Citizendia

Biomes
Terrestrial biomes
Tundra
Taiga/boreal forests
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Temperate coniferous forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Montane grasslands and shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub
Mangrove
Aquatic biomes
Continental shelf
Littoral/intertidal zone
Riparian
Pond
Coral reef
Kelp forest
Pack ice
Hydrothermal vents
Cold seeps
Benthic zone
Pelagic zone
Neritic zone
Other biomes
Endolithic zone

A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, often referred to as ecosystems. A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests temperate deciduous forest) --> are a Temperate and Humid Biome. Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial Biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF also known as tropical moist forests, are a Tropical and Subtropical Forest The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest Biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests are a Forest Biome. Tropical and subtropical grasslands savannas and shrublands are a Grassland Biome located in Semi-arid to semi- Humid Climate regions Temperate grasslands Savannas and shrublands is a Biome whose predominant vegetation consists of Grasses and/or Shrubs The Climate Montane grasslands and shrublands is a Biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. Mediterranean forests woodlands and shrub is a temperate Biome, characterized by hot dry summers and mild and rainy winters Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each Continent and associated Coastal plain, which is covered during interglacial periods such Littoral refers to the coast of an ocean or sea or to the banks of a river lake or estuary "Riparian" redirects here For the legal doctrine see " Riparian water rights. A pond is a body of water smaller than a Lake, both being examples of Terrain features Although the term pond is universally used to describe waterbodies that Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of Kelp. Drift ice is Sea ice that floats on the surface of the water in cold regions as opposed to Fast ice, which is attached ("fastened" to a shore A hydrothermal vent is a Fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated Water issues A cold seep (sometimes called a cold vent) is an area of the Ocean floor where Hydrogen sulfide, Methane and other Hydrocarbon -rich The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a Body of water such as an Ocean or a Lake, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface Any water in the sea that is not close to the bottom is in the pelagic zone. The neritic zone, also called the sublittoral zone, is the part of the ocean extending from the low tide mark to the edge of the Continental shelf, with a relatively An endolith or cryptoendolith is an Organism ( Archaeum, Bacterium, Fungus, Lichen, Alga or Amoeba Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of In Ecology, a community is an assemblage of Populations of different Species, interacting with one another Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Soil biology is the study of microbial and faunal activity and Ecology in Soil. An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( Biomes are defined based on factors such as plant structures (such as trees, shrubs, and grasses), leaf types (such as broadleaf and needleleaf), plant spacing (forest, woodland, savanna), and climate. Unlike ecozones, biomes are not defined by genetic, taxonomic, or historical similarities. An ecozone or biogeographic realm is the largest scale biogeographic division of the earth's surface based on the historic and evolutionary distribution patterns Biomes are often identified with particular patterns of ecological succession and climax vegetation. Ecological succession, a fundamental concept in Ecology, refers to more-or-less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community Climax vegetation is the Vegetation which establishes itself on a given site for given climatic conditions in the absence of

The biodiversity characteristic of each biome, especially the diversity of fauna and subdominant plant forms, is a function of abiotic factors and the biomass productivity of the dominant vegetation. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. In Biology, abiotic components are non-living Chemical and Physical factors in the environment. Biomass, in Ecology, is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or Ecosystem at a given time Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region it refers to the Ground cover provided by plants Species diversity tends to be higher in terrestrial biomes with higher net primary productivity, moisture availability, and temperature. See also Primary production (economics Primary production is the production of Organic compounds from atmospheric or aquatic Carbon dioxide, Ecohydrology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" grc ὕδωρ hydōr, "water" and grc -λογία -logia Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature [1]

Ecoregions are grouped into both biomes and ecozones. An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or "

A fundamental classification of biomes is into:

  1. Terrestrial (land) biomes
  2. Freshwater biomes
  3. Marine biomes

Biomes are often given local names. For example, a Temperate grassland or shrubland biome is known commonly as steppe in central Asia, prairie in North America, and pampas in South America. Temperate grasslands Savannas and shrublands is a Biome whose predominant vegetation consists of Grasses and/or Shrubs The Climate In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically Laguna de Gomezjpg|thumb|left|240px|Lake Gomez near Junín in the heart of the Pampas grain belt South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Tropical grasslands are known as savanna or veldt in southern Africa and outback or scrub in Australia. A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. The term Veld, or Veldt, refers primarily (but not exclusively to the wide open rural spaces of South Africa or southern Africa and in particular to certain Outback or the Outback refers to remote arid areas of Australia, although the term colloquially can refer to any lands outside of the main Urban areas Scrubland is a Plant community characterized by scrub Vegetation. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Sometimes an entire biome may be targeted for protection, especially under an individual nation's Biodiversity Action Plan. This article is about a conservation biology topic For other uses of BAP see BAP (disambiguation.

Climate is a major factor determining the distribution of terrestrial biomes. Among the important climatic factors are:

Biodiversity generally increases away from the poles towards the equator and increases with humidity. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. The equator (sometimes referred to colloquially as "the Line") is the intersection of the Earth 's surface with the plane perpendicular to the The most widely used systems of classifying biomes correspond to latitude (or temperature zoning) and humidity. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the More info needed on the estuary biome.

Contents

Map of Biomes

Terrestrial biomes classified by vegetation      Ice desert      Tundra      Taiga      Temperate broadleaf      Temperate steppe      Subtropical rainforest      Mediterranean      Monsoon forest      Desert      Xeric shrubland      Dry steppe      Semidesert      Grass savanna      Tree savanna      Subtropical dry forest      Tropical rainforest      Alpine tundra      Montane forests
Terrestrial biomes classified by vegetation
     Ice desert      Tundra      Taiga      Temperate broadleaf      Temperate steppe      Subtropical rainforest     Mediterranean      Monsoon forest      Desert      Xeric shrubland      Dry steppe      Semidesert     Grass savanna      Tree savanna      Subtropical dry forest      Tropical rainforest      Alpine tundra      Montane forests

Bailey system

Robert G. Bailey developed a biogeographical classification system for the United States in a map published in 1975. Bailey subsequently expanded the system to include the rest of North America in 1981 and the world in 1989. The Bailey system is based on climate and is divided into four domains (Polar, Humid Temperate, Dry, and Humid Tropical), with further divisions based on other climate characteristics (subarctic, warm temperate, hot temperate, and subtropical; marine and continental; lowland and mountain).

WWF system

A team of biologists convened by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) developed an ecological land classification system that identified fourteen biomes, called major habitat types, and further divided the world's land area into 825 terrestrial ecoregions. Ecological land classification is defined as being a cartographical delineation of distinct ecological areas identified by their Geology, Topography An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " This classification is used to define the Global 200 list of ecoregions identified by the WWF as priorities for conservation. The Global 200 is the list of Ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF as priorities for conservation An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " The WWF major habitat types are as follows:

Freshwater biomes

According to the World Wildlife Fund: [2]

Marine biomes

Global 200 marine major habitat types

Other marine habitat types

Anthropogenic biomes

Humans have fundamentally altered global patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem processes. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial Biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests temperate deciduous forest) --> are a Temperate and Humid Biome. Temperate grasslands Savannas and shrublands is a Biome whose predominant vegetation consists of Grasses and/or Shrubs The Climate Mediterranean forests woodlands and shrub is a temperate Biome, characterized by hot dry summers and mild and rainy winters Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests are a Forest Biome. Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF also known as tropical moist forests, are a Tropical and Subtropical Forest The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest Biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes Tropical and subtropical grasslands savannas and shrublands are a Grassland Biome located in Semi-arid to semi- Humid Climate regions Montane grasslands and shrublands is a Biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. Flooded grasslands and savannas are a Biome, generally located at subtropical and tropical latitudes where which are flooded seasonally or year-round __NOEDITSECTION__This is an alphabetical list of Sovereign states and dependencies (listed in Italic) that have at least some territory lying within The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each Continent and associated Coastal plain, which is covered during interglacial periods such Littoral refers to the coast of an ocean or sea or to the banks of a river lake or estuary Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of Kelp. Drift ice is Sea ice that floats on the surface of the water in cold regions as opposed to Fast ice, which is attached ("fastened" to a shore A hydrothermal vent is a Fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated Water issues A cold seep (sometimes called a cold vent) is an area of the Ocean floor where Hydrogen sulfide, Methane and other Hydrocarbon -rich The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a Body of water such as an Ocean or a Lake, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface Any water in the sea that is not close to the bottom is in the pelagic zone. The neritic zone, also called the sublittoral zone, is the part of the ocean extending from the low tide mark to the edge of the Continental shelf, with a relatively For more than a century the Biosphere has been described in terms of global ecosystem units called Biomes, which are vegetation types like Tropical rainforests and As a result, vegetation forms predicted by conventional biome systems are rarely observed across most of Earth's land surface. Anthropogenic biomes provide an alternative view of the terrestrial biosphere based on global patterns of sustained direct human interaction with ecosystems, including agriculture, human settlements, urbanization, forestry and other uses of land. For more than a century the Biosphere has been described in terms of global ecosystem units called Biomes, which are vegetation types like Tropical rainforests and Anthropogenic biomes offer a new way forward in ecology and conservation by recognizing the irreversible coupling of human and ecological systems at global scales and moving us toward an understanding how best to live in and manage our biosphere and the anthropogenic biosphere we live in.

Major Anthropogenic Biomes

Other biomes

The Endolithic biome, consisting entirely of microscopic life in rock pores and cracks, kilometers beneath the surface, has only recently been discovered and does not fit well into most classification schemes. An endolith or cryptoendolith is an Organism ( Archaeum, Bacterium, Fungus, Lichen, Alga or Amoeba Porosity is a measure of the void spaces in a material and is measured as a fraction between 0–1 or as a Percentage between 0–100% The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand

See also

References

  1. ^ Pidwirny, Michael (2006-10-16). Biomics is a biological study to process Biome data Biome contains a very large scale omics information such as Metagenome and Pangenome where genomic Climate classification systems are ways of classifying the world's Climates A climate classification may correlate closely with a Biome category as climate is a major An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " Ecotopes are the smallest ecologically-distinct Landscape features in a landscape mapping and classification system An ecozone or biogeographic realm is the largest scale biogeographic division of the earth's surface based on the historic and evolutionary distribution patterns A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species. A biosphere reserve is an international Conservation designation given by UNESCO under its Programme on The World Network of Biosphere Reserves was established at the International Conference on Biosphere Reserves in Seville in 1995. In Population genetics, a gene pool is the complete set of unique Alleles in a Species or Population. Genetic pollution is undesirable Gene flow into wild populations Genetic erosion is a process whereby an already limited Gene pool of an Endangered species of plant or animal diminishes even more when individuals from the surviving "Biomes". Encyclopedia of Earth. Ed. Sidney Draggan. Washington, D. C. : Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment. Retrieved on 2006-11-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published  
  2. ^ "Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: Major Habitat Types" [1]. Accessed May 12, 2008.

External links

Dictionary

biome

-noun

  1. any major regional biological community such as that of forest or desert
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