Biomes

A biome is a large area of the Earth that has a certain climate, plants, and animals. There are several main biomes around the world. Each biome has its own weather patterns and living things. The plants and animals in each biome are adapted to survive there.

Land Biomes

The main land biomes include forests, deserts, grasslands, and tundra. Tropical rainforests are warm and wet all year round. Deserts get very little rain. Grasslands have wide open spaces covered in grasses. The tundra is cold and frozen for much of the year. Each biome has special plants and animals.

Water Biomes

There are also water biomes. Freshwater biomes include lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Marine biomes include the open ocean, coral reefs, and estuaries. More than 70 percent of Earth's surface is covered by water biomes. These water biomes are home to an incredible variety of life.

Fun Facts

• Tropical rainforests cover only about 6 percent of Earth but are home to more than half of all plant and animal species.
• The taiga, or boreal forest, is the largest land biome on Earth.
• The deep ocean biome is the least explored place on our planet.

Did You Know?

The same type of biome can appear on different continents. African savannas and South American grasslands called pampas are both grassland biomes even though they are thousands of miles apart!