Visualizing Environmental Science

Arizona Desert.

Biomes differ in the

relative amounts of

precipitation they

receive and in the

seasonal distribution

of precipitation.

Alaska Tundra.

At higher latitudes, temperature is more important

than precipitation in shaping biomes, as mean annual

temperatures decline poleward.

Costa Rica Tropical Rain Forest.
In temperate and tropical zones,
precipitation is more important than
temperature in shaping biomes.

T

Arizona D

Biomes di

relative am

precipitat

receive an

seasaonal

of precipi

DECREASING PRECIPITATION

Hot

DECREASING TEMPERATURE

Cold

Arctic

INCREASING LATITUDE

Tropics

Wet Dry

TundraTundra

Boreal forestBoreal forest

Temperate

deciduous forest

Temperate

deciduous forest

ChaparralChaparral Temperate

desert

Temperate

desert

Temperate

grassland

Temperate

grassland

Temperate

rain forest

Tropical

rain forest

Savanna Moist tropical

desert

Dry tropical

desert

Tropical

rain forest

Savanna Moist tropical

desert

Dry tropical

desert

Tropical dry

forest

Tropical dry

forest

Based on Holdridge, L. Life Zone Ecology. Tropical Science Center, San Jose, Costa Rica (1967).

RICHARD NOWITZ/NG Image Collection

JOEL SAR ORE/NG Image Collection

Michael Melford/NG Image Collection

Environmental InSight

How climate shapes

terrestrial biomes Ê UÊ ˆ}ÕÀiÊ6.2

✓✓THE PLANNER

Two climate factors, temperature and

precipitation, have a predominant effect

on biome distribution.

Earth’s Major Biomes 129