APES Unit 4 biomes
Temperate deciduous forest
Abiotic Factors: Cold to moderate winters; warm summers; year-round precipitation; fertile soils. Dominant Plants: Broadleaf deciduous trees; some conifers; flowering shrubs; herbs; a ground layer of mosses and ferns.
Taiga (Boreal Forest)
Abiotic Factors: Long, cold winters; short, mild summers; moderate precipitation; high humidity; acidic, nutrient-poor soils. Dominant Plants: needleleaf coniferous trees such as spruce and fir; some broadleaf deciduous trees; small, berry-bearing shrubs.
Arctic Tundra
Abiotic Factors: Short, mild summers, long cold winters. With permafrost layers of soil. Dominant Plants: Mosses, grasses, lichens, sedges, and shrubs.
Tropical Savanna
Abiotic Factors: Warm temperatures; seasonal rainfall; compact soil; frequent fires set by lightning Dominant Plants: tall, perennial grasses; sometimes drought tolerant and fire-resistant trees or shrubs.
Tropical Rainforests
Abiotic Factors: hot and wet year-round; thin, nutrient-poor soils. Dominant Plants: broad-leaved evergreen trees; ferns; large woody vines and climbing plants; orchids and bromeliads.
Temperate Shrublands (Chaparral)
Abiotic Factors: hot, dry summers; cool, moist winters; thin, nutrient-poor soils; periodic fires Dominant Plants: woody evergreen shrubs with small, leathery leaves; fragrant, oily herbs that grow during the winter and die in the summer.
Temperate woodlands
Abiotic Factors: hot, dry summers; cool, wet winters; periodic fires; thin soil with a poor nutrient content. Dominant Plants: Shrubs, grasses, ferns, and flowers.
Desert
Abiotic Factors: low precipitation, variable temperatures; soils rich in minerals but poor in organic material. Dominant Plants: Cacti and other succulents; creosote bush and other plants with short growth cycles.
Temperate rainforest
Abiotic Factors: mild temperatures; abundant precipitation during the fall, winter, and spring; relatively cool, dry summer; rocky, acidic soils.
Alpine Tundra
Abiotic Factors: strong winds; low precipitation; short and soggy summers; long, cold and dark winters; poorly developed soils; permafrost. Dominant Plants: mosses, lichens, sedges, and short grasses.
Temperate Grasslands (prairie)
Abiotic factors: warm to hot summers; cold winters; moderate, seasonal precipitation; fertile soils; occasional fires. Dominant Plants: lush, perennial grasses and herbs; most are resistant to drought, fire, and cold.
