Biomes are areas that have similar abiotic and biotic factors. The biome may be terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial biomes are mainly affected by the climate, which influences plant life, biodiversity, and the ability to adapt. The different aquatic biomes are usually based on the amount of available sunlight and concentrations of dissolved oxygen and other nutrients in the water.
Biome: Climatically and geographically similar areas with similar conditions on the Earth. This includes communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms.
Terrestrial Biome: A biome on land.
Aquatic Biome: A biome surrounding or in water
Climate: The average weather conditions in any given area over a long period of time. It is described in terms of temperature and moisture.
Growing Season: The period of time each year when it is warm and wet enough for plants to grow successfully.
Dormancy: A state in which a plant slows down its cellular activities and may shed its leaves.
Photic Zone: Area in aquatic biomes that goes as deep as 200 meters (656 feet) below the surface of the water.
Aphotic Zone: Area in aquatic biomes that is below 200 meters (656 feet).
Marine Biome: Aquatic biome located in the ocean.
Salinity: The saltiness of a body of water. It usually refers to the amounts of sodium chloride, bicarbonates, magnesium, and calcium sulfates in water.
Intertidal Zone: In marine biomes, the narrow strip along the coastline that is covered by water at high tide and exposed to air at low tide.
Freshwater Biome: An aquatic biome that has little or no salt.
Wetland: Area that is saturated with water or covered by water at least one season annually.
Estuary: A body of water that has both saltwater and freshwater.
Terrestrial biomes are biomes on land. The main features of terrestrial biomes are influenced by climate, with temperature and moisture being the two most important abiotic factors.
Generally, temperature drops as we move from the equator to the two poles. We can describe major temperature zones based on how far north or south the region is from the equator. This can be seen in the map next page.
The following are seven of the most widely reoccurring biomes:
Climate is different from weather. Weather is used for day-to-day conditions (such as checking the weather conditions for the week), while climate is over a longer period of time.
Aquatic biomes are not as affected by temperature and climate. Instead, the two most important abiotic factors that affect aquatic biomes are the availability of sunlight and the concentration of dissolved oxygen and other nutrients in the water
For large bodies of standing water, the water can be divided into the following zones:
The types of aquatic organisms found in the aquatic biome differ depending on where they live.
Aquatic biomes include: