Biome Information Matrix

Use this as a guide for creating your own matrix

Biome/Formation	Climate	Soils	Vegetation	Distinguishing Characteristics
Tropical Rainforest
Tropical/Monsoon/Seasonal Forest and Shrub	Monsoon; seasonal precipitation	Oxisols;Ultisols	Broadleaf evergreen; some broadleaf deciduous	Dense "jungle", closed forest (floor); open canopy. Jungle growth along streams and openings made by humans
Mediterranean Sclerophyllus	Mediterranean/Dry Summer Subtropical
Midlatitude Broadleaf Deciduous and Mixed Forest
Broadleaf Evergreen
Boreal Forest				Taiga ecotone
Tropical Savanna
Midlatitude Savanna (Parkland)
Tropical Dry Desert		Aridisols
Shrub Desert		Aridisols
Arctic Tundra	Tundra			Permafrost; freeze-thaw and windiness limits height of vegetation.
Alpine Tundra	Tundra
Tall Grass Prairie	Drier portions of the Humid Continental	Mollisols
Short Grass Prairie	Steppe	Mollisols