Definition: A major ecological community that includes ecosystems with similar climates and organisms
Context: Biomes are based on climate, so similar ones are found in different parts of the world.
Definition: A biome in eastern North America, Asia, Australia, and Western Europe characterized by moist, temperate climates
Context: A deciduous forest includes trees such as elm, maple, and oak that have leaves that change color in autumn and fall off every winter.
Definition: The driest biome on Earth; arid land with usually sparse vegetation and less than 10 inches of sporadic rainfall annually
Context: Although little rain falls in a desert, a wide array of plants and animals thrive there.
Definition: A biome in a temperate climate, including the American Midwest, the pampas in Central South America, and the steppes in central Eurasia
Context: Antelope, bison, and wolves are among the animals that live in grasslands.
Definition: A biome in tropical latitudes characterized by a long, dry season and grasses and shrubs
Context: Africa has the world's largest savannas, where herds of wildebeest, elephants, and zebras live.
Definition: A biome just south of the tundra characterized by cold winters, a short growing season, and forests of coniferous trees
Context: The area that separates the tundra from the taiga is known as the tree line.
Definition: A biome characterized by a hot, wet climate found near the equator
Context: Some tropical forests are rain forests, where it rains much of the time; others have a wet and a dry season.
Definition: A biome in the northernmost parts of world characterized by long winters and short summers
Context: The tundra has permafrost, a hardened layer underneath the topsoil that remains frozen throughout the year.