What are Biomes?
Where an animal lives is called its habitat. The earth is made up of a complex network of habitats, each with a particular rainfall, temperature, light levels and many other factors. Biologists have divided this complex network of habitats into zones called biomes. Each biome has a distinct community of animals, plants and climate. Biomes are classified into five major biomes: • Aquatic • Deserts • Forests • Grasslands • Tundra. These biomes are often broken down into sub-categories. Some of the sub-categories are: Oceans – Oceans are the largest biome covering nearly 75 percent of the Earth’s surface. They are home to some of the largest and smallest animals such as whales, sharks, fish, octopuses, plankton and lots of bacteria. Freshwater Rivers & Wetlands – Only three percent of the earth’s water is fresh and includes rivers, lakes, ponds, wetlands and the polar icecaps. The freshwater biomes are full of wildlife and support other life forms such as birds, ducks, fish, frogs, snakes
