Biomes 3

18.2 The distribution of biomes is determined by climate

-Tundra-Taiga/Boreal Forest-Mountainous Coniferous-Deciduous Forest-Savanna-Shrublands -Grasslands-Desert-Subtropical & Tropical

General Classification Scheme

Grassland

Grasslands are lands dominated by grass. Ha ha. Well its true. But WHY? Edaphic in some cases. Sometimes temperature. But in midwestern US- mostly disturbance driven structure. Today almost all of the grasslands of the US have been turned into soybean fields or corn.

Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)Characteristic species of tall grass prairie. Incredibly deep root system.

18.20 Tallgrass prairie in Nebraska, in the center of the U.S.

American bison: Bison bison

Keystone species, and the center of a flourishing an vibrant human culture (Ogllala Sioux) they were nearly “hunted” to extinction by Anglos. It wasn’t hunting, actually, it was slaughter: Ecological Ignorance meets Basic Human Avarice…

Ogallala Aquifer

Long term sustainability of Great Plains agriculture is very much in doubt…Water is in short supply, water table is dropping, the largest aquifer in the US, by far, is being depleted.

Thousands of ghost towns, exceedingly low population density…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Commons

18.26 Alpine grassland in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

-Steppe…I am not going into detail on Steppe. It is high elevation grasslands in Siberia, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re644qgnCtw

18.2 The distribution of biomes is determined by climate

-Tundra-Taiga/Boreal Forest-Mountainous Coniferous-Deciduous Forest-Savanna-Shrublands -Grasslands-Desert-Subtropical & Tropical

General Classification Scheme

-Desert

Focus on the desert southwest

Columnar Cacti/sub-tree, shrubs Sub shrubs/Opuntia Perennial grass Dune

Death valley

Sonoran desertvery species rich…

Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)10 feet tallIs found in the Sonoran desert.

Arches, Utah

Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)10 feet tallIs found in the Sonoran desert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=725R5RvtiUI

Side winder rattlesnake: (Crotalus cerastes)

Road Runner: Geococcyx californianus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geococcyx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxYUS_shPfo&NR=1

18.2 The distribution of biomes is determined by climate

-Tundra-Taiga/Boreal Forest-Mountainous Coniferous-Deciduous Forest-Savanna-Chaparral -Grasslands-Desert-Subtropical & Tropical

General Classification Scheme

-Subtropical & tropical forest

18.5 (A) Interior of Rara Avis Rainforest in Costa Rica, (B) Epiphytes are symbiotic commensals

18.6 A tropical montane forest in the La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park, Costa Rica

Rainforests:6% of Earth’s surface- 50% of the species

In the Amazon- - 170,000 species of plant (68% of the known total- 250,000)

- In 5 acres- 300 species of tree.

- 30% of all bird species

Insect diversity is unimaginable, and unknown:

One example:2.5 acres- 18,000 species of beetle- most of them were new to science (had no name).

Global Rainforest Loss

35% lost

50% lost52% lost

Biomes 3