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What is the greatest biome on earth?

brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,032
in A Moving Train
Or at least your favorite?  Since most political boundaries are artificial, imagine if you will a world described a interconnected biomes or bio-regions.  What is you favorite?

I'm partial to coastal regions, oak woodlands and savanna myself with high country running a close behind.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













Comments

  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    Deciduous forests are great.  Deciduous forests on mountains are the best.  
    I get a half chub thinking about the great forest that stretched from the coast to the Mississippi River before human populations (Native included) began deforestation.  
    High country is my absolute favourite geography to visit, but that's more because of the geology, it isn't suited to the sort of vegetative abundance that I prefer in a biome.
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,032
    ^^^ I would love to have seen the vast forests of New England and many parts of Europe before they were hacked down.

    Well anyway, my hope here is to get us thinking at least a little bit beyond the artificial (political boundaries) to the real.  Natural delineations of regions will count for much more in the coming world made by hand.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Posts: 36,982
    been born and raised on the prairies, I'd say I know my least favourite. :lol:

    Love the west coast. Love Mexico. whatever biome that is.

    Would love to see the east coast someday. 


    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • jeffbrjeffbr Posts: 7,177
    #1 for me is also coastal regions. Alpine would follow, and high-mountain deserts a close 3rd.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
  • eddieceddiec Posts: 3,881
    Temperate forests and freshwater aquatic biomes for me.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,032
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    been born and raised on the prairies, I'd say I know my least favourite. :lol:

    Love the west coast. Love Mexico. whatever biome that is.

    Would love to see the east coast someday. 


    I think Mexico is a mix of desert, coastal regions with some forested mountains.  I've only been to the tip of Baja-, Cabo San Lucas- about 25 years ago.  The tourism there was awful but the coast was beautiful, the smaller less popular cantinas were great and the cerveserias there had the best cheap beer I'd ever had.  Good times!

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Posts: 36,982
    brianlux said:
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    been born and raised on the prairies, I'd say I know my least favourite. :lol:

    Love the west coast. Love Mexico. whatever biome that is.

    Would love to see the east coast someday. 


    I think Mexico is a mix of desert, coastal regions with some forested mountains.  I've only been to the tip of Baja-, Cabo San Lucas- about 25 years ago.  The tourism there was awful but the coast was beautiful, the smaller less popular cantinas were great and the cerveserias there had the best cheap beer I'd ever had.  Good times!

    yeah, i should have said where in mexico. only been once, this past spring. close to Cancun. it was like heaven on earth. 
    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,950
    edited May 2017
    brianlux said:
    Or at least your favorite?  Since most political boundaries are artificial, imagine if you will a world described a interconnected biomes or bio-regions.  What is you favorite?

    I'm partial to coastal regions, oak woodlands and savanna myself with high country running a close behind.
    Despite my complaints about Metro Vancouver and how fucked up it is politically and economically and culturally, I do have an extremely strong connection to the actual land on which I live and which surrounds me, and that make it my favorite. I need oceans, mountains, and temperate rain forest all together so I can easily be surrounded by all three at the same time, lol. Obviously the coast of Washington is a close second. Of course the Oregon coast is also stunning. My second natural love are the Rocky Mountains, where I also lived for a while. I did miss the ocean, but the huge, breathtaking beauty of the Rockies more than satisfied me.

    My greatest dislike is simply heat. I absolutely HATE hot weather. Sure, dry heat is a zillion times better than humid heat, but it still all sucks for me. I don't even mean crazy hot, like Vegas or the Middle East or that hellish heat wave I experienced in Chicago in 2013 (I almost died there, lol). I'm talking anything over about 18C. :lol: And my ideal temperature is more like 8C when cloudy/rainy, and -1C or so when sunny. So even where I live now, the summers are absolute torture for me (3 out of 4 seasons ain't bad though - I am happy as a clam for fall, winter, and spring). So that means I don't like your typical vacation destinations. My ideal travel destinations are high up in the mountains where it never really gets too hot, or far north, haha. I mean, I'll travel to hot places because I still want to see the world, but I am going despite the warm/hot weather, not because of it.
    I also have a bit of a problem with the Prairies. All that flatness really makes me uncomfortable. I can totally understand why some settlers lost their minds out there on the plains.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Posts: 36,982
    PJ_Soul said:
    brianlux said:
    Or at least your favorite?  Since most political boundaries are artificial, imagine if you will a world described a interconnected biomes or bio-regions.  What is you favorite?

    I'm partial to coastal regions, oak woodlands and savanna myself with high country running a close behind.
    Despite my complaints about Metro Vancouver and how fucked up it is politically and economically and culturally, I do have an extremely strong connection to the actual land on which I live and which surrounds me, and that make it my favorite. I need oceans, mountains, and temperate rain forest all together so I can easily be surrounded by all three at the same time, lol. Obviously the coast of Washington is a close second. Of course the Oregon coast is also stunning. My second natural love are the Rocky Mountains, where I also lived for a while. I did miss the ocean, but the huge, breathtaking beauty of the Rockies more than satisfied me.

    My greatest dislike is simply heat. I absolutely HATE hot weather. Sure, dry heat is a zillion times better than humid heat, but it still all sucks for me. I don't even mean crazy hot, like Vegas or the Middle East or that hellish heat wave I experienced in Chicago in 2013 (I almost died there, lol). I'm talking anything over about 18C. :lol: And my ideal temperature is more like 8C when cloudy/rainy, and -1C or so when sunny. So even where I live now, the summers are absolute torture for me (3 out of 4 seasons ain't bad though - I am happy as a clam for fall, winter, and spring). So that means I don't like your typical vacation destinations. My ideal travel destinations are high up in the mountains where it never really gets too hot, or far north, haha. I mean, I'll travel to hot places because I still want to see the world, but I am going despite the warm/hot weather, not because of it.
    I also have a bit of a problem with the Prairies. All that flatness really makes me uncomfortable. I can totally understand why some settlers lost their minds out there on the plains.
    then don't visit winnipeg in the summer. it's a fucking rain forest here in summer. 

    "oh, hey, it's 27 degrees today! perfect to go to the park"
    "check the humidex"
    "FUCK, it's going to feel like 43????"
    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • Kev - Coat and KeysKev - Coat and Keys Posts: 357
    My favourite is rain forest - the greatest will probably end up being desert (or nuclear wasteland).
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,138
    Grassy knolls
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,950
    edited May 2017
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    PJ_Soul said:
    brianlux said:
    Or at least your favorite?  Since most political boundaries are artificial, imagine if you will a world described a interconnected biomes or bio-regions.  What is you favorite?

    I'm partial to coastal regions, oak woodlands and savanna myself with high country running a close behind.
    Despite my complaints about Metro Vancouver and how fucked up it is politically and economically and culturally, I do have an extremely strong connection to the actual land on which I live and which surrounds me, and that make it my favorite. I need oceans, mountains, and temperate rain forest all together so I can easily be surrounded by all three at the same time, lol. Obviously the coast of Washington is a close second. Of course the Oregon coast is also stunning. My second natural love are the Rocky Mountains, where I also lived for a while. I did miss the ocean, but the huge, breathtaking beauty of the Rockies more than satisfied me.

    My greatest dislike is simply heat. I absolutely HATE hot weather. Sure, dry heat is a zillion times better than humid heat, but it still all sucks for me. I don't even mean crazy hot, like Vegas or the Middle East or that hellish heat wave I experienced in Chicago in 2013 (I almost died there, lol). I'm talking anything over about 18C. :lol: And my ideal temperature is more like 8C when cloudy/rainy, and -1C or so when sunny. So even where I live now, the summers are absolute torture for me (3 out of 4 seasons ain't bad though - I am happy as a clam for fall, winter, and spring). So that means I don't like your typical vacation destinations. My ideal travel destinations are high up in the mountains where it never really gets too hot, or far north, haha. I mean, I'll travel to hot places because I still want to see the world, but I am going despite the warm/hot weather, not because of it.
    I also have a bit of a problem with the Prairies. All that flatness really makes me uncomfortable. I can totally understand why some settlers lost their minds out there on the plains.
    then don't visit winnipeg in the summer. it's a fucking rain forest here in summer. 

    "oh, hey, it's 27 degrees today! perfect to go to the park"
    "check the humidex"
    "FUCK, it's going to feel like 43????"
    No, I won't be visiting Winnipeg in the summer... or in the winter, haha. Yeah, a couple times I've been caught in weather like that, after the humidity is factored in. I've been in 44C (Merritt 2009) and 48C in Chicago at one point (42C in the middle of the night), where I wanted to die every time I stepped outside, lol. That heatwave basically ruined my Wrigley trip. It's been up in the mid to high 30s in Vancouver several times, but that definitely isn't the norm. A Vancouver heatwave is normally more like 30C or so. Which is also totally intolerable for me.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • riotgrlriotgrl Posts: 1,895
    As much as I detest Kentucky for a wide variety of reasons, the land here is great.  I'd give anything to see our deciduous forests when it was still an old growth area.  Red River Gorge is one of the most amazing sites now, I can't imagine how it looked before it was all cut down!
    Are we getting something out of this all-encompassing trip?

    Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned...

    I AM MINE
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,032
    PJ_Soul said:
    brianlux said:
    Or at least your favorite?  Since most political boundaries are artificial, imagine if you will a world described a interconnected biomes or bio-regions.  What is you favorite?

    I'm partial to coastal regions, oak woodlands and savanna myself with high country running a close behind.
    Despite my complaints about Metro Vancouver and how fucked up it is politically and economically and culturally, I do have an extremely strong connection to the actual land on which I live and which surrounds me, and that make it my favorite. I need oceans, mountains, and temperate rain forest all together so I can easily be surrounded by all three at the same time, lol. Obviously the coast of Washington is a close second. Of course the Oregon coast is also stunning. My second natural love are the Rocky Mountains, where I also lived for a while. I did miss the ocean, but the huge, breathtaking beauty of the Rockies more than satisfied me.

    My greatest dislike is simply heat. I absolutely HATE hot weather. Sure, dry heat is a zillion times better than humid heat, but it still all sucks for me. I don't even mean crazy hot, like Vegas or the Middle East or that hellish heat wave I experienced in Chicago in 2013 (I almost died there, lol). I'm talking anything over about 18C. :lol: And my ideal temperature is more like 8C when cloudy/rainy, and -1C or so when sunny. So even where I live now, the summers are absolute torture for me (3 out of 4 seasons ain't bad though - I am happy as a clam for fall, winter, and spring). So that means I don't like your typical vacation destinations. My ideal travel destinations are high up in the mountains where it never really gets too hot, or far north, haha. I mean, I'll travel to hot places because I still want to see the world, but I am going despite the warm/hot weather, not because of it.
    I also have a bit of a problem with the Prairies. All that flatness really makes me uncomfortable. I can totally understand why some settlers lost their minds out there on the plains.
    Oh how I get it!  We were super spoiled this year with a long, cool, wet winter.  We even had some light rain as recently as about 3 days ago.  And then all of the sudden today we're in the upper 80's Fahrenheit (30 to 32 Celsius).  Bummer!  That why I refer to the county I live in, El Dorado County, as "Helldorado"!  Not too many years ago we had a July in which 27 out of the 31 day the temps got over 100 F (38 C).  It was literally hellacious! The heat just wilts me.

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,032
    riotgrl said:
    As much as I detest Kentucky for a wide variety of reasons, the land here is great.  I'd give anything to see our deciduous forests when it was still an old growth area.  Red River Gorge is one of the most amazing sites now, I can't imagine how it looked before it was all cut down!
    I spent a couple of weeks in the summer in KY back in the 80's.  The humidity was insane!  But about midway through the visit I sort of got used to it (the advantages of youth!) and really enjoyed the countryside there.  Swimming in a nearby abandoned quarry was a blast!
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • PJfanwillneverleave1PJfanwillneverleave1 Posts: 12,885
    Under the sea.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,032
    PJfanwillneverleave1 said:
    Under the sea.
    Aye Captain Nemo, aye!
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • eddieceddiec Posts: 3,881
    brianlux said:
    PJfanwillneverleave1 said:
    Under the sea.
    Aye Captain Nemo, aye!

    I was thinking Sebastian.


  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 Posts: 28,496
    I love it all but some of my favorite spots are:
    coral reef around Oahu, Hawaii
    The desert in and around Sedona Arizona (red rocks)
    The alps/dolmites in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Germany.
    Glacier and Waterton National Park (Montana and Alberta)
    The vast nothingness of the American west (wyoming in particular)


    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    mcgruff10 said:
    I love it all but some of my favorite spots are:
    coral reef around Oahu, Hawaii
    The desert in and around Sedona Arizona (red rocks)
    The alps/dolmites in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Germany.
    Glacier and Waterton National Park (Montana and Alberta)
    The vast nothingness of the American west (wyoming in particular)


    Holy crap the Alps right??? 
    As a biome it isn't the most abundant or biodiverse anymore, but...damn.
    The Dolomites and the Austrian Alps kicked my ass, I still have dreams about those mountains years later.
    If I won the lottery I would buy a chalet somewhere in Eggental and move everyone I know there to run it and live like hermit kings.
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 Posts: 28,496
    rgambs said:
    mcgruff10 said:
    I love it all but some of my favorite spots are:
    coral reef around Oahu, Hawaii
    The desert in and around Sedona Arizona (red rocks)
    The alps/dolmites in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Germany.
    Glacier and Waterton National Park (Montana and Alberta)
    The vast nothingness of the American west (wyoming in particular)


    Holy crap the Alps right??? 
    As a biome it isn't the most abundant or biodiverse anymore, but...damn.
    The Dolomites and the Austrian Alps kicked my ass, I still have dreams about those mountains years later.
    If I won the lottery I would buy a chalet somewhere in Eggental and move everyone I know there to run it and live like hermit kings.
    Many moons ago before kids a bunch of us stayed in innsbruck, austria for two weeks to snowboard.  We rode in st. anton and toured all around the area.  I'm not sure where we were (somewhere in Autria I'm thinking) but we took a ski  lift up to the top of the mountain and hiked down with some hand drawn map that a local drew us.  That hike totally kicked my ass!!  I absolutely loved the alps and Dolomites.

    If I won the lottery I would definitely move somewhere in that area.  I'm turning 40 this year and that area is on the short list of places to go with my wife.  
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    Innsbruck!!  Ouch, you are hurting my heart lol
    The skyline the backs the golden roof is a knife edge ridge with a Kletterstieg route that my wife and I did.  Holy shit, that was amazing, right between the epic Trieste and Vienna shows on the '13 Euro tour. 
    Damn, my heart aches just thinking that it was the pinnacle of my life lol
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576

    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 Posts: 28,496
    rgambs said:

    Holy shit bud that is awesome!!!!!!
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • SmellymanSmellyman Posts: 4,524
    the nether
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,950
    Smellyman said:
    the nether
    Like the netherworld?



    ;)
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
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