Terrestrial Biomes

Tundra

The tundra is a biome that circles the north pole. It is a land without trees that is hardly ever above freezing. The soil lacks in nutrients and can only support shallow grass and small plants. Because of earth's tilt on its axis, the tundra has long summer days and long winter nights.

The tundra is the coldest biome, and only the top layer of soil thaws during the summer. Underneath that is a permanently frozen ground called permafrost.

The tundra is home to a variety of small animals, like weasels, arctic foxes and birds like snowy owls. Musk oxen and caribou migrate there and graze during the summer.

Minecraft Biome	Biome ID
Ice Plains	12
Cold Beach	26

Taiga

Also called the boreal or northern coniferous forest, the taiga is a northern biome but south of the tundra. It forms an almost continuous field of coniferus trees, including fur and spruce trees. The trees provide more food and shelter for animals than in the tundra. There are more large species in the taiga compared to the tundra. Unlike its northern cousin, permafrost is absent from the taiga biome.

Minecraft Biome	Biome ID
Extreme Hills	3
Extreme Hills+	34
Taiga	5
Mega Taiga	32
Cold Taiga	30

Desert

Deserts are the driest biomes with almost no percipitation. Becuase rainfall is such a limiting factor, the organisms found there have adapted very well to the harsh conditions. Some of the adaptations of the cactus - such as replacing leaves with spines and thick waxy coatings - conserve water.

Video about the plant life in the Sonoran Desert

Many of the animals in the desert are small, nocturnal herbivores. Some of these animals, like the kangaroo rat, do not need to drink water, and obtain all the water they need from thier food. There are carnivores in the desert, such as coyotes, hawks, and roadrunners, which prey on the smaller animals. Reptiles in the desert are also present, including snakes, lizards, and scorpions.

Minecraft Biome	Biome ID
Desert	2
Mesa	37
Mesa (Bryce)	165
Mesa Plateau	38

Grassland

Grasslands are biomes covered with rich soil and grasses, but suffer a dry season, preventing forests from forming. Trees in this biome are fewer than in others, however they can be found in greater numbers near water sources such as streams and rivers.

At certain times of the year, grasslands are populated with herds of grazing animals, such as bison on the Great Plains. Several different terms are used to describe grasslands in different regions, like prairie in the U.S. Canada and Austrailia, steppes in Russia, pampas in Argentina and savannas in Africa.

Minecraft Biome	Biome ID
Plains	1
Savanna	35

Temperate Forest

Temperate/deciduous forests are domenated by broad-leaved trees that loose thier leaves annually. The soil of temperate forests includes a top layer rich in humus and a deep layer of clay.

Animals that live in this biome include squirrels, rabbits, deer and bears. Many birds live in the temperate forest all year long (like bluejays) while others are migratory.

Minecraft Biome	Biome ID
Forest	4
Birch Forest	27
Roofed Forest	157

Rain Forest

Rain forests are home to more species than any other biome on Earth. There are two types: the temperate rain forest and the better known tropical rain forest. Both have much moisture and percipitaion. Tropical rain forests are warm because they are near the equator, and they are moist because wind patterns cause them to recieve much rain (as the name implies). There are several hypotheses made by ecologists as to why tropical rain forests have so many species:

Becuase they are close to the equator, they were not covered in ice during the ice age, so the communities of species have had more time to evolve

The year round warm weather gives tropical plants year-round growing conditions, which creates a greater food supply

They provide a multitude of habitats and niches for the diverse organisms

One reason why rain forests have so many different species is because of its three vertical layers. They are the canopy, understory, and ground, and they allow orgainisms to find a niche.

Minecraft Biome	Biome ID
Jungle	21