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Taiga 

(Coniferous Forest)

Abiotic Factors:

Climate- During the summer, it is cool and dry and during 

the winter, it is extremely cold. This biome receives 

abundant rainfall during the fall, winter, and spring. 

Precipitation averages 20 inches per year.

Soil- The soil is very rocky and acidic. The soil is also 

generally thin and it is poorly drained. 

Landforms- muskeg -type of bog or marsh with layers of 

decaying plants.,   Hummocks & Marsh covered Hollows

Taiga Animals Include

Wolf

Tucaroo

Weasel

Taiga Plants

Douglas Fir

Trembling Aspen

Lyall's Mariposa Lily

Human Impact

In the taiga biomes, logging is probably the main source of 

destruction. Replanting after logging leads to single-species 

conifer mono-cultures. Also, fur-bearing animals are 

important, and high-intensity hunting a trapping has reduced 

the number of the many of them. On the other hand, 

humans also have a positive impact on the taiga. Some people 

are trying to reduce the amount of hunting so animals will 

proceed to live in the taiga.Scientists believe the best 

possible solution to save the forests in the Taiga biome is to 

protect what forest we have left.

Location

Latitude: 

61°20'19.34"N  

Longitude: 

108°28'21.91"W

Tropical Rain Forest

Abiotic Factors

Climate- Rain forests belong to the tropical wet climate group. 

The temperature in a rain forest rarely gets higher than 93 °F 

(34 °C) or drops below 68 °F (20 °C); average humidity is 

between 77 and 88%; rainfall is often more than 100 inches a 

year. There is usually a brief season of less rain. In monsoonal 

areas, there is a real dry season. Almost all rain forests lie near 

the equator.

Sunlight- The tropical Rainforest gets about 12 hours of sunlight 

daily. 

Water- Some of the largest rivers are the Amazon, Madeira, 

Mekong, Negro, Orinoco, and Congo (Zaire).

Animals

Anteater

Sloth

Poison Dart Frog

Plants

Rubber Tree

Canopy Tree

Bamboo Tree

Human Impact

      Human Activity in the Rainforest Biome has allowed for the discovery and 

implementation of many different medicines, nearly 120 prescription medications 

today are derived from plants in the tropical rainforest, nearly ⅔ of these drugs 

are known to have cancer fighting properties, not only are the drugs used to 

combat cancer, they are key in fighting malaria, heart disease, hypertension, 

bronchitis, diabetes, arthritis, and other medications. Human exploration of the 

rainforest has yielded important medical progress for mankind, the tropical 

rainforest’s diverse climate has allowed for an extremely diverse biome, the 

diversity has allowed for it to be called “Nature’s medicine cabinet.” With the 

effective natural remedies that it possesses to cure many human illnesses and 

diseases, human exploration of the rainforest has unlocked an extremely vital 

source of medicine.

Location

20° north and 16° south, and longitude 95° 

to 105° east-Longest chain of rain forests 

Tundra

Abiotic Factors:

Climate-The main seasons are winter and summer. Spring and fall are only short 

periods between winter and summer. The tundra is the world's coldest and driest 

biomes. The average annual temperature is -18° F (-28° C). Nights can last for weeks 

when the sun barely rises during some months in the winter, and the temperature can 

drop to -94° F (-70° C). During the summer the sun shines almost 24 hours a day, 

which is why the Arctic is also called the Land of the Midnight Sun. Summer are 

usually warm. Temperatures can get up to 54° F (12° C), but it can get as cold as 37° F 

(3° C). Average summer temperatures range from 37° to 60°F (3° to 16°C). 

Soil- The ground is permanently frozen 10 inches to 3 feet (25 to 100 cm) down so 

that trees can't grow there. The bare and sometimes rocky ground can only support 

low growing plants.

Precipitation-   Only about 6 - 10 inches of precipitation (mostly snow)   fall each year. 

Below the soil is the tundra's permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of earth. 

During the short summers the top layer of soil may thaw just long enough to let 

plants grow and reproduce. Since it can't sink into the ground, water from   melting 

permafrost and snow forms lakes and marshes each summer.

Animals

Caribou

Lemmings

Snowshoe Rabbit

Plants

Bearberry

Labrador Tea

Diamond Leaf 

Willow

Human Impacts

    The human impact on the Tundra has been extremely 

negative. The reason for this   involves hunting and global 

warming. The tundra has a very fragile environment and very 

small changes puts it in immediate danger and threatens the 

entire biome. Rising temperatures, in which is affected by 

global warming, causes the glaciers to melt resulting in floods 

killing plants and species. Human activity has severely harmed 

the habitat and the local wildlife through pollution and over 

development.

Location

71.2* N; 156*W

The Desert

 Abiotic Factors:

Climate- All months of the desert have average temperatures over 

64° F (18° C). The desert is hot and dry. Deserts have very little 

rainfall in a year, usually less than 10 inches. 

Soil- Desert soils form in areas where the demand for water by the 

atmosphere (evaporation) and plants (transpiration) is much greater 

than precipitation.  

Landforms- The majority of the desert, 10 to 20 percent, is 

covered by sand. Other landforms may include alluvial fan, butte, 

dunes, mesas, oasis, plateau, canyons, gravel, boulders, mountains, 

clay, and various types of soil. 

Animals

Bobcat

Coyote

Armadillo

Soaptree Yucca

Joshua tree

Barrel cactus

Plants

Human Effects

     Many human actions affect the desert biome. Off roading, when 

we run our vehicles over the desert soil and carve the tracks into 

the soil that will scar the land for many years, is a very good 

example. These tracks can kill off vegetation in the desert. When 

the vegetation is hurt so are the animals. Animals that rely on the 

sandy desert floor for camouflage can also be harmed greatly. 

    Little water moves through the desert. When we remove fossil 

water, we are basically mining for water. Burning and overgrazing 

the land on the desert may irreversibly damage some plants that 

holds the soil together. Desertification can be caused. 

Location

Between 15° and 35° latitude (North and South of 

the equator); examples are Mojave, Sonoran, 

Chihuahua, and Great Basin (North America); 

Sahara (Africa); Negev (Middle East); and Gobi 

(Asia)

The 

Grasslands/Prairie 

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