Biomes (Cambridge (CIE) AS Environmental Management)

• Low latitudes

• Within Tropics: 23.5° north and south of equator

• E.g. Amazon in South America, New Guinea, Southeast Asia, Zaire Basin

• Between 40°–60° north and south of equator

• E.g. Western Europe, northeast USA, Eastern Asia

• Between 50°–60° north and south of equator

• E.g. Canada, Russia, Scandinavia

• Over 2000 mm

• 750–1500 mm (all year round)

300–900 mm (all year round)

• 26 to 28°C

• Over 0° C in winter

• 20 to 25°C in summer

• -30°C in winter

• Up to 20°C in summer

• No seasons: hot and wet all year round

• Four seasons of equal length

• Two main seasons: winter and summer

• All year round

• 6–8 months

2–3 months

• Relatively infertile due to leaching and rapid uptake of nutrients by plants

• Relatively fertile and nutrient rich due to decomposition of organic matter over autumn and winter

• Not very fertile: often acidic, with permafrost

• Shallow soil with a thick litter layer due to slow decomposition

• Approx. 50% of world's plant and animal species live within the rainforest biome

• Example flora: mahogany, teak trees, lianas, orchids

• Example fauna: Toucans, jaguars, frogs, snakes

• Wide range of animals and plants with higher biodiversity than boreal forests

• Example flora: deciduous trees e.g. beech, oak, birch

• Example fauna: deer, rabbits, squirrels, bears

• Less biodiverse than temperate forests

• Example flora: coniferous trees

• Example fauna: squirrels, bears, reindeer, wolves

• 5°–30° north and south of equator

• North and south of tropical and monsoon forest biomes

• E.g. central Africa: Tanzania, Kenya

• 40°–60° north and south of equator

• E.g." veldts" of South Africa, "pampas" of Argentina, "steppes" of Russia, "plains" of USA

• 800–900 mm

• 250–750 mm

• 15–35°C

• -40 to 40°C

• Wet and dry season

• Four seasons

• During wet season (4–5 months)

• During summer (dependent on temperature)

• Free draining with thin layer of humus

• Not very fertile: most nutrients near surface

• Fertile soil

• Wide range of plant and animal species

• Greatest diversity of hoofed animals

• Grasses, baobab and acacia trees

• Zebras, elephants, giraffes

• Large numbers of plant and animal species

• Grasses, sunflowers

• Bison, antelopes, rabbits

• 15°–30° north and south of equator

• North Africa e.g. Sahara, Southern Africa e.g. Kalahari and Namib, Australia, Middle East

• Below 250 mm

• Daytime temperatures can reach 50°C but average around 25°C

• Night time temperatures below 0°C

• Summer and winter

• All year round

• Infertile, dry

• Low biodiversity

• Cacti, yucca

• Spiders, scorpions, camels, meerkats

• North of the Arctic Circle and Antarctica

• Less than 250 mm

• Below 0°C for 6–10 months 

• Winter and summer

• 6–10 weeks

• Thin infertile soil

• Permafrost

• Low biodiversity

• Small grasses, mosses, lichen

• Snowy owls, snow bunting, tundra swan

• Arctic foxes, hares and wolves

• Polar bears, musk ox and caribou