Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

Facultad de Ingeniería

Technical English II

Inga. Tatiana Vallejo

INVESTIGATION OF

BIOMES

Oswaldo José Hernández Soria

2012-24256

13 / 08 / 2015

INTRODUCTIONA biome also called bioclimatic landscape or biotic area (and not to be confused

with a ecozone or ecoregion), it is a particular part delplaneta sharing climate,

vegetation and fauna. A biome is a set of characteristic ecosystems of one

biogeographical area is named after the vegetation and animal species

quepredominan on it and are appropriate. It is the expression of the ecological

conditions in the regional or continental level: the climate induced soil and

ecological conditions induce both wings respond communities of plants and

animals of the biome in this paper question.In the information is presented very rich

in this topic

OBJECTIVES What is a " biome "?

Difference between " biomes " and " Ecosystem "

Classification of " biomes "

Types of " biomes " found,

What are biomes?

Biomes are described according to their abiotic factors such as climate and soil type, and abiotic factors such as plant and animal life. The main biomes include tropical rain forests, tropical dry forest, prairie / savanna / tropical steppe, desert, temperate grassland, temperate forest and steppe, temperate forest, coniferous forest northwest, temperate forest and steppe, temperate forest, coniferous forest Northwest, boreal forest / taiga and tundra. Each biome is associated with seasonal temperature and precipitation patterns that can be summarized in a graph called climate diagram as follows:

Rainforest

Tropical rain forests are the place of more species than all other biomes juntos.Caen at least two meters of rain a year. The tall trees form a dense and lush called canopy cover that can reach 50 to 80 meters high from the ground. In the shadow is under the forest canopy, low trees and vines form a layer called undergrowth. The organic matter of the forest floor is recycled and reused so fast that the ground of almost all tropical rainforests are not very rich in nutrients.

Abiotic factors: hot and humid all year round; thin soil with few nutrients subject to erosion.

Biotic factors:

1. Plant life: understory plants compete for sunlight, so almost all have large leaves that maximize the capture of the limited light. The tall trees growing on flat ground and with few nutrients often have roots underpinning to support them.

Epiphytes grow on the branches of the upper floors of place on the ground. This reminds you epiphytes exploit the available sunlight while getting nutrients through its host.

2. Animal life: the animals are active throughout the year, many use camouflage to hide from predators; some can change color to match their surroundings. Animals that live in the undergrowth have adaptations for climbing, jumping and / or fly.

Dry Forest

Tropical dry forests grow in areas where the rainy seasons alternate with dry seasons. In most places, a prolonged drought period follows a period of rainfall.

Abiotic factors: I warm all year round; alternating wet and dry seasons; nutrient-rich soils subject to erosion.

Biotic factors:

1. Plant Life: adaptations to survive the dry season include seasonal loss of leaves. Plants that lose their leaves during a specific season are called deciduous. Some plants also have a thick waxy layer on additional leaves to reduce water loss or store water in their tissues.

2. Animal life: many animals reduce their need for water to enter or long period of inactivity called aestivation. Aestivation is similar to hibernation, but the original is carried out during dry seasons. Other animals, including many birds and primates move to air where water is available during the season.

Prairie / savanna / tropical estepa

This biome receives more seasonal rain unless deserts dry tropical forests. Areas covered are herbal isolated trees and small trees and shrubs. Compact soils, quite frequent fires and action of large animals, such as rhinos and elephants, prevent some areas from becoming dry forests.

Abiotic factors: warm; seasonal rain; compacted soils; Frequent fires started by lightning.

Biotic factors:

1. Plant life: the adaptations of plants are similar to those of dry tropical forest, including waxy covered in leaves and seasonal loss of these. Some grasses have a high silicon content which makes them less palatable for herbivores pastan.Además, unlike most plants, grasses grow from its base, not from their ends so they can continue to grow after being grazed .

2. Animal Life: Many animals migrate during the dry season in search of water and some smaller escavan burrows and lie dormant during the dry season.

Desert

Deserts get less than 25 centimeters of precipitation a year, but outside these vary greatly, depending on elevation and latitude. Many deserts undergo extreme changes in daily temperature that alternates between hot and cold

Abiotic factors: little precipitation; varying temperatures, soil rich in minerals but with little organic matter

Biotic factors:

1. Plant life: many plants, including cacti, store water in their tissues and minimize the surface area of the leaves to reduce water loss. The cactus spines are actually modified leaves. Many desert plants perform photosynthesis specific ways to open the pores of the leaves only at night, allowing them to retain moisture in hot, dry days.

2. Animal Life: Many desert animals get the water they need from their food. To avoid the hottest part of the day, many are nocturnal: they are only active at night. Its large and elongated ears and other limbs often have many blood vessels near the surface. So you lose body heat and regulates its temperature.

Temperate grassland

Plains and grasslands with fertile soil once covered large areas of central and midwestern United States. Newspapers fire and intense grazing herbivores maintained plant communities dominated by grasses. Today, almost all ah been converted into agricultural land because its soil is rich in nutrients and ideal for cultivation.

Abiotic factors: clients temperate summers; cold winters; moderate seasonal rainfall; fertile soils; sporadic fire.

Biotic factors:

1. Plant Floor: prairie plants, especially grasses that grow from the ground and are resistant to grazing and fire. The seed dispersal by wind is common in this environment uncluttered environment, root structure and growth habits of native prairie plants ay help preserve the deep, rich, fertile topsoil.

2. Animal Life: Because temperate grasslands are so clear and exposed environments, predation is a constant threat to small animals. Camouflage and construction of burrows are two common protective adaptations.

Temperate Forest and Steppe

In open forests, large area of grass and wild flore, as poppies, are interspersed with oaks and other trees. The communities that are forest steppes known as chaparral. The dense and short plants containing flammable oils make the fire is a constant threat.

Abiotic factors: hot and dry summers; thin, nutrient-poor soils; periodic fires.

Biotic factors:

1. Plant Life: Plants This biome have been taken to drought. Woody plants of the chaparral is hard waxy leaves that resist water loss. Fire resistance is also important, although the seeds of some plants need fire to germinate.

2. Animal Life: The animals are often browsers, which means that lead varied diets of grass, leaves, shrubs and other vegetation. On the exposed steppe, camouflage is common.

Temperate Forest

Temperate forests are mainly composed of deciduous trees and coniferous evergreen. Coniferous trees or conifers, produce cones where the seeds and most have needle-shaped leaves, which are covered with a waxy substance that helps reduce water loss. These forests have cold winters. In the fall, the deciduous trees lose their leaves. In the spring, small plants sprout from the ground and flourish. Fertile soils are often rich in humus, a material formed of leaves and other organic materials decomposing.

Abiotic factors: moderately cold winters; warm summer; precipitation throughout the year; fertile soils.

Biotic factors:

1. Plant life: Deciduous trees lose their leaves and enter a state of dormancy in the winter. Conifers have needle-shaped leaves to minimize the loss of water with the dry winter air.

2. Animal Life: The animals must keep on changing climate. Some hibernate; others migrate to warmer climates. Animals that do not hibernate or migrate can be camouflaged to escape predators in the winter when the bare trees left exposed.

Coniferous Forest Northwest

Light moist air from the Pacific Ocean influenced by the Rocky Mountains provides abundant rainfall this biome. The forest includes a variety of conifers, from giant redwoods, spruce, fir and hemlock, until flowering trees and shrubs such as wild cherry and rhododendron. Moss often covers the trunks of the trees and the forest floor. Because of its lush vegetation, coniferous forest Northwest is sometimes called "temperate rainforest".

Abiotic factors: Mild temperatures; abundant rainfall in autumn, winter and spring; cold, dry summers; acids rocky soils.

Biotic factors:

1. Plant Life: Due to the seasonal temperature variation in this biome there is less diversity in tropical rain forests. However, the abundance of water and nutrients promotes a dense and lush plant growth. Are common adaptations which allow plants to get sunlight. The trees here are among the highest in the world.

2. Animal Life: Camouflage allows insects or mammals that live in the soil to avoid predation. Many animals are browsers, that is, carry a varied diet, an advantage in an environment where the vegetation changes with each season.

Boreal / Taiga Forest

The dense forests of evergreen conifers that this lake to the north bank of the temperate zone are called boreal forest, or taiga.

The winters are bitterly cold, but the summers are mild and last long enough to melt the floor. Boreal The word comes from the Greek word "north", reflecting the fact that the boreal forests have almost always in the north of the northern hemisphere.

Abiotic factors: long, cold winters; short cool summers; moderate rainfall; high humidity; acid soil with few nutrients.

Biotic factors:

1. Plant life: conifers are well adapted to the environment of the boreal forest. Its conical shape repels snow and waxy needle-shaped leaves prevent excessive water loss. In addition, the dark green of most conifers absorbs heat energy.

2. Animal life: stay warm is the biggest challenge for the animals. Almost all have small limbs and additional insulation in the form of fat or silky feathers. Some migrate to warmer areas for the winter.

Tundra

The tundra is characterized by permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen subsoil. During the short summer season fresh, soil melts at a depth of several centimeters and sopping wet. In the winter, the topsoil is refrozen. This cycle of freezing and thawing, ripping and crushing the roots of plants, is one of the reasons why the tundra plants are small and stunted. Cold temperatures, high winds, the short growing season and soils with little humus also limit the height of the plants.

Biotic factors: Strong winds, low rainfall, short summers and wet, dark winters and long, cold, poorly developed soils, permafrost.

Abiotic factors:

1. Plant Life: By holding down, mosses and other short plants prevent damage caused by frequent high winds. It is common the dispersal of seeds by wind. Many plants have adapted to grow in soil with few nutrients. For example, the vegetables have bacteria in their roots fix nitrogen.

2. Animal Life: Many animals migrate to avoid the long, harsh winters. Animals that live in the tundra all year show adaptations as a natural antifreeze, small limbs that limit heat loss and a varied diet.

CONCLUSIONSOne can deduce that the definition of biome covers only the living

environment, that is, that as "biome" can understand that it is a large

community that has wildlife with their own characteristics and that this

concept covers only the living factors and biological in a given area. It is

understood that the non-biological and non-living factors and correspond to

a higher concept, which is "Ecosystem", in which there is interaction

between the "biotic" and "abiotic".

You can also conclude that there are several types of biomes, which are;

Tundra, Forest, Meadow, Chaparral and Desert Taiga.

REFERENCE GUIDE http://www.theglobaleducationproject.org/earth/global-ecology.php#3

http://www.worldbiomes.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biome