ERT-1.B—Describe the global distribution and principal environmental aspects of terrestrial biomes

Describe the global distribution and principal environmental aspects of terrestrial biomes.

• A biome contains characteristic communities of plants and animals that result from, and are adapted to, its climate.
• Major terrestrial biomes include taiga, temperate rainforests, temperate seasonal forests, tropical rainforests, shrubland, temperate grassland, savanna, desert, and tundra.
• The global distribution of nonmineral terrestrial natural resources, such as water and trees for lumber, varies because of some combination of climate, geography, latitude and altitude, nutrient availability, and soil.
• The worldwide distribution of biomes is dynamic; the distribution has changed in the past and may again shift as a result of global climate changes.
• Enduring understanding ERT-1: Ecosystems are the result of biotic and abiotic interactions.