The document discusses different biomes and levels of biodiversity. It describes the main terrestrial biomes as tropical forests, temperate forests, tundra, grasslands, deserts, and taiga. For each biome it outlines the dominant climate factors, common flora such as tree and plant species, and representative fauna such as mammals, birds, reptiles and insects found living there. The document also explains that biodiversity can be measured at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels and influences the stability and sustainability of ecosystems.

2. Biodiversity - the variety of
species living in balance within
an ecosystem, biome or planet.

3. The Amazon rainforest is a
biodiversity hotspot due to the
number and variety of species

4. Biome - a major ecosystem
characterised by commonalities
of animals, plants and climate
and soil.

5. For example, most hot and dry
deserts have little rainfall with
few plants and mammals.

6. Biodiversity

7. High biodiversity usually means
a more stable system, with
fewer cyclical explosions in prey
or predator.

8. Biodiversity is a measure of the
health of ecosystems, but not
the total indicator. Polar ice
sheets support less biodiversity
but this healthy.

9. Biodiversity is read on three
levels.

10. • Species Diversity - The amount of different species in
the community and variation within populations of a
given species.

11. • Species Diversity - The amount of different species in
the community and variation within populations of a
given species.
• Ecosystem Diversity - The variety of habitats,
communities and ecological processes within and
between ecosystems.

12. • Species Diversity - The amount of different species in
the community and variation within populations of a
given species.
• Ecosystem Diversity - The variety of habitats,
communities and ecological processes within and
between ecosystems.
• Genetic Diversity - The variety of genes held within
all members of a population.

13. Biodiversity can affect the
stability of ecosystems and the
sustainability of populations,
including humans...

14. ... as each species are
interdependent in both
straightforward and subtle
ways.

15. Biomes in more detail

16. There are 8 officially classified terrestrial biomes (plus
marine and freshwater):
1. Temperate forest
2. Tropical forest
3. Conifer (taiga/boreal)
4. Tropical savannah
5. Temperate grassland
6. Chaparral
7. Tundra
8. Desert

17. Temperate forests occur in
eastern North America, north-
eastern Asia, plus western and
central Europe.

18. Climatic influences include
well-defined seasons.

19. Flora is typified by deciduous
trees is such species as oak and
beech, plus temperate
woodland flowers and fungi.

20. Fauna is represented by
squirrels, rabbits, birds, deer,
fox, and black bear.

21. Tropical forests occur closer to
the equator than temperate
forest.

22. Climatic influences include little
seasonality or temperature
variation, although they may
have a rainy season.

23. Flora is highly diverse, with a
vast variety of tree species and
plants such as orchids, vines,
ferns and mosses.

24. Fauna include numerous birds,
bats, primates, small mammals,
and insects.

25. Coniferous forests
(taiga/boreal), are found in
northern latitudes; Siberia,
Scandinavia, Alaska, and
Canada and Eurasia.

26. The main climatic influences are
long winters and a short
summer growing season.

27. Flora consists mostly of cold-
tolerant evergreen conifers with
needle-like leaves, such as pine,
fir, and spruce.

28. Fauna include woodpeckers,
hawks, moose, bear, weasel,
lynx, fox, wolf, deer and hares

29. Tropical savannahs are found in
a wide band on either side of
the equator on the edges of
tropical rainforests.

30. The main climatic influence is
rainfall concentrated in half the
year, followed by a long period
of drought when fires can
occur.

31. Flora consists mostly of
grasslands with scattered
shrubs or trees.

32. Fauna is highly diverse,
including giraffes, zebras,
snakes, worms, lions, leopards,
hyenas, and elephants.

33. Chaparral is found on most
continents, from the west coast
of the US to the western tip of
Australia and the coastal areas
of the Mediterranean.

34. The main climatic influence is
heat and lack of moisture.
Winters are mild with summer
so hot and dry that fires and
droughts are common.

35. Flora is typified by small, hard
leaves which hold moisture.
Some of these plants are poison
oak, scrub oak and cacti.

36. Fauna includes coyotes, jack
rabbits, mule deer, alligator
lizards, horned toads and
praying mantis.

37. Arctic tundra is located in the
far northern hemisphere,
encircling the North Pole and
extending south to the
coniferous forests.

38. The main climatic influence is
cold (-34°C) and lack of
moisture with a summer
growing season (3-12°C) of just
50 to 60 days.

39. Flora includes shrubs, sedges,
reindeer mosses, liverworts, and
grasses, small flowers and
lichen.

40. Fauna includes caribou, arctic
hares and squirrels, foxes and
wolves.

41. Desert biomes occur wherever
the rainfall is less than 50
cm/year. Hot-dry deserts occur
in North Africa, south-western
U.S., Mexico, and Australia.

42. Hot-dry desert biome is typified
by heat with little seasonal
variation, evaporation rates
usually exceed rainfall rates.

43. Hot-dry desert vegetation is
rare outside of oases. Plants are
almost all ground-hugging
shrubs such as Prickly Pears and
Brittle Bush.

44. Hot-dry desert fauna includes
nocturnal insects, arachnids,
reptiles and birds.

45. Hot-dry desert fauna includes
nocturnal insects, arachnids,
reptiles and birds.

46. Taiga

47. Taiga is the largest terrestrial
biome at 28% of the planet,
located just below the tundra
biome.

48. The main seasons are cold
winters and snow, with humidity
and high precipitation in
summer.

49. There are few species of fauna
in the taiga because of the
harsh conditions, poor soil and
permafrost.

50. Frost-resistant coniferous trees
like pine, spruce and Douglas fir
predominate as well as lichens
and mosses.

51. Seed eaters like finches and
sparrows, and omnivorous birds
like crows stay all year round.

52. The taiga has an abundance of
insects in summer, when many
insect-eating birds like geese
come to feed and breed.

53. Fauna of the taiga include
snowshoe rabbits, red squirrels
and voles. They are predated
upon by wolverines, arctic fox,
lynx and bobcat.

54. The current rate logging in
boreal forests may cause their
disappearance.

55. The permafrost contains a huge
quantity of methane, a powerful
greenhouse gas which may be
released if the permafrost melts

56. END