What is the greatest biome on earth?

brianlux

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.

rgambs

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.

brianlux

^^^ 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.

HughFreakingDillon

been born and raised on the prairies, I'd say I know my least favourite.

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

Would love to see the east coast someday. 

jeffbr

#1 for me is also coastal regions. Alpine would follow, and high-mountain deserts a close 3rd.

eddiec

Temperate forests and freshwater aquatic biomes for me.

brianlux

HughFreakingDillon said:

been born and raised on the prairies, I'd say I know my least favourite.

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!

HughFreakingDillon

brianlux said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

been born and raised on the prairies, I'd say I know my least favourite.

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. 

PJ_Soul

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. 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.

HughFreakingDillon

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. 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????"

Kev - Coat and Keys

My favourite is rain forest - the greatest will probably end up being desert (or nuclear wasteland).

Jason P

Grassy knolls

PJ_Soul

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. 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.

riotgrl

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!

brianlux

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. 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.

brianlux

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!

PJfanwillneverleave1

Under the sea.

brianlux

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:

Under the sea.

Aye Captain Nemo, aye!

eddiec

brianlux said:

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:

Under the sea.

Aye Captain Nemo, aye!

I was thinking Sebastian.

mcgruff10

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)

rgambs

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.