Biomes and Ecosystems

5th Grade Life Science

Mrs. Boylan

Ecosystems A small or large unit of

the environment containing a community of organisms

An ecosystem can be as small as a puddle or as large as a mountain

Biome A large area of Earth that is defined by its

type of climate (average weather over a period of time ) and the types of plants and animals that live there

Earth has 6 major land biomes and 3 major water biomes

We are about to take a little tour of each biome on Earth!

Tropical Rain Forests

Found near the equator Climate is warm and

wet – 90 inches of rain per year

Made up of four layers – Emergent Layer– Canopy– Understory– Forest Floor

Deciduous Forests

Located where there are moderate temperatures and moderate rainfall (30 – 60 in. per year)

Has 4 distinct seasons– fall, winter, spring and

summer

Grasslands

Temperatures are moderate

Rainfall is light (10 – 30 in. per year)

Various grasses are the dominant plants in big open spaces

Deserts Very sunny and dry (less

than 10 in. per year) Warm Temperatures during

the day, but it can be very cold at night

All desert organisms have adaptations to extremes in temperature and little water

Taiga Largest biome in the world Primarily a coniferous forest

(evergreen trees with needles)

Summers are warm, winters are cold

– Temperature is below freezing 6 months out of the yr.

Rainfall is about 12 - 33 inches per year

Tundra How cold is cold? The tundra biome

is at the top of the world -- around the North Pole! Below a thin layer of tundra soil is its permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of ground. During the brief summers, the top section of the soil may thaw just long enough to allow plants and microorganisms to grow and reproduce. 

During the summer the sun shines all the time, during the winter the sun is rarely seen.

Comparing Land Biomes

From the poles to the equator biomes occur in this order – tundra, taiga, deciduous forest, grassland / desert and finally tropical rain forest.

Amounts of Rainfall:

Salt Water Ecosystems

This includes the oceans and seas

Organisms live at different zones in saltwater ecosystems

– This largely has to do with the amount of sunlight and oxygen available

Freshwater Ecosystems

This includes lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, some marshes and swamps

Water temperature and the speed at which water moves determines what kinds of organisms that live in this ecosystem

Estuaries

This is a place where a freshwater river empties into the ocean

The water in an estuary is brackish meaning it is a mixture of salt water and fresh water

Salt Marshes and Mangrove Swamps are two examples of this type of estuary

Do you remember?

The next few slides will show you a picture of one of the biomes we learned about.

Your job is to identify the biome and tell me two things you remember about it!

GOOD LUCK!

Tundra, Taiga, Grassland, Tropical Rainforest, Deciduous Forest, or Desert

You Got it!

Taiga

Tundra, Taiga, Grassland, Tropical Rainforest, Deciduous Forest, or Desert

That’s Right!!

Tropical Rain Forest

Tundra, Taiga, Grassland, Tropical Rainforest, Deciduous Forest, or Desert

Yeah – You Know It!

Desert

Tundra, Taiga, Grassland, Tropical Rainforest, Deciduous Forest, or Desert

Excellent!

Tundra

Tundra, Taiga, Grassland, Tropical Rainforest, Deciduous Forest, or Desert

There You Go!!

Grassland

Tundra, Taiga, Grassland, Tropical Rainforest, Deciduous Forest, or Desert

Awesome!!

Deciduous Forest

One More Question?

Which type of biome do we live in?

How do you know?

The End

Now it is time for you to apply what you learned today!!

We will be doing a project where you will write a report, make a visual aid and present all of your information to the class about the adaptations different animals and plants have to survive in each ecosystem or biome of the world!

A rubric and details will follow!