A Recap of Temperate Grassland

December 4, 2013
To be honest, there's a melancholy feeling to the end of this 9 week expedition. And it all ended in the beautifully cold desert of Denver. Here, they're referred to as prairies, which gives me an overwhelming desire to read Little House on the Prairie again. The winters are uncharacteristically frigid, although not nearly as harsh as the tundra. In the winter, dry conditions often spark fires that can burn as much as 25,000 acres.
The plant life consists of grasses in addition to flowering plants that have adapted to the frequent wildfires of the area. And with the pretty heavy rain each year, tallgrass prairies grow substantially taller than typical grass. These grasses become sturdy enough from the precipitation to manage any wildfires as well.

Denver, Colorado- Studying the Temperate Grassland

November 27, 2013
This marks the final chapter of my trip around the world. During this final week, I'll be back home in the States visiting the cold desert of Denver, Colorado.
According to weather.com, the most rainfall occurred in April with 72.9 mm while the average high in temperature took place in July at 31 degrees Celsius.

PACKING LIST
Winter coat
Snow boots
Flare gun (to call for help)
Matches (to start a fire)
Gloves (preferably cheetah print)

A Recap of the Tropical Rain Forest

November 26, 2013
Alive is the rain forest with croaks of exotic toads and roars of jaguars. According to www.panda.org, the Amazon is home to 427 mammals, over 400 amphibians, 1300 birds, 378 reptiles, and 3000 fish. And once I set foot in the world below the canopy trees, I came across anteaters, sloths, the South American river turtle, even the giant cane toad. So much wildlife flourishes in the forest and it fills me with hope about life.
With a combination of heavy rainfall and high temperatures, the Amazon holds a multitude of plant life. But according to www.panda.org, the quantity of each plant species proves low, simply because of the struggle to receive nutrients. On my hike, I saw the giant kapok tree, a spectacle that soars up to 200 feet in height. Incredible that something in this world can stand so tall and firm. Finally, the Amazon can be checked off my bucket list, and it certainly didn't disappoint.

Manuas, Brazil- Marveling at the Tropical Rain Forest

November 19, 2013
Off I go to the biome that contains two-thirds of the world's species: the tropical rain forest.
BBC's ecosystem website shows us that although temperature are high in Manuas, it only waves within a 2 degree-range. It's no doubt that when it rains here, it pours. In March, the average rainfall was a whopping 320 mm.

PACKING LIST
Hiking boots
Observational journal
Digital camera
Bug repellant
Rain gear

A Recap of the Savanna

November 18, 2013
Riding through the rolling savanna, I was the witness to things I've only encountered in books. According to www.blueplanetbiomes.org, it's common to spot giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, even hyenas. Herbivores are usually grazing on the plains and every so often, a carnivore dashes through and claims its prey. I unfortunately watched as the bystander.
In terms of the flora and the fauna, the warm temperatures as well as set wet and dry seasons make for relatively fertile soil that welcome agriculture. The trees here are adapted to manage during the dry period of the year, thus making them tropically deciduous. Overall, the land is covered in grass fields that stretch for miles and miles, and make for grazing gold to herbivores.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania- Hiking through the Savanna

November 11, 2013
This week, I'm headed to a place I can only reference to with the songs of "The Lion King," given that I have no personal memories of the savanna. But I'm thrilled to go explore the wildlife.
Oddly enough, www.climatedata.eu stated that the average high temperature took place in March last year. But Dar es Salaam truly knows the meaning of April showers, since rainfall reached 270 mm there.

PACKING LIST

Sunscreen

Water filter

Water jug

Hiking boots

Hat

Insect repellant

A Recap of the Subtropical Desert

November 10, 2013
Scorching. That's all I can say. A heavy offset to the icy winds of the tundra. The Sahara Desert proved relentless in its continuous heat waves and it's no wonder that the plants here are thick and nearly pore-less to hinder water loss water loss.
Library.thinkquest.org states that in the Sahara Desert, the wildlife ranges from the slender mongoose to guinea fowl. Some other animals are the anubis baboon, the sand fox, and ostriches. All animal life in the desert has adapted to withstand long periods of drought due to the overwhelming lack of rainfall for considerable periods of time.

Nouakchott, Mauritania- Surviving the Subtropical Desert

November 3, 2013
This week's adventure is withstanding the heat of the desert. Mauritania's climate is arid at best, and temperatures can reach up to 105 degrees Celsius, according to weatherspark.com.

PACKING LIST

Water filter

Water jug

Sunglasses

Sunscree

Hat

A Recap of the Temperate Rainforest

November 2, 2013
This coastal biome definitely sweeps in plenty of rainfall. It rain incessantly while I was here and that led to plenty of sock-changing. It's effortless to see the skyscraper-like trees in this biome, and it's even easier to see the moss trailing up and down their trunk. A considerable number of ferns and mosses cling to the huge trees of the region due to the poor nutrients in the soil.
As for the wildlife, www.mbgnet.net credits the land to be home to elks and cougars and raccoons. Other animals also inhabit the area, including black bears. Elks, according to the site, are the champions of the biome, for their hearding prevents the forest from over-blooming in plant life.

Queenstown, New Zealand- Enjoying the Temperate Rainforest

October 26, 2013
My next adventure is in the temperate rainforests of New Zealand, where mild temperatures and plenty of rainfall will be my reality for the week.
According to climate-charts.com, temperatures dip in June while precipitation is about 80 mm.

PACKING LIST

Digital camera

Hiking boots

Rain gear

Observation notebook

Socks. Plenty of socks. (They'll get wet in the rain)

A Recap of the Woodland

October 25, 2013
Leaching in the winter from the rain typically draws nutrients  from the soil and carries them to other locations. As a result, the soil proves low in nutrient content and agriculture is never much of a possibility here. It's been rather dry in the shrubland due to it being almost summer in the country. As a result, the land is prone to wildfires around this time of year. But rest assured, the plants have adapted and now readily resprout after such disasters occur.
To combat the pervasive dryness here, plants such as yucca, sagebrush, and scrub oak all withstand the arid climate. An extraordinary thing, adaptation. These plants have altered enough to rise again after fires destroy them.

Geradton, Australia- Visiting the Woodland

October 18, 2013
My expedition took me to Australia this week, where I'm hoping to get a closer look at the shrubland of the west.
According to weatheronline.com, the region peaked in temperature February of last year while the average low was in August. None of this is surprising since countries in the southern hemisphere have their seasons reversed from the seasons of North America. In addition, the most precipitation occurred in the month of June.

PACKING LIST

Water jug

Observation journal

Digital camera

Sturdy bag

Hiking shoes

A Recap of the Temperate Seasonal Forest

October 17, 2013
Never have I seen such an abundance of color in the trees. It's a profound moment when so many autumn leaves hold so many colors, and I've fallen in love with the season all over again. Because temperate seasonal forests allow for warmer temperatures, decomposition remains a hastier process. As a result, more deciduous trees inhabit the biome because their leaves more readily decompose than coniferous trees.
Here, animals such as brown bear and the white tailed deer live, according to enchantedlearning.com. In addition, smaller creatures such as the cardinal and raccoon dwell in the forests as well. Brown and black bears prove to be the main carnivores while rabbits and squirrels are some of the smallest herbivores.

Berlin, Germany- Here for the Temperate Seasonal Forest

October 10, 2013
My flight to Berlin consisted of a plane entirely filled with two types of travelers: tourists and German residents. I alone am headed to the city for its environmental zest. I can't say whether that makes me proud or nervous.
According to worldweather.com, my week is looking good, although only for the warmer weather than the tundra. In 2012, The average high in Berlin was 23 degrees in Celsius, a considerably better temperature for me.

PACKING LIST

Windbreaker

Binoculars (to study wildlife)

Observation journal

Hiking shoes

Digital camera

A Recap of the Boreal Forest

October 8, 2013
What an incredible place Helsinki is. As extraordinary as the soaring urban world was, the true magic begins along the skirts between city and forest. Endless stretches of evergreen trees dot the forests and thanks to the poor nutrients in the soil, the fauna that can grow in Helsinki is limited. All the deciduous trees here- maple, aspen, birch- abandon their leaves before winter's heavy blows harm them.
Through and through, the wildlife fascinates me. According to borealforest.org, it's typical to find anything from rabbits and hares to wolves and foxes. The arctic fox, in particular, resides in Helsinki, and it's truly an artist with its hunting.

Helsinki, Finland- Uncovering the Boreal Forest

October 2
After my week in the tundra, I'm headed to warmer, yet still incredibly frigid expanses, otherwise known as Finland.
According to worldweather.com, the city's climate is still bleak in temperature with an average high in July and an average low in February.

PACKING LIST

An alarm clock (the lack of sun around the winter solstice can throw off what time it seems to be)

Coat 

DSLR (still to capture the surroundings)

A sturdy bag

Waterproof boots

A Recap of the Tundra

September 30, 2013
They are not lying about the frigidness of the tundra. My entire week in Fort McPherson consisted of three-pair-of-socks days and layer after layer of sweaters for warmth. But I can most certainly say it was worth it. There's something about being in the stillness of the cold air that instills a sense of peace in you. There's a quiet strength that forms, one that resonates only with the clear skies of the tundra.
Beneath the ground is considerable permafrost, a frozen layer that limits the plant life in the biome. Yet still plants manage to flourish in the form of mosses and lichens here. It's an extraordinary idea, this ability to thrive in such hostile climates. If anything, the tundra has taught me to never underestimate others. After all, look at the blooming plants.

Fort McPherson, Canada- Visiting the Tundra

September 24, 2013
Here I am on the first stop of the adventure: the tundra. 
According to worldweather.com, Fort McPherson has weather that peaked in July 2012 and rainfall that almost reached 44 mm in July as well.

PACKING LIST
Windbreaker (colorful so that I don't blend into the dark)
Socks. Plenty of socks.
Waterproof boots
Coat
Jeans
Scarves
Gloves (cheetah print)
DSLR (to take pictures of the cold beauty)

My Schedule for the Weeks Ahead

Fort McPherson, Canada (tundra)- September 24 to October 1
Helsinki, Finland (boreal forest)- October 2 to October 9
Berlin, Germany (temperate seasonal forest)- October 10 to October 17
Geraldton, Australia (woodland/shrubland)- October 18 to October 25
Queenstown, New Zealand (temperate rain forest)- October 26 to November 2
Nouakchott, Mauritania (subtropical desert)- November 3 to November 10
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (savanna)- November 11 to November 18
Manuas, Brazil (tropical rain forest)- November 19 to November 26
Denver, Colorado (temperate grassland)- November 27 to December 4

What an Adventure- September 23, 2013

For the next nine weeks, I'll be visiting every biome there is on planet Earth, one for each week. I'll be planning my destinations and creating a packing list, then hopefully bringing back some well-treasured memories. Off I go!