Biome Hopping with Google Earth

Years ago, when learning about terrestrial biomes for the first time, it was largely a Nation Geographics, textbook, poster paper and colored pencil task. Today, using the internet, the student can actually visit examples of each biome virtually using Google Earth (a free download for PC's and Mac's). This application allows the student of biogeoclimatography to view a portion of the surface of the Earth in context with the rest of its surroundings. Lets go on a virtual fieldtrip, "Biome Hopping" around the world...

"Getting your ticket" for the virtual field trip will require you to download and/or open Google Earth (GE) on your computer. It will open in a different window and will require an active internet connection to operate. After opening GE, go to the "View" option and make sure all the options EXCEPT Grid, Sun and Historical Imagery are checked. Next, go to Preferences, under the Google Earth and make sure the Show Lat/Long preference is set to Degrees, Minutes, Seconds, click ok and proceed.

Lets start our trip in the AAE's backyard (34°31'58.81"N, 117°16'44.16"W), the Mojave Desert, a temperate desert. Assuming that you have opened GE and made the changes addressed above, find the Search arrow in the upper left corner of the GE window and open it by clicking on it. Once open click on the "Fly To" option.

Places that are Dry...

Temperate Desert Biome

• To travel on GE to the middle of the Mojave Desert of Southern California, copy and paste the following latitude and longitide (lat, long) of 35° 4'21.52"N, 116° 5'6.07"W into the text box in GE's Fly To search engine (click on the magnifying glass/or tap the enter key to activate your search... hop). You will be "flown" to the middle of the Mojave Desert. Zoom out using the "-" minus key (zoom in using the "+" key) and explore around this biome, getting close enough to see some of its surface features and plant life. The arrow keys will also help you navigate in any compass direction (ie. NEWS). Use some of the features of GE to "mess around" a bit and see what GE can add to your experience before leaving this biome and "hopping to another".

Tropical Desert Biome

• Use a lat, long of 24°39'8.95"S, 15° 23'4.04"E to travel to the middle of the Namib Desert, in Namibia using the same technique that use used above to "hop" to the Mojave Desert. Explore this region. Open some of the attached "blue box" text and photo files.

Cold Desert Biome

• Use a lat, long of 43°44'42.28"N, 111°49'25.50"E to travel to the middle of the Gobi Desert.

Places that are Not too Dry but Not Too Wet...

Tropical Grassland

• Use a lat, long of 7°19'19.43"N, 26°51'38.74"E to travel to the middle of the savannas in the Western Provence of Southern Sudan.

Temperate Grassland

• Use a lat, long of 36°56'49.02"S, 65°13'24.27"W to travel to the middle of the La Pampa, Argentina.

Cold Grassland (arctic tundra)

• Use a lat, long of 61°12'19.40"N, 163° 0'11.72"W to travel to the middle of the arctic tundra.

Coastal Places that are not Too Dry or Too Wet...

Temperate Shrubland (Chaparral)

• Use a lat, long of 42°48'52.55"N, 8°57'30.13"W to travel to the middle of the temperate shrubland (chaparral) surrounding Lestella Spain.

Wet Places that are not Too Cold...

Tropical Rainforest

• Use a lat, long of 2°40'41.06"S.55"N, 140°38'49.58"E to travel to the middle of the tropical rainforest surrounding Sentani, Papua, Indonesia. (The creator of this page use to live and teach there).

Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Use a lat, long of 36°46'3.53"N, 91°10'51.37"W to travel to the middle of the a temperate deciduous forest, Mark Twain National Forest, in the state of Missouri.

Temperate, Evergreen Coniferous Forest (boreal forest or taiga)

• Use a lat, long of 41°46'40.12"N, 124° 4'53.78"W to travel to the middle of the a temperate, coniferous forest (coastal redwood forest), near Crescent City, California called, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.
• Use a lat, long of 54°16'24.48"N, 117°55'8.76"W to travel to the middle of the a taiga or boreal forest, in Alberta, Canada.