1. Biome tour - Grasslands

2. Temperate grassland Less rain than TDF Like TDF TDF = temperate deciduous forest

3. Dominated by … grasses! Few trees—why? Very fertile soils—US midwest farm belt Temperate grasslands

4. Temperate grasslands • Rainfall is much less than temperate deciduous forest • Fires have also helped keep trees from growing • Grasses rebound from fire quickly

5. Temperate grassland • Soils are deep and fertile • The main US farming region • Prairie is the name for temperate grasslands in the midwest • They have largely disappeared under the farmer’s plow

6. Temperate Grassland Purple needlegrass Blue Grama Buffalo grass Galleta Asters Blazing Stars Coneflowers Goldenrods Sunflowers Clovers Psoraleas Wild Indigos

8. Tundra Water is scarce, too Coldest biome

9. Cold and dry Growing season only 50-60 days Treeless Low biological diversity—compare to tropical rainforest Tundra

10. Tundra • Soils form very slowly • There is a layer of permanently frozen soil, called PERMAFROST, which limits root growth Result of permafrost: Waterlogged soils or bogs 

11. Tundra • Animals have adaptations to the cold • Fur • Large and round • Migratory—many birds breed in the tundra but spend 9-10 months elsewhere

12. Tundra • Plants often low growing

14. Tropical Savanna Warm and stable Seasonal rainfall: Dry and wet seasons

15. Tropical Savanna • Serengeti plain, Kenya • Note: • Grassland, scattered trees • large herbivores, temporary water

16. Tropical Savanna • Warm, like tropical rainforest • BUT: rainfall is seasonal, with a few months of drought

17. Tropical Savanna • Plants: • Tall grasses • Trees may or may not form a canopy • Animals • Depend on the seasonal rains • Migrate in search of forage