| | | | | | | | |
| S. No. | Biomes and | Vegetation | | Annual | | Temperature | Water Balance | |
| | Ecosystem | Characteristics | Precipitation Range | Pattern | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| 1 | Tropical Rain Forest | Leaf canopy thick and continuous; | 180-400 cm | (21-30oC; avg. 25o | Surplus all year | |
| | | | | broadleaf, evergreen trees; | (>6 cm/mo) | C) | | | | | |
| | | | | vines (lianas), epiphytes, tree | | | | | | | |
| | | | | ferns palm | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Tropical Deciduous | Transitional between rain forest and | 130-200 cm, | Variable | always | Seasonal surpluses and | |
| | | | | tropical-grasslands; | (40 rainy | warm (>18oC) | | |
| | | | | broadleaf, some deciduous | days during | | | | | | |
| | | | | trees; open parkland to dense | four summer | | | | | | |
| | | | | undergrowth | | months) | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Tropical Savanna | Transitional between season- | 90-150 cm, | | | |
| | | | | al forests, rain forests, and | seasonal | limitations | | | |
| | | | | semi-arid tropical steppes and | | | | | drought susceptible | |
| | | | | deserts; trees with flattened | | | | | | | |
| | | | | crowns, clumped grasses, and | | | | | | | |
| | | | | bush thickets; e association | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Mid-latitude Broadleaf | Mixed broadleaf and needle- | 75-150 cm | Temperate, with | Seasonal pattern with | |
| | and Mixed Forests | leaf trees; deciduous broad- | | cold season | summer maximum | |
| | | | | leaf, losing leaves in winter, | | | | | precipitation (PRECIP) | |
| | | | | southern and eastern ever- | | | | | and potential evaporation | |
| | | | | green pines demonstrate re | | | | | | transpiration (POTET); | |
| | | | | association. | | | | | | no irrigation needed | | |
| 5. | Northern needle-leaf | Needle-leaf conifers, mostly ev- | 35-100 cm | Short summer, cold | Low POTET, moderate | |
| | (Taiga, | Boreal and | ergreen pine, spruce, , larch | | | winter | | PRECEIP, waterlogged and | |
| | Montane Forest) | (deciduous needle-leaf) | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| 6. | Temperate Rain | Narrow margin of lush ever- | 150-500 cm | Mild summer and | Large surplus and run- | |
| | Forest | | | green and deciduous trees on | | mild winter for lati- | off | |
| | | | | windward slopes; redwood, | | tude | | | | |
| | | | | duglus r, tallest trees on Earth | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | (about 100 m high) | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| 7. | Mediterranean | Short shrubs, drought adapted, | 25-65 cm | Hot, dry summer, | | |
| | | | | trending to grassy woodlands; | (summer | | | |
| | | | | chaparral, marquise etc. | | season dry) | | | | | | |
| 8. | Mid-latitude Grass- | Tall grass prairies and short | 25-75 cm | Temperate | Soil moisture utilization and | |
| | lands | | | grass steppes, highly modified | | | continental regimes | recharge balanced; | |
| | | | | by human activity; major areas | | | | | irrigation and | |
| | | | | of commercial grain farming; | | | | | dry farming in drier | |
| | | | | plains, steppes, prairies pam- | | | | | areas. | |
| | | | | pas, veld and downs | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| 9A. | Hot Deserts and Semi- | Bare ground graduating into | < 10 cm | Average annual tem- | Chronic deficits, ir- | |
| | deserts | | | xerophytic plants including | | perature, around 18oC | regular precipitation | |
| | | | | succulents, cacti, saquaro and | | highest maximum | events PRECIP,1/2 | |
| | | | | dry shrubs | | | temperature on Earth | POTET | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9B. | Cold -desert and Semi- | Short grass, and dry shrubs | | 2-25 cm | Average annual tem- | PRECIP, 1/2 POTET | |
| | | |
| | desert | | | | | 15-80 cm | perature 18oC | | | |
| 10. | Arctic and Alpine Tun- | Treeless; dwarf shrubs, stunted | | Warmest month | Not applicable most of | |
| | dra | | | sedges, mosses, lichen, and | | 10oC, only 2 or 3 | the year, poor drainage | |
| | | | | short grasses, alpine pastures, | | m o n t h s | a b o v e | in summer | |
| | | | | grass-meadows (Margs) | | | freezing | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
