Looking at Lumpar's biomes helps us understand the interconnections between the plants and living things that inhabit it. For example, the tilt of Lumpar on its axis and wind patterns both help to determine the climate of any particular biome. The climate, in turn, has a great impact on the types of platnts that can flourish, or even survive, in the area.
The lack of rainfall is what makes the desert different from any other biome. Lumpar has two major desert regions; one is a tropical desert and sees little change and tends to be hot year round. The desert that lies north of the Equator has less than ten inches of rainfall per year. The hottest average yearly temperature in the shade is 94 degrees farenheit and the highest temperature increases to an overwhelming 136 degrees farenheit.
Deserts can be very beautiful, but of all this planet's habitats they are the least welcoming. They have a sandy surface made up of stones, gravel, and rocks. Because of the lack of water, animals and vegetation are few and far between. Despite this, there is an amazing variety of plants and creatures that have adopted to such harsh conditions. Animals that live in the desert feed at night when it is cooler.
A particularly interesting animal of the desert is the Rickateous Rodentus. Its parasol tail can lift it three meters and shade it from ultraviolet sunburn. The long snout can probe for pockets of water underground. And the giant ears, needed to hear well in the thin air, also serve as blankets. On especially hot days, this waterseeker stays cool by clamping its ears tightly around its whole body.
Similar to Earth, Lumpar has many temperate regions like those found in California. Compared to other Lumpar regions, these areas have moderate temperature ranges but slighlty higher than Earth, about seven to ten degrees. The temperate zones of Lumpar
experience a mild, moist climate dominated by cool, moist air blowing from the southern pole and the Miaos and Karsta Oceans.
Large swings in temperature and the varying hours of sunlight create a changeable climate with distinct seasons. The temperate zones can be divided into three regions: warm, cool, and cold. There are differences between these regions. The warm areas receive most of their rainfall during spring when they are furthest away from the sun. Winter receives little to no rainfall and experiences some occasional snow which quickly turns to slush. These two periods allow these areas to remain relatively unaffected during Lumpar's two harsh summers. The lack of water in the summer, though, means that the vegetation is sparse and shrubby, not at all to what us Earthlings are accustomed to.
The seasons are in sharp contrasts of each other in the Tundra. Lumpar's only Tundra region is located near the Southern pole and is the coldest biome. Unlike Earth's Tundra in which no trees grow, small trees and brush grow sparsely thoughout. Large trees cannot grow because the soil remains frozen a few feet below the surface. This permanently frozen layer is known as permafrost.
Permafrost not only affects the types of plants that can grow on the tundra, it also shapes the Tundra's landscape. In fall, the freezing of the water in the soil creates one of the Tundra's more unusual features. As the ground freezes, it contracts; and as it contracts, cracks are formed on the surface. These cracks create distinctive geometric patterns in the soil. 
During winter the land is frozen. It is extermely cold and dark and wildlife is rarely seen. When summer arrives the sunshine drenches the Tundra. Herds of caibou-like animals spread out to graze and waterbirds from all over the world converge on their nesting grounds.
An unexplicable mountain sits at the southernmost tip of this zone. Recent smoking and quaking of the land has led scientists to believe, that this is in fact an active volcano. Until now, the volcano has remained utterly lifeless. If it were to erupt, ash and dust would travel into the atmosphere completely obstructing the sun. Its effects would be catastrophic. This region would become permanently frozen and other regions would be affected as well. Could this be the beginning of Lumpar's Ice Age?
The curve of the planet's surface means that Nus' rays strike Lumpar at a slant, so that the radiation from its sun is spread out over a greater area. At the South Pole the nuslight and heat have to travel through thicker atmosphere, and this soaks up much of the heat. The result: the south polar region is a cold area, covered with snow and ice. It remains frozen because the white surface of the ice reflects the sun's heat, not allowing the polar region to absorb much warmth from the sun. 
Ninety-four percent of the pole is covered with a permanent ice pack. This layer of ice has an average thickness of 3.4 miles. The tremendous weight of the ice presses the Gordus Ice Mass down so more than one-fourth of the underlying rock lies below sea level. 
There are far fewer different animals and almost no land plants. Because there is so little vegetation, the largest herbivore is a rare insect found only here. The polar food chain in this biome begins with Placum, tiny (almost microscopic) sea creatures. Scientists are still not sure if they are animals or plant particles. A simplified food chain is illustrated.
Electrical crystal creatures called Jodini Zistles prosper in this environment. At night, when it's colder still and electricity flows perfectly, Jodinis feel best. Highly intelligent, they spend most of their time communicating with each other through radio waves. They move around by jumping into the air. They can spring as high as 18 meters. Jodinis only exist on Gordus, any other biome would be too hot.
Tropical grasslands, occur betwwen the equatorial forest, and the hot, dry deserts. The climate is always hot, but the year is divided into a dry and a wet season. Vegetation consists of grasses that grow up to 12 feet tall during the wet season, and low trees and bushes.
Vast expanses of dry grassland occur in the middle of Lumpar, where temperatures are extreme and there is not enough rainfall for forests to grow. This area has very hot summers and very cold winters.
Temperate grasslands are composed of a rich mix of grasses and shrubs, and contain some of the worlds' most fertile soils.
The climate is semi-arid. Snow falls and serves as a reservoir of moisture for the beginning of the growing season. Warm to hot summers are experienced, depending on the latitude of the planet at the time.
Dominant plants include perrenial grassess and perennial shrubs. These kinds of plants are found in the more humid areas of Lumpar.
The soil is characterized by high organic content and a heavy concentration of calcium carbonate.
This is the the simplest biome. Temperate climates are rarely very hot or very cold: the average tempertature is usually 50 degrees farenheit or more for four months of the year, and below 41 degrees farenheit for atleast one month. The climate includes an extremely short growing season, long, cold, and dark winters, low precipitation full of strong, drying winds. Showfall helps the plant and animal life because it provides an insulating layer on the surface. In temperate regions, many types of plant are dormant during winter.
Because, this is the simplest biome on Lumpar, there is no true soil.
In equatorial regions the climate is hot and wet throughout the year. The average monthly temperature is about 80-82 degrees, and it rains almost every day. This climate results in the most abundant plant and animal growth in the world: equatorial forests contain 40 % of all species.
Monsoons are seasonal winds that affect large areas of the tropics and subtropics. They blow from southwest in summer, and northeast in winter.
Return Home