Biomes
All animals have the same basic needs for food, water, oxygen and shelter. However the places where animals live can be very different. The environmental and climate conditions determine what kind of animals will live in an area.
What are Biomes?
Where an animal lives is called its habitat. The earth is made up
of a complex network of habitats, each with a particular rainfall,
temperature, light levels and many other factors. Biologists have
divided this complex network of habitats into zones called biomes. Each
biome has a distinct community of animals, plants and climate.
Biomes are classified into five major biomes:
- Aquatic
- Deserts
- Forests
- Grasslands
- Tundra.
These biomes are often broken down into sub-categories. Some of the sub-categories are:
Oceans – Oceans are the largest biome covering nearly 75 percent
of the Earth’s surface. They are home to some of the largest
and smallest animals such as whales, sharks, fish, octopuses, plankton
and lots of bacteria.
Freshwater Rivers & Wetlands – Only three percent of the earth’s water is fresh and includes rivers, lakes, ponds, wetlands and the polar icecaps. The freshwater biomes are full of wildlife and support other life forms such as birds, ducks, fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, algae, fungi and other plant life.
Deserts - Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth’s surface and occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm (20 inches) per year. There are different types of desert and they can be very hot or very cold. Wildlife such as birds, reptiles, insects, amphibians make their home in the deserts along with animals such as the camel, kangaroo, coyote, dingo and fox.
Tropical
Forest – The forest biomes cover one third of the
Earth’s surface. There are three different types of forest.
Tropical forests are the oldest of the forests and contain the greatest
variety of species. Monkeys, gorillas, tigers, elephants, birds,
reptiles and an unknown number of insects and spiders make their
home in the tropical forests.
Tropical forests are found in South America’s Amazon Basin, the African
Congo, South east Asia, India, Australia and Brazil.
Temperate Forest - Temperate forests are found in the Eastern United States, Canada, Europe, China and Japan. After tropical forests, temperate forests contain the most diverse range of animal life. Squirrels, beavers, rabbits, skunks, birds, deer, mountain lions, bobcats, timber wolfs, foxes, black and brown bears and birds can be found there.
Boreal Forest – Boreal forests grow in the cold conditions of the far northern hemisphere. This biome often gets less rain than other forests and only trees, such as conifers, that need less water and can survive the harsh conditions will grow there. Wildlife such as the Siberian tiger, woodpeckers, hawks, moose, bears, weasels, foxes, wolf, deer, hares, chipmunks, and bats live there.
Tropical Grasslands & Savannah – About one quarter of
the Earth’s surface is covered with grassland biomes. This
biome contains large areas of grass, flowers and herbs and very few
trees. The Grasslands and Savannahs are found in warm or hot climates
and cover almost half the surface of Africa and large areas of Australia,
South America, and India. Giraffes lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants,
zebras, buffaloes, kangaroos, mice, moles, gophers, snakes, worms,
termites and beetles live in this type of biome.
Temperate Grasslands & Prairies - Temperate Grasslands have less rainfall than savannas and have very cold winters and warm to hot summers. They range from the veldts of South Africa, the puszta of Hungary, the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, the steppes of the former Soviet Union, and the plains and prairies of central North America. In this type of biome there are gazelles, zebras, rhinoceroses, wild horses, lions, wolves, prairie dogs, jackrabbits, deer, mice, coyotes, foxes, skunks, birds, snakes, grasshoppers, and spiders.
Tundra –Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes and covers about one fifth of the Earth's land surface. It has freezing cold temperatures and very little liquid water. There are two different types of Tundra:
- Artic tundra is found in the northern hemisphere just below the ice caps of the North Pole. It has permanently frozen subsoil called permafrost. Wildlife found there are caribou, arctic hares, squirrels, arctic foxes, wolves, polar bears, snow buntings, terns, gulls, salmon, and trout.
- Alpine tundra is found on mountains throughout the world at high altitude where trees cannot grow. Wildlife and insects found there are marmots, mountain goats, sheep, elk, birds, beetles, grasshoppers and butterflies.
More information about Biomes and the Environment
- The World’s Biomes
- Wildlife, Habitats and Biodiversity
- African Wildlife Foundation
- Shambala Preserve
- Earth Floor: Biomes