There are many biogeographic realms on Earth. A biogeographic realm is a big geographic territory where you can find certain plants and animals. The biogeographic realms are subdivided into biomes:
· Marshland
· Tropical rain forest
· Temperate forest
· Taiga (northern coniferous forests)
· Savanna
· Shrubland
· Grassland
· Mountains
· Ice cover
· Open ocean
· Deserts
· Tundra (arctic and alpine)
A biome is a small area on the continent with certain biotic and climatic conditions.
The biomes are influenced by:
· Climate (temperature and rainfall)
· Soil type
· Communication with other animals and plants
· Evolution
Biogeographic realm – биогеографическая область
Certain – определенный
To subdivide into – подразделен на
A biome – биом
· Marshland - болота
· Tropical rain forest – влажный тропич. лес
· Temperate forest – умеренный троп. лес
· Taiga (northern coniferous forests) – тайга (хвойные леса)
· Savanna - саванна
· Shrubland - кустарники
· Grassland – травянистые равнины
· Mountains - горы
· Ice cover - льды
· Open ocean – откр. океан
· Deserts - пустыни
· Tundra (arctic and alpine) – тундра (полярная и высокогорная)
An area – область
Biotic – биотический
Climatic – климатический
A condition – условие
To influence – влиять на
Rainfall – осадки в виде дождя
Soil – почва
Communication – сообщение
Tundra
Tundra is situated in northern Eurasia and North America. There is little heat here and the soil is frozen. The vegetation includes lichens, mosses, dwarf trees.
Among the animals we can name rodents, partridges, white owl, reindeer and arctic fox.
To be situated in – быть расположенным
Northern – северный
Little heat – мало тепла
Frozen – замерзший
Vegetation – растительность
To include –включать
Lichens – лишайники
Mosses – мхи
Dwarf trees – карликовые деревья
Rodents – грызуны
Partridges – куропатки
Owl – сова
Reindeer – северный олень
Arctic fox – песец
Taiga
Taiga is situated to the south of tundra. The core of vegetation is conifers. They don’t need much heat. Larch, cedar pine, spruce, fir tree built the taiga forests. Taiga is home for wood grouse, nutcracker, and flying squirrel and sable.
South – юг
The core – ядро
Conifers – хвойные
To need – нуждаться
Heat – тепло
Larch – лиственница
Cedar pine – кедровая сосна
Spruce – ель
Fir tree – пихта
Wood grouse –глухарь
Nutcracker – кедровка
Flying squirrel – летяга
Sable – соболь
Broadleaf forest and deciduous forest
The forest is situated to the south of taiga. There is a lot of heat here and no frozen soil. Deciduous trees grow here: oak, maple, and linden.
Broadleaf forest – широколиственный лес
Deciduous– лиственный
Oak – дуб
Maple – клен
Linden - липа
Steppe and savanna
There is a lot of heat and lack of precipitation here. They are called warm and temperate grassland. You can meet grassland on all continents excluding Antarctica. The steppes in Eurasia and savannas in Africa are large. The core of vegetation is grass. Many animals feed on grass: antelopes, zebras. There are a lot of predators in grassland. The fastest predator of the African savanna is the lion.
Steppe – степь
Lack of – недостаток
Precipitation – осадки
To be called – быть названным
Temperate – умеренный
Grassland – травянистые равнины
Excluding – исключая
Grass – трава
To feed on – питаться
A predator – хищник
Desert and semi desert
These are the driest areas on Earth. You can meet deserts on all continents excluding Antarctica. Vegetation includes saxaul, sand sedge, camel thorn. The diversity of animals includes bugs, lizards, monitor lizards, boa, cobra, Persian gazelle, jerboa, hamsters.
A desert – пустыня
A semi desert – полупустыня
Dry – сухой
To include – включать
Saxaul – саксаул
Sand sedge – песчаная осока
Camel thorn – верблюжья колючка
Diversity – разнообразие
Lizard – ящерица
Boa – удав
Persian gazelle – джейран
Jerboa – тушканчик
Hamster – хомяк
A bug – жук
A monitor lizard – варан
Tropical rain forest
The rain forest is situated on both sides of the equator: in the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It’s very warm here all during the whole year. The rainfall is very rich and the conditions are favourable for animals and plants. You can see orchids, jaguars, sloths, toucan here.
Rain forest – тропический лес
Both sides – обе стороны
The Tropic of Cancer – Северный тропик
The Tropic of Capricorn – Южный тропик
During the whole year – в течение всего года
Rich rainfall – обильные осадки
Favourable conditions – благоприятные условия
Orchid – орхидея
Jaguar – ягуар
Sloth – ленивец
Toucan – тукан