Biomes

A biome is one of Earth's major natural environments, defined by its climate, plants, and animals. Earth has around ten major biomes that together cover every patch of land and water on the planet, from the frozen tundra of the Arctic to the warm coral reefs of the tropics.

  • Major Biomes13across land, freshwater and sea
  • Coldest BiomeArctic Tundradown to -50 °C in winter
  • Hottest BiomeHot Desertup to 55 °C in shade
  • Wettest BiomeTropical Rainforestover 2,000 mm rain a year
  • Driest BiomeCold Desertunder 250 mm rain a year
  • Biggest by AreaMarinecovers 71% of Earth's surface

How much rain does each biome get?

Annual rainfall is the single biggest reason biomes differ. Compare a few:

Rainfall per year (millimetres)
Desert<250 mm
Grassland500 mm
Savanna900 mm
Taiga750 mm
Temperate1,200 mm
Rainforest3,000 mm

Rainforests get more than ten times as much rain as deserts. That single difference shapes which plants can grow, which animals can live there, and even how the soil forms.

What is a biome?

A biome is a large region of the world that has its own climate (the long-term pattern of weather), its own kinds of plants, and its own kinds of animals. Two places on opposite sides of the world can belong to the same biome if their climate matches up. The savanna of Africa and the grasslands of Australia, for example, share a biome even though they sit on different continents.

How biomes form

Climate is the engine. The amount of sunlight, rain, heat and cold a place gets decides what kind of life can survive there. Hot and wet near the equator gives you rainforest. Hot and dry inland gives you desert. Cold and dry near the poles gives you tundra. Once plants take hold, animals follow, and the biome locks in over thousands of years.

FactTropical rainforests cover only approx. 6% of the land on Earth but contain more than half of all the world's known animal and plant species.

Land biomes

The main land biomes you will meet on Factsmania are deserts, rainforests, mountains, grassland, savanna, taiga (boreal forest), temperate forest, chaparral, wetland, and the cold tundra near the two poles.

Water biomes

Water biomes cover even more of the planet than land biomes. The marine biome includes all of Earth's oceans and seas, while the freshwater biome covers rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands.

Did you know?You can find more than one biome on a single mountain. As you climb up, the air gets colder, so you can pass from forest at the bottom to alpine tundra at the top, almost like travelling from the equator to the poles.

Why biomes matter

Biomes are not just labels on a map. They are working systems that produce the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the fresh water we drink. Damage to one biome (chopping down rainforests, draining wetlands, polluting oceans) ripples out and affects the whole planet, including the climate where you live.

Deeper dive: biomes vs ecosystems vs habitats

You will hear three similar-sounding words a lot in nature lessons, and they fit together like nested boxes.

  • Biome is the biggest. A whole region with the same climate and the same broad types of life. The rainforest biome covers parts of three different continents.
  • Ecosystem is medium. A specific community of plants, animals, fungi and microbes plus the non-living things (soil, water, air) they share. One stretch of Amazon rainforest can contain many different ecosystems.
  • Habitat is the smallest. The particular place where one species lives. A jaguar's habitat is the parts of the rainforest where it hunts.

So: many habitats make up an ecosystem, many ecosystems make up a biome, and many biomes make up the planet.

Pick any biome from the list below to find out more.

Arctic Tundra BiomeExplore interesting facts about the Arctic Tundra Biome and its importance to our planet. Find out what type of animals and plants are able to survive its extreme weather conditions and freezing…
Chaparral BiomeCheck out interesting facts about the Chaparral Biome for Kids such as which plants and animals live amongst this huge ecosystem and how they manage to adapt and survive to its ever-changing…
Savanna BiomeThe Savanna Biome, also known as Savannah grasslands, can be described as large tropical grasslands located on various continents including Africa, Australia, Asia and South America. Savannah…
Taiga BiomeThe Taiga Biome is the largest biome on Earth. It occurs in North America and Eurasia where it occupies parts of Alaska, Canada, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Japan, Mongolia, Finland and…
Tundra BiomeDiscover interesting facts about the Tundra Biome with our list of important information for kids. Find out important facts about this particular biome which makes up approximately 23% of our Earth's…
Temperate Forest BiomeThe four-season forests of mid-latitude regions: oak, maple, beech, and many of the trees that lose their leaves each autumn.
Grassland BiomeWide open plains of grasses with few trees. Goes by different names around the world: prairie in North America, steppe in Asia, pampas in South America.
Wetland BiomeLand that stays wet most of the year. Marshes, swamps, and bogs all count. Wetlands are home to a huge variety of birds, frogs, and insects.
Desert BiomeThe desert biome is where rainfall is so low that few plants can grow. Most deserts are hot, some are cold, and Antarctica is the biggest desert of all.
Rainforest BiomeRainforests are thick warm wet forests packed with more plants and animals than any other biome. They cover only 6% of Earth's land but contain half of all known species.
Mountain BiomeMountain biomes have several climate zones stacked on top of each other. As you climb a mountain, the air gets thinner and colder, and the plants and animals change.
Freshwater BiomeThe freshwater biome covers rivers, lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands. Only 3% of all water on Earth is fresh, but it supports a huge slice of life on land.
Marine BiomeThe marine biome is the saltwater world: oceans, seas, estuaries and coral reefs. It covers more than 70% of Earth's surface and contains over 90% of the space where life can live.