Observe: Types of Plant Communities

Now that you have completed the first two sections of this unit, likely you can see that a huge variety of plants grow on Earth.  What causes this diversity?  Why are the deciduous and coniferous plants growing here in Alberta not the same as those growing in Brazil, Egypt, or Australia?  There are many types of plant communities (biomes), many of which you will learn about in this part of the unit.

 Notebook: What are the characteristics of different biomes or communities? 

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Plant Community / Biome

Types of Plants

Tundra

Trees do not grow on the tundra.  Small flowering plants, lichens, and mosses grow on the tundra.

Coniferous Forest

Needle-trees that grow mostly in cold climates are in the coniferous forest.

Temperate Forest

Deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the fall and live in a temperate climate are in the temperate forest.

Rain Forest

Broad-leaf trees that grow mostly in the tropics are in the rain forest.

Desert

Deserts are often just bare ground, but they contain cacti, succulents, and grasses that can conserve water.

Grassland

Grasses and leafy plants grow in the grassland.