Name_________________________________________ Period_____ Date_______________________________

Biomes of the World

KEY UNDERSTANDING...In each biome, the unique characteristics of that biome’s environment supports

specific varieties of organisms!!

Rain Forest

Rainforests are generally warm and humid ___________________ Rain Forest- *Warm regions close to the __________________. *Receive a lot of ________ (250-450 cm/year)! *Temperature and sunlight are fairly ________________ all year. *Have an astounding ____________of species!! (Number of insect species are in the millions!!) Plants- orchids, bromeliads, Ipe trees Animals-monkeys, birds, insects _________________________ Rain Forest- *can get more than _________ cm of rain/year *Northwestern coast of the U.S. is

a temperate rain forest *Temperate means having __________________ temperatures

(too far north and too cool to be tropical) Plants– redwoods, cedars, Douglas firs Animals-hawk, weasel, cougar, mice

Desert

Deserts are areas that receive less than __________ centimeters of rain per year. The amount of _________________ is greater than the amount of ______________________. Some deserts may not receive ANY rain at all! There are often large shifts in temperature from very hot days to very cold nights in a desert Plants– cacti Animals– lizards such as the Gila Monster, snakes

Grassland

Many grasslands are also called prairies. They get more rain than deserts (25-75 cm)

but not enough for many ______________ to grow. Plants– grasses, small plants Animals– birds, insects, rabbits, snakes Grasslands located closer to the equator are called ____________________ and these grasslands receive up to 120 cm of rain a year. Plants– grasses, shrubs, small trees Animals– bison, antelopes, zebras, giraffes, kangaroos, birds, insects

Prairie Savanna

Deciduous Forest

The deciduous trees _______________ their leaves and grow new ones each year. The deciduous forest receives at least 50 cm of rainfall a year. There is a variety of habitats so there is a variety of plants and animals as well Plants– Oaks, maples, fruit trees Animals– a variety of birds such as songbirds, opossums, mice, skunks, deer, bears

Tiaga (Boreal Forest)

Boreal forests are found in cooler climates; they have many _________________________ trees which produce seeds in cones and have leaves shaped like _________________________. This type of leaf prevents water loss since water is frozen for much of the year and not available to plants. Plants– fir, spruce hemlock trees Animals– squirrels, insects, birds such as finches and chickadees, porcupines, deer, elk, moose, beavers, wolves, bears, lynxes, etc.

Tundra An extremely cold land biome. It may receive no more rain than a ______________________. The land may be very wet however because there is so little evaporation. Most of the soil is frozen

and is called ____________________________.

Plants– lichens, mosses, grasses, shrubs, dwarf forms of a few trees Animals-Insects, migrating birds, caribou, foxes, wolves, hares

Mountain/Alpine

Mountains often have several biomes from their base to their top (summit) such as from a grassland to a deciduous forest to a boreal forest to a tundra. Animal and plant species vary depending on the mountain level. The Alpine biome is the region just below the snow line of a mountain.

Freshwater

_______________factors: temperature, sunlight, oxygen, and salt content. _____________– a shallow body of standing or still fresh water. Sunlight can reach the bottom of even the center of a pond. _____________- a larger, deeper body of standing or still fresh water. Organisms in ponds and lakes include those that are adapted for life in still water...plants that can grow in water, algae, insects, snails, frogs, salamanders, sunfish, catfish, bacteria, and other decomposers. ________________– a channel through which water is continually flowing downhill ______________________– the place where a stream begins; the cold water flows rapidly here. _______________– a large stream Organisms in streams and rivers include those that are adapted for life in faster moving water… trout (streamlined bodies), insects with suckers that can cling to rocks, fewer plants.

Marine/Ocean ______________________- habitat where the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean. They are shallow, sunlit, and nutrient rich. They are often a breeding ground for many animals Plants– marsh grasses, algae Animals-crabs, worms, clams, oysters, many birds, and fish. ____________________ Zone- part of the shore between the highest high tide line and the lowest low tide line. Animals– sea stars, barnacles, clams, and crabs _____________________ Zone– below the low tide line is a region of shallow water that extends over the continental

shelf. Lots of photosynthetic organisms and rich in many living things. Animals– Zooplankton, large schools of many fish species, corals in the tropics Plants– algae, phytoplankton __________________ Zone– open ocean...first few hundred meters down. Lots of algae that photosynthesize...they are the producers for most open ocean food webs. Animals– whales, tuna, many varieties of fish ___________________ Zone– in the open ocean below the surface zone. Water is completely dark. Animals feed on the remains of dead organisms that sink from the surface zone. Some deep water vents have chemosynthetic bacteria. Very unique animals found here.