Name Biomes Notes Biomes Slide 2 Large communities

Name: _____________ Biomes Notes Biomes (Slide 2) • Large communities on Earth with similar climates and organisms • Plants and animals are adapted for a specific biome • Biomes have changed many times during Earth’s history • Humans have a major impact on biomes Desert (Slide 3) • Receives an extremely low amount of rainfall each year • 4 types of deserts: hot and dry, semiarid, coastal, and cold • Plant Life – cactus and yucca plant • Animal Life – coyote and owl Taiga (Slide 4) • Also known as a coniferous or boreal forest • Located in northern regions; south of the tundra • Short, wet summers and long, cold winters • Plant Life – fir tree and pine tree • Animal Life – rabbit and wolf Tundra (Slide 5) • Extremely cold and dry • Very short summers and long winters • Frozen soil called permafrost • Plant Life – arctic moss and arctic willow • Animal Life – caribou and bear Date: _______

Rainforest (Slide 6) • A dense forest with a large variety of species and abundant rainfall • About half of all known species come from the rainforest • Plant Life – orchid and bromeliad • Animal Life – toucan and tree frog Deciduous Forest (Slide 7) • Consists of trees that lose their leaves during a specific season • Four distinct seasons with average rainfall and temperatures • Plant Life – oak tree and magnolia tree • Animal Life – raccoon and woodpecker Grassland (Slide 8) • Dominated by grasses instead of large shrubs or trees • Also known as prairies, pampas, steppes, and savannas • Plant Life – rye grass and wild oats • Animal Life – bison and antelope Marine (Slide 9) • Largest of all the biomes – covers nearly ¾ of Earth • Average temperature of Earth’s oceans is 39° Fahrenheit • Plant Life – kelp and seaweed • Animal Life – whale and sea turtle Freshwater (Slide 10) • Made up of ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers • Salt concentration less than 1% • Plant Life – water lily and algae • Animal Life – otter and catfish

Checkpoint (Slides 11 -16) Question 1: What are the differences between an ecosystem and a biome? Biomes are extremely large areas that are generally classified according to plant life. Ecosystems are a unique group of living organisms that interact and are adapted to their environment. Question 2: How is a polar bear adapted to survive in its biome? Polar bears live in the arctic and the climate is extremely cold and harsh. Polar bears have a thick fur coat and a layer of fat to stay warm. They also have black skin to help absorb heat and white fur for camouflage. Lastly, polar bears have slightly webbed toes for swimming. Question 3: What role does climate have when categorizing biomes? Climate is an important factor because it determines which plants and animals are able to survive based on their adaptations to each specific biome. Question 4: Choose a biome. Create a list of 4 biotic and abiotic factors from this biome. Answers will vary. Example – Desert Biome Biotic Factors – cactus, snakes, lizards, and scorpions Abiotic Factors – sand, rocks, sunlight, and lack of rainfall Question 5: What biome do you live in? How do you know? Answers will vary. Allow students to explain their reasoning.