Biomes of the World

A BIOME is a major life zone of Earth — a region with a particular climate and the kinds of plants and animals adapted to it. There are several major terrestrial biomes (and aquatic ones too). The Amazon rainforest is a biome. The Sahara desert is a biome. The Arctic tundra is a biome. Each has its own flora and fauna, shaped by the climate.

Major land biomes. TROPICAL RAINFOREST: hot and very wet — most species per acre on Earth. SAVANNA: warm with seasonal rain — grasslands with scattered trees. DESERT: dry — adapted plants like cacti, animals active at night. TEMPERATE GRASSLAND (prairie/steppe): seasonal rain. TEMPERATE FOREST: 4 distinct seasons — deciduous trees lose leaves in fall. BOREAL FOREST (taiga): cold, evergreen conifers. TUNDRA: frigid — frozen most of the year, no trees. Mountains have biomes that change with elevation.

Aquatic biomes. FRESHWATER: lakes, rivers, ponds. WETLANDS: swamps, marshes — high productivity. ESTUARIES: where rivers meet ocean — extremely diverse. OCEAN: covers 70% of Earth's surface, with multiple zones (intertidal, open ocean, deep sea, coral reefs). The deep ocean is one of the LEAST explored places on Earth. Each biome has its own challenges and adaptations.

Biomes are nature's answer to climate. Different climates produce different communities. Knowing the biomes helps you understand why life on Earth looks the way it does.