Problem 2

Background and context

A biome is a large area that experiences the same climate, vegetation, and wildlife. Biomes are divided into terrestrial and aquatic biomes.

Terrestrial biomes vary in vegetation because of differences in temperature and precipitation. There are eight terrestrial biomes as shown in Figure 44.12

• Tropical forests – Tropical rainforests are mostly found in places close to the equator. These forests have stable temperatures between 20⁰C and 34⁰C and rainfall ranging from 125 cm to 660 cm.
• Savannas – They are situated in Africa, South America, and northern Australia. They have temperatures ranging from 24⁰C to 29⁰C and experience very little rainfall; between 10 to 40 cm.
• Subtropical Deserts – They are situated between 15⁰ and 30⁰ north and south latitude. Deserts are very hot during the day (60⁰C) and cold at night (0⁰C). Rainfall is less than 50 cm. 
• Chaparral: It is mostly found in California, along the Mediterranean Sea, and the southern coast of Australia. It experiences hot, dry summers and mild wet winters. It mostly rains during the winters with annual rainfall ranging from 65 cm to 75 cm. 
• Temperate Grasslands: They are known as prairies in North America and steppes in Eurasia. They have hot summers and cold winters. The annual precipitation varies from 25 cm to 75 cm.
• Temperate Forests: They are found in North America, Western Europe, Eastern Asia, Chile, and New Zealand. The temperature varies between -30⁰C to 30⁰C. Precipitation is constant throughout the year and ranges between 75 cm and 150 cm.
• Boreal Forests: It is also known as taiga and is found south of the Arctic Circle, Canada, Alaska, Russia, and northern Europe. The temperature ranges from 14⁰C in summer to -10⁰C in winter. The annual precipitation is between 30-83 cm. 
• Arctic Tundra: It is located throughout the Arctic region. The temperature in summers is between 3⁰C and 12⁰C and in winters the temperature falls to -34⁰C.  The annual precipitation is approximately 25 cm.