Utah’s BiomesWetlandsForestsDeserts

ElevationHow does elevation affect:

TemperaturePrecipitationPlantsAnimals

Wetlands

a low area where the land is soaked with water

Wet most of the year because the soil soaks up most of the water and holds it.Located between dry land and open water .May not always appear wet because of tall plants or low level water.A healthy wetland has a good balance of precipitation and dry weather

Wetlands

a low area where the land is soaked with water

Wetlands are ecosystems in which the soil is saturated with water for at least part of the year (during the growing season). Wetlands are home for many well-adapted plants and animals.Wetlands can come in many forms including ponds, swamps, bogs, marshes, lake or river edges, playas, or mudflats.Water enters a wetland by inflow from tributaries or by precipitation.Water can leave a wetland by evaporation (which is the part of the water cycle that includes the movement of water to the air from soil, plants, and water surfaces), by the leaking of water into the soil, or by overflow of water around the edges. 

Three things all wetlands have in common

1. Water2. Wet soil3. Water loving

plants

Wetlands a Valuable ResourceHelp control flooding

Clean the waterAre rich in natural resourcesAre the home for more living things than any other habitatWetlands can benefit us:Wetlands serve as nesting and nursery areas for many kinds of

animals. Wetland plants and animals can act like a filter to break down

pollution or to trap sediment. Wetlands plants can help to moderate temperatures and also to store

carbon. Wetlands can serve as flood control by absorbing water and slowing

moving water.

Life in the WetlandsLarge numbers of fish, insects, birds, and other animals live in the wetlands. They depend upon the wetland habitat to supply them with food, shelter and water. Many animals rely on the protection and security of the large number of plants for raising their young. The wetlands are also used by thousands of migrating birds as nesting and resting places.

Forestsan area of land that is covered in

treesDeciduous forests

Deciduous: plants which lose their leaves in the fall and regrow new leaves in the spring

Coniferous forestsConiferous: evergreen plants that stay green

all year and never lose their leaves

Deciduous Forests

In Utah, the deciduous forests are found on the lower slopes mountains The climate in this area has four distinct seasons. The winter in deciduous forests is cold, the summer is hot, and the fall and spring are mild. The average yearly rainfall measures between 75 and 150 cm (30 to 60 in).

Coniferous Forests

Coniferous forest; a forest which is comprised of trees or shrubs that have cones.The winter in this forest is very long and cold. Snowfall is very heavy during the winter season. In the spring the ground often becomes soggy and swampy from the snow melt. Summers are cool and pleasant.

Forests a Valuable Resource

Forests help reduce gases that are put into the air from cars and factoriesThe trees give out large amounts of oxygen that we breatheForest help keep our water clean and prevent soil erosion

Desertland that receives less than 10

inches of rainfall a year

Utah is the second driest state in the United StatesMost of Utah’s natural state is desert

What Plants and Animals do you think live in Utah’s Biomes?

Wetlands Deserts Forests