Biomes Educational Posters & Charts
for the science, social studies classrooms, home schoolers, theme decor.

Biomes Overall
Poster Text: To define a BIOME, first examine the BIOSPHERE of our planet. The BIOSPHERE is the part of the Earth's atmosphere, crust and waters that support life. It extends nearly 8 kilometers above the Earth's surface and another 8 kilometers down into the planet's crust and oceans.
For study purposes, scientists have divided the vast BIOSHPERE into smaller units. Often these units are called BIOMES. An ecological commuity that can be distinguished by its climate, plant and animals is called a BIOME.
The Earth has many BIOMES, each varying in temperature, landmass, currents, precipitations, amount of light and so on. These variances create distinct habitats, forming complex communities of interdependent plant and animals.
Scientists do not agree on the number and types of BIOMES. In nature, similar organisms often exhibit unique qualities that set them apart, but not enough to distinguish them completely from others. The same is true for BIOMES. A diciduous forest may contain an unusual number of coniferous trees, but not enough to make it a coniferous forest.

Desert Biome
Poster Text: Deserts are harsh environments found all around the world, covering about one-fifth of the planet. Characterized by low rainfall, deserts receive less than 25 centimeters of rain per year. While most are swelteringly hot, such as the Australian Desert, a few, like the Gobi Desert in Asia can get very cold. Desert temperatures might also drop at night, and can plunge below freezing during the winter season. Despite the lack of water and other extreme conditions, most deserts are home to many species of plants and animals.
Life native to the desert is highly specialized and well-adapted to the extreme climate. Sagebrush, short grasses, creosote bushes and cacti are just a few of the plants found there. Desert plants have root and water storage systems ideal for minimizing moisture loss. Within hours of rainfall, desert plants bloom, reproduce, and store water needed for the coming drought.
The desert is home to many reptiles, insects, birds and some small mammals, such as the kangaroo mice in North America. The animals surviving in the desert have evolved perfectly to suit the climate. Most desert animals are nocturnal, sheltering themselves from the sun during the day, either in shade or burrows. A unique physical adaptation is the storage of fat in humps or tails, rather than throughout the body, as fat causes heat to intensify. The absence of sweat glands, and the concentration of urine are other physical adaptations.

Freshwater Biome

Poster Text: The diverse freshwater biome includes all of the world's lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands. The waters of this biome are characterized by an extremely low salt content and are home to a wide variety of animals and plant life.
Lakes and ponds generally are separated from other bodies of water and are broken ionto two categories: oligotrophic and eutrophic. Oligotrophic lakes contain small amounts of organic matter and generally have clear water and rocky or sandy bottoms. Eutrophic lakes are rich in organic matter and tend to have murky water and mucky bottoms. Freshwater fish, crustaceans, amphibians, insects and reptiles are just some of the animals living in the waters. Another large population of animals lives along the shoreline. A variety of plants – including many types of plankton – grow here, playing an important role in the food chain.
Rivers and streams usually form from melting snow and ice or from springs. The continuously moving water flows toward a mouth at the ocean or another waterway. Fish, such as river trout and carp, inhabit rivers and streams along with small scavengers such as crayfish. Plants include floating weeds and algae, which usually are found around rocks and submerged tree roots.
Wetlands such as glades, swamps and marshes are still-water areas and support a large variety of plants and animals. The wetlands support plants such as sedges and pond lilies, along with a few types of trees, such as cypress. Rich with animal life, the wetlands are inhabited by reptiles, mammals, birds, insects and amphibians.

Coniferous Forest Biome

Poster Text: The coniferous forest biome lies just south of the tundra biome and is found in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Coniferous forests are found in regions with short summer and long winters. These forests are characterized by the presence of cone-bearing trees.
Trees and plants in the coniferous forest are resilient, having adjusted to such harsh conditions as nutrient-poor soil, long winters, short summers and frequent dry periods. Pines, firs, cedars, and spruces form a dense canopy of trees that blocks sunlight. Because of this, vegetation is scarce on the forest floor.
Moose, bear, deer, wolves an various rodents inhabit the coniferous forest. Some of these animals have adapted to the climate by hibernating during the long winters.

FYI - Coniferous evergreen forest is also known as boreal forest. The word ‘boreal’ comes from the Greek name for the North Wind - Borealis - who also lends his name to the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.

Deciduous Forest Biome

Poster Text: Deciduous forests are found in many regions of the world. They cover large areas of Europe and North America, and parts of South America, Australia, Asia and Africa. Trees that lose their leaves in the fall, evenly distributed precipitation, nutrient rich soil, and a diverse population of plant and animal species are the main charactersitics of this biome.
Pronounced season (springs, summers, falls and winters of roughly equal duration) are also common in deciduous biomes.
Birches, beeches, oaks, maples, cottonwoods, willows and hickories are examples of deciduous trees. The leaves of those trees usually have large surface areas that permit maximum light absorption.
Many species of birds live in deciduous forests. Approximately 75 percent of these species spend the summer in the forest and then migrate south during winter. Cardinals and blue jays are two species that remain in deciduous forests through the winter.

Grasslands Biome

Poster Text: The grassland biome is found on four continents and covers nearly one-fourth of the land surface of the Earth. In the United States, the grasslands are called prairies. There are also the steppes of Asia, the pampas of South America and the veldt of South Africa. The savannah of Africa is classified as a grassland, but it is also scattered with subtropical and tropical trees.
Many species of grasses along with a few trees cover the grassland biome.
Several different grasslands are found at the same latitude as deciduous forests. However, grasslands experience more temperature variation than deciduous forests. In addition, rainfall generally is not plentiful enough to support many types of trees.
Many species of animals exist in the grasslands, especially animals that graze, such as bison and antelope. In South America, the thea, a large, flighless bird, grazes the pampas. Elephants, antelope and giraffes can be found in the African savannah. In Australia, kangaroos inhabit the grassland.

• Illinois is known as the “Prairie State”

Polar Biome

Poster Text: The polar biomes are found at the coldest, windiest places on Earth, the Poles, and also on the top of the world's highest mountains. Characterized mainly by ice, these extreme biomes receive almost no precipitation, and fresh water is scarce. No sunlight during winter months and relentless wind are also typical in this harsh environment.
The forbidding conditions of the polar biomes still cannot prevent the occurence of life. In the Arctic polar biome over 100 species of flowering plants, lichens and mosses flourish at every opportunity. However, in the Antarctic polar home, no plants inhabit the interior, but three species of flowering plants are found on the Antarctic coast.
While only a few insects and bacteria inhabit the interior of the antarctic polar biome, the Antarctic coast is home to whales, seals, penguins and other birds. In the Arctic polar biome mammals, such as polar bears, seals, walruses and numerous bird species live for a portion of the year.

• more Antarctica posters
• Igloo poster

Tundra Biome Poster

The tundra biome can be found in the northern regions of Europe, Asia and North America. No trees grow year-round in this biome, and during the winter, it is covered with snow. Tundra-like conditions can also be found on mountaintops above the tree line, which is the highest elevation at which trees can grow.

During the summer months (approximately eight weeks), the land fills with bogs, ponds and soggy areas, and hundreds of flowering plants appear. Also found in the tundra summers are shrubby plants, lichen, and mosses.

There is an abundance of animal life. Large mammals such as caribou, wolves and grizzlies inhabit the tundra biome. Thousands of birds nest and bear young during the tundra's brief summers.

• more Russia posters
• more Canada posters
• more Scandanavia posters

Marine Biome Poster

The marine biome is the Earth's largest and is divided into three categories: oceans, intertidal zones and estuaries. Life began billions of years ago in the oceans, and nearly all life forms of Earth evolved from single-celled organisms inhabiting the oceans. Today, the marine biome is the most diverse ecosystem on our planet. Algae from the oceans is responsible for most of the oxygen we breathe and the evaporating water from the oceans provides rain for the planet.

For purpose of study, the ocean is broken into many different zones. three of the most important are the open ocean ( or plagic zone), the deep sea (or benthic zone), and the abysmal zone.

The open ocean supports the greatest amount of marine life, and is home to many species of fish and marine mammals, plankton, and some floating seaweed.

Directly underneath the open ocean is the deep sea. Untouched by sunlight, this very cold and dark area still hosts a few forms of plant life, and mostly bottom-feeding animals and organisms, including starfish, anemones, sponges and various microorganisms.

The abysmal zone is the deepest part of the ocean. Deep-sea fish have low metabolic rates and reduced skeletal systems to enable them to withstand this extremely cold and highly pressurized environment. Many species of invertebrates and fish, including creatures that glow in the dark via a process called photoluminescence, also live in the abysmal zone.

The intertidal zone is created where oceans meet land. Crabs, clams, oysters and barnacles are just a few of the organisms living here. These creatures have adapted to the incoming and outgoing tides, as well as the pounding waves.

Estuaries are the areas where saltwater meets freshwater and are found all over the world. Bays, mud flats and salt marshes are all estuaries. These areas receive plenty of sunlight and mineral deposits from rivers and streams. Therefore, they are full of life. Trees, algae, seaweed, wetland flora and various species of invertebrates (birds, reptiles and crustaceans) live in this complex ecosystem.

• more aquatic posters
• wetlands poster

Aerial View of Wetlands, Everglades National Park, USA, Photographic Print

Wetlands

Wetlands can exist nearly anywhere that water flows, Antarctia is the only continent that doesn't have any. While there is infinite variety in their makeup – that is, in the local combination of climate, topography, water chemistry and circulation, flora, fauna, average sunlight and other elements – wetlands come in two funadmental varieties, coast and inland. ...

• rivers posters

Biosphere: Interdependence Poster in set of 3

Poster Text: Organisms both cooperate and compete in the biosphere. The web of interdependence among species may generate ecosystems that are static for hundreds of thousands of years. While organisms may compete with one another for resources, they may also depend on each other for protection, transportation, food, or shelter. A close, long-term relationship between two organisms of different species is called symbosis.

Three main types of symbiosis are mutualism, commensalism and parasitism. Each illustrates a different variety of interdependence. ...

• more eco-sphere posters