Terrestrial Biomes: Water-limited Environments

! Review: Five major land biomes are;

• polar and high mountain ice
• tundra
• taiga
• temperate deciduous forests
• tropical forests
! The other four major land biomes are:
• desert
• grassland
• savannah
• chaparral
! Many plants in chaparrals, savannas, and grasslands have adapted to and depend on
periodic fires.
Water is a limiting factor in deserts. By
definition, a desert receives less than 30
centimeters of rain annually. Most deserts are
concentrated around specific latitudes that
have descending masses of warm, dry air that
create the dry climate. Plants and animals
that occur here are adapted to conserve
water. Cacti are specialized to store water for
long periods of time. Many desert animals
have thick skins or exoskeletons to prevent
water loss.
The grasslands of central North America,
Russia, and parts of Africa are climatic zones
in between forest and desert where fire and
grazing animals prevent the spread of trees.
Tall or short grasses, depending on the
amount of rainfall available regionally,
characterize grasslands. Bison and pronghorn
antelope are native to North American
grasslands. Giraffes, zebras, white
rhinoceroses, and various species of antelopes
occur in African grasslands.
Savannahs are tropical grasslands that have
patches of thorny trees. The large animals
that occur there also inhabit the adjacent
grasslands. Herds of wildebeest, Thompson’s
gazelles, and black rhinos inhabit the African
savanna. Savannas receive most of their
rainfall during the wet season.

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