 The climate in various places on Earth is different, and with each different climate there is a difference in the plants and animals that live there. Each individual climate, or biome, is related to the temperature and amount of precipitation in that location. There are six main biomes on Earth. Their position on the chart below is based on the temperature (higher = hotter) and the amount of precipitation (further right = wetter). You can click on each region and find out more about that biome. 
The plants and animals found in a particular biome can also vary due to other factors, such as altitude, soil type, and human activity. The division of Earth into six main biomes, as shown here, is just a convenient way of looking at the main climate regions. There is no definite border line between different biomes, as implied by the chart ... rather, there is considerable overlap at their edges. Moreover, their location on the chart above is based on a yearly average temperature and precipitation for each region. With climate change due to human activity a certainty, the size and location of most biomes has already begun changing, and will continue to do so over time. Antarctica and the high Arctic are not identified as biomes, chiefly because there are few native living organisms in either region. The climate of polar regions is sometimes described as like a desert, since there is almost no precipitation. |