Biomes

SUBJECT: BIOLOGY
CLASS: SS 1
TERM: 2ND TERM

REFERENCES
• Modern Biology for Senior Secondary Schools by S.T. Ramlingam
• Essential Biology by M.C Michael
• New Biology by H. Stone and Cozen
• SSCE, past questions and answers
• New System Biology by Lam and Kwan
• College Biology by Idodo Umeh
• UTME, SSCE and CAMBRIDGE past questions and answers
• Biology practical text
WEEK SEVEN
TOPIC: BIOMES
CONTENT
• Biomes
• Local Biomes
• World Biomes
BIOMES
Biomes are large natural terrestrial ecosystem, identified by their dominant vegetation.
They are terrestrial because plants form the bulk of the community in any ecosystem e.g. a
forest biome has densely packed tall trees while grasses and few scattered shrubs are
found in a savanna biome. Climatic factors determine the type of vegetation in a biome.
These factors may include rainfall, relative humidity, temperature, wind and light.
EVALUATION
1. What is a biome?
2. Mention four factors that determine the vegetation of a biome.
LOCAL BIOMES
The local biomes particular to Nigeria include the following:
• mangrove swamp
• tropical rain forest
• savanna (northern and southern Guinea savanna, Sudan savanna and sahel savanna)
MANGROVE SWAMPS
These are found in the tropics along coastal region and river mouths. Mangrove swamps
are forest of small, evergreen, broad-leaved trees growing in shallow, brackish water or
wet soil. Many mangrove trees have pop roots and breathing roots called pneumatophores.
The climate here is hot and wet, with total annual rain fall of above 250cm and temperature
of about 260c. In Nigeria, mangrove swamps are found in the delta region of Lagos, Delta,
Rivers, Bayelsa and Cross rivers states.
TROPICAL RAIN FOREST:

This occurs in the region that is between the equator and latitude 50-100N and S. It has the
following characteristics:
• The forest are mainly lowland.
• The climate is hot and wet.
• It consists of broad leaved trees that are mostly ever green; the leaves are gradually
shed throughout the year and replaced by new ones.
• The trees form canopy strata with their interior having low light intensity, high
humidity and damp floor.
• The trees possess thin bark.
• The forest is rich in epiphytes and wood climbers.
• The annual rainfall and temperature are 200cm and 270c respectively.
In Nigeria, tropical rainfall is found in Edo, Delta, Ondo, Imo, Lagos, Rivers state e.t.c.
SAVANNA
These are tropical grassland in Africa. They are usually flat for miles at a stretch and made
up mainly of grasses. The savanna region has a hot and wet seasons (290c) which alternate
with a cool and dry season (180c). The total annual rainfall around 50cm-150cm. During
the dry season, the grasses are usually dry and brown and bush fire is common
occurrences.
South Guinea savanna (the largest of all the biomes in Nigeria) has tall grasses with
scattered, deciduous trees. It is found in Enugu, Kogi, Benue, Kwara, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti State
etc.
Northern Guinea Savanna has scattered, deciduous trees, sometimes with thorns and tick
barks. Grasses are short and numerous. it is found in plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger, Kano,
Adamawa states etc.
Sudan savanna has the shorter grasses fewer trees which are more scattered. It is found in
Kano and parts of Borno, Sokoto, Niger, Bauchi states e.t.c
Sahel savanna has high temperature and low rainfall with short and scanty grasses as well
as
short and tough shrubs or trees. The plants are drought-resistant. It is found in Borno,
Kastina, Sokoto, Yobe, Kano, Jigawa states etc.
EVALUATION
In a tabular form, distinguish between the three major biomes in Nigeria using the
following
1. Total annual rainfall
2. Temperature
3. Regions found
4. List five characteristics of savanna.
WORLD BIOMES
Of all abiotic factors affecting ecological system, temperature and rainfall determine the
world biomes. The biomes include: tropical rain forest, temperate forest, coniferous forest,
temperate shrubland, savanna, temperate grassland, desert, and tundra and mountain
vegetation.
TEMPERATE FORESTS
These are forests with the following characteristics they are
• Mainly of broad leaved deciduous trees which shed their leaves during winter.
• Possession of moderately wet climate with a dry or cold season.
CONIFEROUS FORESTS
These are characterized by
• Needle-leaved evergreen conifers such as pines, firs.
• Possessing few trees.
• Possessing tall tree forming upper storey.
• The forest floor being covered with a thick layer or conifer needles.
• Possessing cool temperature climate with light rainfall and snow.
TEMPERATE SHRUBLAND
This is forest with the following characteristics
• It consists of drought-resistant shrub plants and dwarf trees, often fire-resistant e.g.
marquis.
• It has temperate climate with low rainfall.
TEMPERATE GRASSLAND
This is characterized by:
• perennial grasses grow on very fertile soil to support herds of grazing mammals
• It has moderately dry climate with a cold winter and a hot summer
SAVANNA
This is a tropical grassland with:
• scattered trees and often infertile soil
• moderately dry climate with a warm dry season and a hot rainy season
DESERT
This has:
• very sparse vegetation, with succulent perennials that have deep root systems.
• tropical temperate and afro-alpine regions with less than 25 cm annual rainfall.
TUNDRA
This is characterized by:
• treeless marshy vegetation composed mainly of dwarf shrubs, grasses, lichen and
moss with very few plant trees.
• cold climate with long icy winter and very short summer with an average temperature
of 100c.
MOUNTANE VEGETATION
This has:
• evergreen rainforest on slopes of mountain, these forest are less luxuriant than the
tropical rainforest.
• Afro alpine vegetation occurs at heights above 3000m on mountain, vegetation
consists mainly of heath, grasses and sedges.
GENERAL EVALUATION/REVISIONAL QUESTIONS

1. What do you understand by the term biome?
2. State the local biomes found in Nigeria.
3. State the four savannas present in Nigeria.
4. What are the two factors that determine the world biomes?
5. State four of the world biomes with two characteristics each.
6. Using their characteristics, differentiate between savanna and desert.
READING ASSIGNMENT
College Biology, chapter 23, page 499 - 504
WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT
1. How is savanna plants protected from bush fires? They have A. sunken stomata B.
thorn bark C. thick barks D. soft leaves
2. Which of the following limiting resources is competed for by organisms in the desert?
A. Light B. oxygen C. temperature D. water
3. Which of these is not a true characteristic of the tropical rain forest? A. Vegetation
consists predominantly of tall tree with thick canopy B. forest is rich in epiphytes and
climbers C. annual rainfall is less than 100 cm D. annual temperature is 270c
4. Which of the following does not describe the coniferous forest? A. needle leaved
evergreen conifers B. broad leaved evergreen conifers C. possessing few trees D.
possessing cool temperate climate
5. Montane vegetation is described by the following except A. treeless marshy vegetation
B. evergreen rainforest on slopes of mountain C. forest are less luxuriant than tropical
rain forest D. afro alpine vegetation at heights above 300m on mountain
THEORY
1. Outline the properties of the savanna as a world biome.
2. State four characteristic features of vegetation found in A. savanna B. tropical
rainforest C. desert.

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SUBJECT: BIOLOGY

TERM: 2ND TERM

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST:

GENERAL EVALUATION/REVISIONAL QUESTIONS

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