BIOMES

What is a biome?
A biome is an area of the planet that can be classified according to the plants and animals
that live in it. Temperature, soil, and the amount of light and water help determine what life
exists in a biome. 
Biome is huge Ecosystem under which there are different ecosystems.

A biome is different from an ecosystem. An ecosystem is the interaction of living and

nonliving things in an environment. A biome is a specific geographic area notable for the
species living there. A biome can be made up of many ecosystems. For example,
an aquatic biome can contain ecosystems such as coral reefs and kelp forests.

Biomes move as the climate changes. Ten thousand years ago, parts of North Africa
were lush landscapes cut by flowing rivers. Hippopotamuses, giraffes, and crocodiles
lived amid abundant trees. Gradually, the climate dried out. Today, this region is part of
the Sahara Desert, the world's largest desert.
 
 Types of Biomes
Climatologists, botanists, ecologists, biologists, and anthropologists have different
criteria for deciding what constitutes a biome. One of the simplest classification
systems has only two biomes: terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water). Some use broad
classifications and count as few as five biomes:
• Desert Biomes: These include the Hot and Dry Deserts, Semi Arid Deserts, Coastal
Deserts and Cold Deserts.
• Aquatic Biomes: They are grouped into two: Freshwater Biomes (lakes and ponds,
rivers and streams, wetlands) and Marine Biomes (oceans).
• Forest Biomes: These are the Tropical Rainforest, Temperate and Boreal Forests
(also called the Taiga)
• Grassland Biomes: There are two main types : the Savanna Grasslands and the
Temperate Grasslands.
• Tundra Biomes: There are two major tundra biomes—The Arctic Tundra and the
Alpine Tundra.
 Importance of Biomes
• Biomes play a crucial role in sustaining life on earth. For
example, the Aquatic biome is home to millions of fish
species . It also plays a very important role in regulating
climate. The terrestrial biomes provide foods, enrich the air
with oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide and other impure gases
from the air. They also help regulate climate.
 The Forest Biome
• Forests makeup about 30% of the total land cover on earth and are of
incredible value to life on earth.
• They are a store of carbon and play a very important role in climate
control.
• They have a watershed role and are a source of many raw materials that
humans depend on.
• Forests have the most biodiversity. A small portion of the Rainforests, for
example, may be home to millions of insects, birds, animals and plants.
• There are three main biomes that make up Forest Biomes. These are the
Tropical Rainforest, Temperate and Boreal Forests (also called the
Taiga)
 The Tropical Rainforest

• Tropical rainforests are found in areas to the North and South of the
equator.
• The largest rainforest in the world is the Amazon rainforest in South
America. Rainforests can also be found throughout Africa, Asia,
Australia and Central America..
• Tropical rainforests receive from 60 to 160 inches of precipitation that
is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.
• The combination of constant warmth and abundant moisture makes the
tropical rainforest a suitable environment for many plants and animals.
• Tropical rainforests contain the greatest biodiversity in the world. Over
15 million species of plants and animals live within this biome. 
 Human Impact And Interaction
• As human population grows the need for agriculture, energy and development
space increases.

• Humans cause oil spills, toxic by-products, mining accidents and the constant
dumping of wastes are threatening the rainforest. The practise of slash and
burn agriculture, makes the soil infertile and causes vegetation to cease
growing. This lack of plants means that there will be less plants to turn carbon
dioxide into oxygen, which then means that there will by more carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere causing global warming. 

• Logging makes the rainforest lose up to 137 plant and animal species every day
just from deforestation. 200 million tons of wood is used per year for the paper
industry which comes from chopping down trees. Deforestation accelerates the
effects of global warming and transforms the rainforest climate.
 The Commercial Use of Forests- A threat to the Environment

(i) Increase in temperature

(ii) Lesser precipitation
(iii) Increased rate of soil erosion
(iv) Increase in frequency and volume of floods
(v) Loss of soil productivity
(vi) Extinction of several species
(vii) Non-availability of several essential forest products
(viii) Imbalance in ecosystem.
 Industries which Impact Rainforest Biomes

• The lumber, agriculture and mining industries have major impacts on

the tropical rainforests.

• In mining, large areas of forest are cleared, and roads are built to
access the mines.

• The agriculture industries also have adverse effects on tropical

rainforests. This is chiefly due to the fact that the soil fertility is only
good enough to grow crops for a few years. This leads to farmers
clearing more and more forest each year to satisfy the needs of
consumers.
 How do Rainforests Benefit Humans
1) Food
• The world’s most popular fruit, the banana, comes from the
rainforest.
• Other staples that come from rainforests include citrus,
cassava, and avocado, as well as cashews, Brazil nuts, and
ubiquitous spices like vanilla and sugar. Then there are a few
foods that many of us consider life-giving—coffee, tea, and 
cocoa—they also come from tropical forests.
 2)Medicine
• The medicines that we use today are derived from plants found
in tropical forests.
• Medications to treat or cure inflammation, rheumatism,
diabetes, muscle tension, surgical complications, malaria, heart
conditions, skin diseases, arthritis, glaucoma, and hundreds of
other maladies, come from forest plants.
3)Shelter
• Tropical forests yield some of the most beautiful and valuable
woods in the world, such as teak, mahogany, rosewood, balsa,
sandalwood, and countless lesser-known species. These woods
surround us at home and in offices in the form of furniture,
cabinets, paneling, and more.

• Tropical forest fibers are found in rugs, mattresses, ropes,

strings, and fabrics.
 4) Cleaning & cosmetics
Tropical forest oils, gums, and resins are used in insecticides, rubber products,
fuel, paint, varnish, and wood finishing products. And tropical oils are key
ingredients in cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, perfumes, disinfectants and
detergents.

5) Climate Control
The greatest gifts forests bestow upon us is their capacity for absorbing the
monstrous amount of greenhouse gas emissions we humans generate. They are
one of the world's primary carbon reservoirs, absorbing carbon dioxide from the
air, storing it, and generating oxygen. Forests are vital to the hydrologic cycle (rain
and water systems), and they maintain some of the world's most fragile soils. 
Rainforests also act as the world's thermostat, regulating temperatures and
weather patterns.
 Methods of Forest Conservation
The following steps should be taken for the conservation of forests:
• Regulated and Planned Cutting of Trees
One of the main reasons of deforestation is commercial felling of trees. According to an estimate, about 1,600 million
cubic metres of wood have been used for various purposes in the world. Although trees are considered as perennial
resource, when exploited on a very large scale, their revival cannot be possible.
Therefore, cutting should be regulated by adopting methods like:
(i) Clear cutting,
(ii) Selective cutting, and
(iii) Regulated cutting
• The clear cutting method is useful for those areas where the same types of trees are available over a large area. In
that case, trees of same age group can be cut down in a selected area and then marked for replantation.
• In selective cutting only mature trees are selected for cutting. This process is to be followed in rotation. Shelter
wood cutting is where first of all useless trees having been cut down followed by medium and best quality timber
trees.
• The time gap between these cuttings is helpful in re-growth of trees. In regulated cutting only one-tenth of the
forest area is selected for use and rotational system is always followed for their protection
• Control over Forest Fire
Destruction or loss of forest by fire is fairly common; because trees are highly exposed to fire and once
started it becomes difficult to control. Sometimes, the fire starts by natural process, i.e., by lightning or
by friction between trees during speedy winds, while in most cases it is started by man either
intentionally or unintentionally.
In order to save forests from fire it is necessary to adopt latest techniques of firefighting. Some of the
fire suppression is arrangement of water spray, fire retardant chemicals should be sprayed from back
tank and if possible by helicopters. There must be a trained staff of firefighters to control the fire.
• Reforestation and Afforestation
The sustained yield concept dictates that whenever timber is removed, either by block cutting or by
selective cutting, the denuded area must be reforested. Similarly, any forested land which has been
destroyed by fire or mining activities should be reforested.
Besides all this, fresh afforestation programmes should be started. New plantations will not only
increase the forest cover but also help in making up the eco-balance. For afforestation, selection of trees
should be done according to local geographical conditions and care must be taken during initial growth
of the trees.
• Check over Forest Clearance for Agricultural Purposes
Most of the present-day agricultural land was once forested and then cleared for the use of
agriculture. But now it has reached the stage where further clearance will be dangerous for the
entire ecosystem.
There are tribals in some parts of Asia, Africa and South America, where shifting cultivation is still a
part of their system of land procurement. According to an estimate, about 40 million sq km of land is
used for this purpose by 200 million tribals of the world.
For the conservation of forest, this should be checked and an alternative system should be
suggested. Similarly, for the development of villages, towns and cities, forest lands have been
cleared and this process continues to this day causing loss of forest cover. This also should be
checked and green belts around cities should be developed.
• Protection of Forest
The existing forests should be protected. Apart from commercial cutting, unorganized grazing is also
one of the reasons. There are several forest diseases resulting from parasitic fungi, rusts, mistletoes,
viruses etc which cause the destruction of trees. The forests should be protected either by use of
chemical spray, antibiotics or by development of disease resistant strains of trees.
• Proper Utilization of Forests
Forests can easily be used or developed as tourist centers. By using them as tourist centers the country
can earn substantial foreign exchange. This practice has been adopted by many countries, both
developed and developing.
The concepts of ‘national park’ and ‘game sanctuary’ have now become popular and every country has
developed its unique forest area as a ‘national park’. In India alone, there are as many as 21 national
parks. This scheme is a good method of forest conservation
 What conservation efforts are being made to protect the tropical rainforest?

• Amazon watch is a non-profit organization that works to protect the rainforest and advance the
rights of indigenous peoples in the amazon basin. They are active in many campaigns operating in
Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru.    
• Rainforest alliance is a non profit organization that works to guide land intensive industries toward
sustainability. They work to couple profit with functioning ecosystems. They work to educate
people of all ages about the importance of conserving the ecosystem. They also make an effort to
attend events like ISEAL. ISEAL develops guidance and facilitates coordinated efforts to improve
members credibility and effectiveness. 

• The World Wildlife foundation or WWF has a central goal of protecting diversity in the tropical
rainforest, therefore they have projects in place to stop deforestation and conserve the wildlife.
“WWF is committed to conserving the world's rainforests, not only for the incredible wealth of
plants and animals that live in them, but for the benefit of the indigenous peoples who live in
them.”
Sources:

• Waugh, David. Geography: an Integrated Approach. Nelson Thornes, 2005.

• National Geographic Society. “Biome.” National Geographic Society, National Geographic, 9 Oct. 2012,
www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/biome/.
• eSchooltoday. Steps of Earthquake Formation, eschooltoday.com/ecosystems/what-is-a-biome.html.
• “Mission: Biomes.” NASA, NASA, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/experiments/biome.

• “Tropical Rainforest Biomes.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/biogeography/a/tropical-

rainforest-biomes.

• Smith, Jeremy M.B. “Tropical Rainforest.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 24 Aug. 2018,
www.britannica.com/science/tropical-rainforest.