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Freshwater Biome
This biome encompasses all freshwater lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands and their immediate surrounding areas. The presence of freshwater whether running or standing creates an ecosystem in its vicinity. A wetland is a lush example of the complex ecosystems freshwater biomes create. A river from head to mouth is considered one hydrologic feature with many stages therein. The biome of a river contains all nature dependent on or affected by the freshwater.
Marine Biome
The marine biome is the world's largest and among its most diverse. The salt water oceans of the planet define the marine biome. All ocean life, coral reefs and estuaries are classified as part of a marine biome. Three zones are associated with an ocean. The pelagic zone encompasses the sea surface and mammals that live there. The benthic zone lies just beneath it and is filled with bacteria, crustaceans and anemones. Finally, the abyssal zone encompasses the deepest parts of the ocean.
Desert Biome
Desert biomes occur where rainfall is less than 50 centimeters per year. This lack of water creates dry, sandy regions which cover about one fifth of the globe. Deserts, though starved of moisture, support a variety of unique life. Among the desert of the earth are coastal deserts, semiarid deserts, hot and dry deserts and cold deserts.
Forest Biome
There are different types of forests, like deserts, but all of them consist of a landscape dominated by trees. Temperate forests exist in cooler climates such as the Olympic rainforest of western Washington State. Tropical forests, like the Amazon rainforest are found in warm climates that support vast amounts of life. Boreal forests exist in cooler, dryer areas of northern latitudes such as in Siberia and Alaska.
Grassland Biome
Grasslands exist in areas that don't receive enough sustenance to support a forest, but aren't dry enough to become deserts. They are dominated by flat landscapes, rolling hills and grasses. A Savanna like the landscapes of Africa, are tropical warm grasslands that occur closer to the equator. Temperate grasslands occur in cool climates, such as the grasslands of Central North America.
Tundra
An alpine tundra is a cold, high altitude biome. It exists at the peaks of mountaintops where no trees can grow, only smaller plants adapted to a tundra environment. The coldest northern latitudes of earth are surrounded by tundras called arctic tundra's. This tundra extends from the north pole to the coniferous forests of northern latitudes. Tundras are defined by a layer of permanently frozen soil called permafrost.