There are five major biomes on Earth: Aquatic, Desert, Grassland, Forest and Tundra. Each biome has unique characteristics that make its environment habitable for billions of creatures on Earth. The biomes are determined by their main characteristics. Aquatic biomes are what they sound like they are, biomes that are bodies of water. This can be oceans, lakes and seas. The terrestrial biomes are determined by parameters that determine their characteristics such as: the amount of precipitation, temperature and even elevation.
Aquatic biomes are further divided into regions in large bodies of water. These are usually determined by the amount of light that is found in the aquatic environment. The surface region usually has the most plant life as they require light to make food through photosynthesis. The lower regions have little light and higher pressure. The life found in this region is accustomed to living under these conditions.
Terrestrial biomes vary greatly. The desert biomes are the driest on Earth. They have very little precipitation and have life that is prepared to store water under extreme conditions. Succulents are common plant life in a desert. Although most individuals believe that deserts are known for great heat, most deserts have extreme heat during the day and extreme cold at night.
Grasslands are also prairies. They are marked by land that is most suitable for long stretches of grass. These are usually lands that require the abiotic factor of fire to remove underbrush from time to time and to activate seeds. Grasslands are commonly turned into farmland as they are usually rich and very suitable for crops.
Forests are found throughout every region on the Earth. There are several types of forests: Tropical, Temperate and Boreal. Tropical Rainforests are found near to the equator. They are marked by high precipitation levels and a well-established forest canopy that blocks a great deal of the sunlight. There is a wide range of life found in a Tropical Rain Forest of every shape and size. The temperate forests are regions that experience seasons. The trees in a temperate forest lose their leaves (except for coniferous trees). There are a large number of animals well suited to these seasons that reside in this forest. The final type of forest is a boreal forest. This type of forest has a great deal of snow and is found in Europe, Canada and Siberia to name a few. Animals in this region must be adapted to the extreme cold and sparse food.
The final biome is the tundra. The tundra is marked by a permanent layer of permafrost. This layer of frost and ice prevents plants in this region from growing very tall. As a result, the plants in tundra are low to the ground and adjusted to the harsh, cold conditions. Moose and bear can be found in these regions.
