THE WORLD’S BIOMES

7TH GRADE LIFE SCIENCE

WOODSTOCK MIDDLE SCHOOL

LAND BIOMES

• BIOME- A LARGE AREA CHARACTERIZED BY ITS CLIMATE AND THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS THAT LIVE THERE

• ABIOTIC FACTORS- FEATURES OF AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ARE NOT ALIVE

• EX: SOIL, WATER, CLIMATE

• BIOTIC FACTORS- LIVING PARTS OF AN ENVIRONMENT

• EX: PLANTS, ANIMALS, BACTERIA

FOREST BIOMES• THERE ARE THREE FOREST BIOMES:

• TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST

• CONIFEROUS FOREST

• TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST• DECIDUOUS FORESTS HAVE TREES THAT SHED THEIR LEAVES. THIS IS DUE TO

THE TREES TRYING TO PREVENT WATER LOSS DURING THE DRY SEASON.

• RAINFALL: MODERATE RAINFALL

• TEMPERATURE: NOT TOO HOT/ COLD; SEASONS!

• PLANTS: MAPLES, OAKS, PINES, CYPRUS, DOGWOOD,

• ANIMALS: DEER, SQUIRRELS, FOXES, CARDINALS, TURKEYS

• BIOME IN WHICH WE LIVE.

CONIFEROUS FOREST• CONIFEROUS FORESTS HAVE TREES THAT KEEP THEIR NEEDLE- SHAPED LEAVES YEAR- ROUND.

• CONIFER TREE LEAVES TWO TRAITS:

• WAXY COATING

• HELPS THE LEAVES FROM DRYING OUT

• HELPS KEEP MANY OF THEIR LEAVES YEAR ROUND

• PROTECTS THE NEEDLES FROM COLD TEMPERATURES

• SPIKING NEEDLE LIKE

• FEW LARGE PLANTS GROW BENEATH THE TREES

• THE THICK NEEDLES COVER AND PREVENT MUCH SUNLIGHT FROM GETTING THROUGH.

• SOMETIMES KNOWN AS TAIGA

• RAIN: SOME RAIN, SOME SNOW

• TEMPERATURE: WARM SUMMERS, COLD WINTERS

• PLANTS: EVERGREEN TREES

• ANIMALS: MOOSE, BEAVER, SNOW SHOE RABBIT

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST• RAINFORESTS HAVE THE MOST BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY THAN ANY OTHER

BIOME.

• MOST ANIMALS IN THIS BIOME LIVE IN THE CANOPY AND TREETOPS.

• MOST OF THE NUTRIENTS ARE FOUND IN PLANTS.

• LOTS OF RAINFALL IN A YEAR, WARM CLIMATE

• ANIMALS: ORANGUTANS, TOUCANS, COBRAS, TREE SQUIRRELS, INSECTS, BUTTERFLIES, SLOTHS

• PLANTS: FIGS, FERNS, KAPOK TREE, FLOWERING PLANTS

GRASSLANDS• IMPORTANT TERMS:

• STEPPE- FLAT GRASSLAND FOUND IN EUROPE OR SIBERIA

• PRAIRIE- GRASSLANDS IN NORTH AMERICA

• PAMPA- GRASSLANDS IN ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, URUGUAY

• TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS DO NOT HAVE TREES BECAUSE OF

• RAINFALL: MODERATE TO LOW

• PLANTS: FARM LAND, MOSTLY SEEDS AND GRASSES, RED BUD TREE, CONEFLOWER

• ANIMALS: CATTLE, BISON, ZEBRA, ELEPHANT, GIRAFFE

• GRAZING ANIMALS

DESERTS• TEMPERATURE: EXTREMES; HOT DURING THE DAY, CAN GET VERY COLD AT NIGHT

• RAINFALL: VERY LITTLE TO NO RAINFALL

• PLANTS: CACTUS, PRICKLY PEAR

• VERY LITTLE PLANTS, ONES THAT DO LIVE HAVE ADAPTATIONS BECAUSE OF LACK OF WATER

• FAR APART

• SHALLOW WIDE SPREAD ROOTS

• STORE WATER

• WAXY COATING

• ANIMALS: LIZARDS, JACKRABBIT, SNAKES, DINGO

• SURVIVE WITH LITTLE WATER

• SEEK SHELTER DURING THE DAY

TUNDRA• TEMPERATURE: VERY COLD

• RAINFALL: MOSTLY SNOW

• PERMAFROST- FROZEN SOIL ON GROUND

• WATER IS UNAVAILABLE BECAUSE IT IS FROZEN

• PLANTS: DARK RED LEAVES, COTTON GRASS, CUSHION PLANTS

• SMALL AND GROW CLOSE TO THE GROUND

• SHALLOW ROOTS TO HOLD IN PLACE

• LICHENS GROW CLOSE TO THE GROUND

• ANIMALS: ARCTIC WOLF, POLAR BEAR, PENGUINS, SNOW OWL, CARIBOU

MARINE ECOSYSTEMS

• MARINE= OCEAN (SALT WATER)

• COVERS 75% OF EARTH

• UP TO 7 MILES DEEP

• TEMPERATURE: DECREASES AS WATER GETS DEEPER

• SURFACE ZONE HAS THE WARMEST WATER

ZONES• INTERTIDAL ZONE: OCEAN MEETS LAND, EXPOSED TO AIR PART OF THE DAY (TIDES)

• ANIMALS: CRABS, JELLYFISH, PLOVER

• NERITIC ZONE: WARM WATER, LOTS OF SUNLIGHT, OCEAN FLOOR STARTS TO SLOPE

• SOMETIMES KNOWN AS COASTAL WATERS

• LOTS OF LIFE: SALMON, SEA BASS, SHARKS, DOLPHINS

• OCEANIC ZONE: SEA FLOOR DROPS, DEEP WATER OF OPEN OCEAN

• DEEP SEA VOLCANOS, OCEAN BASINS

• LARGE MAMMALS: WHALES, SHARKS, DOLPHINS

• BENTHIC ZONE: OCEAN FLOOR, DEEP PARTS GET NO SUNLIGHT

• ANIMALS: MOSTLY SCAVENGERS

• FOOD FLOATS DOWN TO THE BOTTOM

• ADAPTED TO HIGH PRESSURE

INTERTIDAL AREAS

• MUDFLATS

• SANDY BEACHES

• ROCKY SHORES

CORAL REEFS

• FOUND IN TROPICAL OCEANS

• 1% OF OCEAN FLOOR, BUT 25% OF ANIMALS IN OCEAN

• ANIMALS: CORAL, SPONGES, SEA-STARS, SEA URCHINS, CLOWN FISH, RAYS, SKATES

ANIMALS: LARGE DIVERSITY• BLUE WHALES: LARGEST ANIMALS

• SALMON

• DOLPHINS

• TURTLES

• SHARKS

• CORAL

• CRUSTACEANS: SHRIMP

• BIVALVES: CLAMS

• ECHINODERMS: STARFISH

• SPONGES

PLANKTON

• TINY ORGANISMS THAT FLOAT NEAR THE SURFACE OF FRESHWATER AND MARINE ENVIRONMENTS

• MAKE THEIR OWN FOOD

• NOT NECESSARILY ANIMALS (ANIMALS, PROTIST, ALGEA, ARCHAE, BACTERIA)

ESTUARY• WHERE FRESH WATER FROM RIVERS MIXES WITH OCEAN SALT WATER

• BRACKISH WATER

• LIFE ADAPTED TO LIVE IN THESE CONDITIONS

• TYPICALLY PROTECTED FROM ROUGH OCEAN CHANGES

• TIDES, WAVES, STORMS

• PLANTS: SALT GRASS, PICKLE WEED

• ADAPTED TO STAND THE SALTY WATER

• ANIMALS: MIGRATORY BIRDS, FIDDLER CRABS,

FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

• LAKES, PONDS, RIVERS AND STREAMS

• PLANTS: CAT TAILS, REEDS, WATER LILY

• ADAPTATION TO KEEP THEM FROM BEING CARRIED AWAY BY THE WATER

• ANIMALS: TURTLES, TROUT, FISH, INSCETS

GREAT RESOURCES

• WWW.MBGNET.NET

• HTTP://KIDS.NCEAS.UCSB.EDU/BIOMES/INDEX.HTML