has high pressure.
• Benthic zone (ocean floor).

Coral reefs

• Highly diverse ecosystems in warm, shallow waters.
• Corals (zooxanthellae and animal polyps) form the reefs.

Estuaries

• Where freshwater meets the ocean.
• Diverse ecosystems characterized by salinity variations, influencing organism adaptations.

Freshwater

• Includes standing water (lakes, ponds) and flowing water (rivers, streams) and wetlands.
• Distinguished by low salt concentration and factors like water depth.

Ponds and Lakes

• Vary in size, from small to large.
• Divided into zones like the littoral (warmest near the shore), limnetic (well-lit open water with plankton), and profundal (cold deep water with sinking plankton).

Streams and Rivers

• Continuously flowing water, varying in size and temperature from source (headwaters) to mouth (opening).
• Sediment, and nutrient content increase further from source.

Wetlands

• Areas with periodically or constantly saturated soils.
• Composed of shallow water bodies like marshes, swamps, and bogs.
• Supported by rooted plants (leaves, stems, and flowers) extending above the water.

Test your knowledge on the various biomes of the world, focusing on terrestrial biomes and their characteristics. Explore the relationships between climate, vegetation, and ecosystems, with an emphasis on tundra, forests, grasslands, and deserts. Discover how different geographical areas can host similar biomes despite their distance.