BIOMESPresentation by

Anu and Tim

Standard 15

Biomes can be classified into two major groups:

TERRESTRIAL and AQUATIC

• Terrestrial biomes: LANDtun rd a, taiga, grasslands, savannas, deserts, tropical rainforests, deciduous forests, etc.

• Aquatic biomes: WATER– Freshwater biomes large lakes, polar

freshwaters, tropical coastal rivers, river deltas, etc.

– Marine biomes continental shelf, tropical coral, kelp forest, benthic zone, pelagic zone, etc.

Types of biomesTypes of Biomes

Rainforest

Tundra

Desert

Grassland

Taiga (coniferous forest)

Temperate Deciduous Forest

FreshwaterMarine

GrasslandsGrasslands are known by many names.

In America, they are called prairie, in Asia they are called steppe, in South Africa they are known as veldt, in Africa as savanna, and in

South America as pampas.

•Grasslands are large, flat areas dominated by grasses.

•There are two types of grasslands- temperate grassland and savanna.

•The difference between the two is that while savanna has a few scattered shrubs and trees, temperate grassland is nearly completely devoid of

anything other than grasses.

•They have very nutritious soil and a dark, thick layer of topsoil, which is necessary for all the grasses.

•The rainfall in temperate grasslands is about 20-35 inches annually,

•and about 30-40 inches annually in savannas.

•Savanna has rainy and dry seasons, and

•temperate grasslands have winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Some of the Animals you can find in

grasslands are….

RainforestsRainforests are forests that are known for their high amount of rainfall.

There are two types of rainforests- tropical

rainforests and temperate rainforests.

40-75% of all species live in the rainforest.

Tropical rainforests are found mostly along the equator, and temperate rainforests are found in temperate regions like North America and Europe.

Plants there are either very tall, vine like, or close to the ground. Sunlight barely filters through the overhead trees, making the smaller plants able to survive on less.

Some of the animals you can

find in the rainforest are…

DesertDeserts are areas that get very little rainfall, or

areas that lose more water than they receive as precipitation.

There are two types of deserts, cold deserts and hot deserts.

Antarctica is an example of a cold desert, and the Sahara is an example of a hot desert.

There is little to no vegetation in deserts, except in areas called oases.

Oases are the only areas in a desert that can support crops and human habitation.

Some of the animals that you can find in the desert are…

TundraTundra is an area where low temperature and

short growing seasons hinder tree growth. There are two types of tundra- arctic tundra

and alpine tundra. Arctic tundra can be found in the far northern hemisphere, north of the

Arctic belt. Alpine tundra can be found in high elevations.

Only lichens and mosses can grow in the permafrost of Arctic tundra.

Small shrubs and dwarf trees can grow in Alpine tundra, along with low-growing,

shallow-rooted plants that don’t flower.

Tundra are known for their extremely cold climate and short season of plant growth.

Precipitation there is rain or snowfall, and tundra gets very little of it.

Some of the plants and animals found in the tundra are…

Taiga

There is patchy permafrost in the winters, and numerous lakes, ponds, bogs, and rivers.

•Taiga is home to large coniferous forests (lots of pine trees).

•Besides that, not many plants grow there, because of the harsh cold.

•You can find birds and insects there in the summer, and

mosses and lichens year round.

•Most of the plants there are drought resistant.

Taiga is the Russian word for forest. •It is located just below the tundra biome. •It is the largest terrestrial biome in the world.

•The main seasons in the taiga biome are summer and winter. Spring and Fall are very short.

Some of the life you can find in taiga are….

Temperate Deciduous Forest

It can get up to 60 inches of precipitation annually.

Summer and winter are the most distinct seasons there. Spring and Fall are very short.

The dominant plants there are broad leaf deciduous trees, after which the biome gets its name. Deciduous means “falling.”

The temperate deciduous forest

biome is found in the eastern part of the United States and a little bit of southern Ontario (in Canada).

Some of the animals you can find in temperate deciduous forest

are…

Freshwater

It is defined as having less than 1% of salt concentration.

However, all bodies of water can’t be classified as completely saltwater or freshwater.

There are some bodies of water, such as estuaries, that have a mixed salt concentration, usually found when a river meets the ocean. They also have a very stable average daily temperature.

The freshwater biome can be found scattered across the earth in lakes, rivers, ponds and other freshwater bodies.

Some of the animals you can find in freshwater are…

Marine The marine biome is the largest of all aquatic biomes.

It is found mainly in the ocean.

Like the freshwater biome, the marine biome has a very stable average daily temperature.

The evaporation of seawater found in this biome accounts for a large percentage of terrestrial rainwater.

Ocean regions are divided into four zones:

Marine Biomes – salt water (Ocean)

Some of the animals you can find in the marine biome are…

Question 1

• Which of the following biomes has the lowest annual precipitation rate?

• A- taiga

• B- tundra

• C- deciduous forest

• D- temperate grassland

Answer

• Tundra. Tundra gets very little rain or snow at all, though it is very cold there. Because of this, most plants can not survive there.

Question 2

• Which biome has mostly shallow rooted, low growing plants that reproduce by budding and division rather than by flowering?

• A- taiga

• B- tundra

• C- grassland

• D- rainforest

Answer

• Tundra.

• Because tundra gets so little rain and sunshine, the plants that live there have adapted to get as much water as possible.

• Flowers, for example, are not practical for the climate.

Question 3

• Which two biomes have the MOST stable average daily temperature over a long period of time?

• A- tundra and taiga

• B- rainforest and desert

• C- marine and freshwater

• D- grassland deciduous forest

Answer

• Marine and freshwater. Water takes longer to change its temperature than air does, making the current water temperatures more permanent than those on land.

Question 4• Which statement describes grassland soils?

• A- Low level of nutrients and a dry, thin layer of topsoil.• B- Low level of nutrients and a thick, acidic layer of topsoil.• C- Moderate level of nutrients and a moist, thick level of

topsoil.• D- High level of nutrients and a dark, thick layer of topsoil.

Answer

• They have a high level of nutrients and a dark, thick layer of topsoil. This soil is necessary to support the large amount of grass that grows there.

Question 5• Students obtained local monthly average precipitation and

temperature data from the National Weather Service. Based on these data, in which biome do the students live?

• A- taiga B- desert• C- grassland D- rainforest

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Temperature

(c)-1 0 4 8 12 16 24 26 24 20 14 4

Precipitation

(cm)3 2 5 8 12 12 8 11 8 5 5 3

Answer

• Grassland. The precipitation rate for grassland matches the results shown on the chart, and the temperature is similar as well.

• A desert would not have that much rain, a rainforest would have more rain, and a taiga would be much colder.

Question 6

• Which student correctly compared the Rainforest and the Desert correctly?

• A- student 1• B- student 2• C- student 3• D- student 4

Student Rainforest Desert

1 Warmer

Many plants

Many animals

Hot

Few plants

Many animals

2 Warmer

Less water

Many animals

Hot

Less water

Many animals

3 Cold

No plants

No animals

Hot

Many plants

Few animals

4 Cold

Permafrost

Heavy rain

Hot

Snow

Less rain

Answer

• Student 1. This student defined the characteristics of both biomes correctly.

Question 7

A- plant type 1 and animal type 2

B- plant type 2 and animal type 3

C- plant type 3 and animal type 4

D- plant type 4 and animal type 1

Plant Types

1 Mosses and evergreen trees

2 Broad leaf trees and many wildflowers

3 Succulents and plants with very reduced leaf surfaces

4 Orchids, bromeliads, vines, ferns, mosses, and palms

Animal Types

1 Numerous birds, bats, small mammals, insects, monkeys, and jaguars

2 Birds and summer insects

3 Rabbits, rodents, reptiles, and birds; all active mostly at night

4 Deer, squirrels, mice, raccoons, salamanders, snakes, frogs, and insects

Which plant & animal types are characteristic of a tiaga biome ?

Answer

• Plant type 1 and animal type 2. • Taiga is known for its coniferous forests,

meaning evergreen trees, • and since it has a cold climate, • not much grows there besides that and

some mosses. • Also due to the cold winter climate, very

few animals can survive there besides some birds and insects in the summer.

Question 8• Which aquatic environment contains organisms that

thrive in water with varying salt concentrations?• A- river B- estuary C- deep ocean D- glacial lake

Answer

• Estuary:

An estuary contains mixed salt concentrations, perfect for creatures that thrive in that condition.

Question 9

• Which biome is represented by these data?

0

2

4

6

810

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

2628

30

32

34

36

jan mar may july sep nov

3-D Column 1

A- desert

B- tundra

C- rainforest

D- grassland

Monthly Precipitation (Rain Fall)

Temp. Ranged from 26°C-27°C

Answer

• Rainforest- only rainforest would have that much rain annually & a constant temperature.

Question 10• Which biome is described by the

characteristics in the list?

A.Taiga

B.Desert

C.Tundra

D.Grassland

Answer

• Taiga- it gets little rain so the plants would have to be drought resistant, is located in the cold, northern part of the world, and has patchy permafrost

Question 11

Which biome do these factors BEST describe?

A. Semi-arid desert

B. Deciduous forest

C. Tropical rainforest

D. Temperate grassland

Answer

• Desert- it gets very little rain, around 2-4 cm., has sandy soil & high temperatures

Question 12

• Which biome has the MOST precipitation annually?

• Rainforest

• Grassland

• Tundra

• Taiga

Answer

• Rainforest- the list from most to least goes from rainforest, grassland, taiga, tundra

Question 13

• Which biome gets the LEAST amount of precipitation annually?

• Taiga

• Tundra

• Rainforest

• freshwater

Answer

• Tundra- with barely any plant life and scarce animal life, tundra gets the leats

Question 14

• Which biome is described below?

• Extremely fertile soils, an abundance of grasses, 30-40 inches of rainfall annually, “The Lion King” was filmed here

Answer

• Grassland. Grasslands have a lot of rain and fertile soil to maintain all the grasses grown there.

Question 15

• Which trait doesn’t belong to the tundra biome?

• A- low growing, shallow rooted plants

• B- wide variety of animals and insects

• C- located in the northern part of the world

• D- not much sunlight

Answer

• B, wide variety of plants and animals.

• Animal and plant life in the tundra biome

is limited to

lichens, mosses, shrub like plants,

and few animals.