Biomes

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Biomes

biome is a major regional group of distinctive plant and animal communities best adapted to the region's physical natural environment, latitude, altitude and terrain factors. A biome is composed of the climax vegetation and all associated sub climax, or degraded, vegetation, fauna and soils, but can often be identified by the climax vegetation type. | Source: Wikipedia

Biomes
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Global Biomes and Climate

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Blue Planet Biomes

  1. Use the link above to collect the information necessary to complete this table – to show the different climates and vegetations found in each of the globes major biomes.
BiomeImageClimate

Describe the climate (temperature and rainfall)
Season

Is there any difference between the seasons?
Typical vegetation

Describe the typical vegetation found in the biome
Tropical rainforest
Savanna
Desert
Chaparral
Temperate grasslands
Temperate deciduous forest
Coniferous forest
Tundra
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Why are the biomes located where they are

Levels of solar radiation

Levels of solar radiation
  1. Why does the Equator receive more solar radiation than the Poles?
  2. How does the level of solar radiation arriving upon different parts of the earth's surface affect the biome located there?

Prevailing winds

Prevailing winds
  1. What is a rain shadow and how does it affect the biomes in that area?

Oceanic circulation

Oceans currents
  1. How does the 'North Atlantic Drift' keep Western Europe warmer than it should be?
  2. What is the Thermohaline Circulation / Ocean Conveyor Belt / Global Conveyor Belt / Meridional Overturning Circulation?

Altitude

Glacier on Mt Kilimanjaro
  1. The image above shows the Furtwangler Glacier on Mt Kilimanjaro. The location of the glacier is very close to the equator. Explain why there is a glacier at such a warm latitude.

Atmospheric cells

Atmospheric cells
  1. How does the presence of atmospheric cells explain the location of deserts and tropical rainforests?