BIOMES

What is a biome?

The community of plants and animals that live in a certain climate is called a biome. Examples of biomes include forest, desert, and tundra.

The plants and animals of the Amazon rainforest are completely different from those in the Arctic tundra. But not all scientists agree on what exactly constitutes a biome.  

Multiple Choice

Areas defined by their geographical location and ecological similarity are called?

• ecozones

• biotopes

• biomes

• ecosystem

Multiple Choice

Which two biomes have the least inches of precipitation (snow and rainfall)?

• temperate grassland and desert

• savanna and desert

• tundra and desert

• taiga and desert

Multiple Choice

According to the previous slide

forests, deserts, and tundra are...

• the definition of biome

• other words that mean the same as biome

• examples of biomes

• completely unrelated to biomes

Desert Biomes

Deserts are defined by dryness, and can be located in both cold and warm climates. Life in these areas is adapted to a lack of water and nutrients. 

The desert biome covers about one-fifth of Earth’s surface. This biome has a layer of soil that can either be sandy, gravelly, or stony, depending on the type of desert. Deserts usually get at most 50 centimeters (20 inches) of rainfall a year, and the organisms that live in deserts are adapted to this extremely dry climate.

The largest desert on earth is the Antarctic desert, covering the continent of Antarctica with a size of around 5.5 million square miles.

Multiple Choice

Deserts are

• always hot and sandy

• can be hot or cold

Multiple Choice

The Sahara and Kalahari Deserts are in

• Asia

• North America

• Europe

• Africa

• South America

Grassland Biomes 

The grassland biome can be found on every continent except Antarctica. It is flat and grassy, with very little tree cover. Large mammals that graze, such as elephants or bison, inhabit these areas, along with small mammals, birds and predators. 

Two types of Grasslands

The two distinct types of grasslands are savannas and temperate grasslands. These two types of grasslands may look similar, but they differ in some significant ways.

Savanna

Savannas are present in areas that have a warm climate with a rainy season and a dry season. Most of the precipitation falls during just a few months of the year. This results in a long dry season that inhibits the growth of trees.

Savannas and their abundant wildlife are famous in Africa, but savannas can also be found in South America, Asia, and Australia.

Temperate grasslands

Temperate grasslands, on the other hand, are known for their rich soil that yields abundant growth of grasses. 

Temperate grasslands are found in places such as North America and Eastern Europe.

Multiple Choice

A savanna is a type of

• desert biome found in Africa

• tundra biome found in northern Europe and Asia

• grasslands biome found in Africa, Asia, and South America

• grasslands biome found only in Africa

Types of rainforest biomes: temperate and tropical rainforests.

When people here the term "rainforest," they usually think of tropical rainforests. But not all rainforests are in the tropical zone of earth.

There are rainforests right here in Washington State! We are in the temperate climate zone of earth. So our rainforests are temperate, not tropical.

The Olympic and the Hoh Rainforests are on the Olympic Peninsula. These are beautiful forests, full of lush green trees and moss.

Multiple Choice

Rainforests are located

• in the tropical climate zone, and are always hot

• in the tropics and in the temperate climate zones

Tropical Rainforests

Tropical rainforests are found In the Tropics. Tropical rainforests are lush and warm all year long! Temperatures don’t even change much between night and day. 

The environment is pretty wet in tropical rainforests, maintaining a high humidity of 77% to 88% year-round. The yearly rainfall ranges from 80 to 400 inches, and it can rain hard. It can downpour as much as 2 inches in an hour!

Tropical Rainforests

Tropical rainforests can be found around the world: In Central and South America; in Western Africa, eastern Madagascar, and the Zaire basin; and in Indo-Malaysia along the west coast of India, Assam, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland, Australia.

Temperate Rainforests

Temperate rainforests are also wet, but not as rainy as tropical rainforests. It rains about from 60 - 200 inches each year. Temperate rainforests are a lot cooler than tropical rainforests, but the temperatures are still mild.

They often have two distinct seasons: one long wet winter, and a short drier summer.

Temperate rainforests are found along coasts in temperate regions. The largest temperate rainforests are on the Pacific coast in North America, stretching from Alaska to Oregon.

Multiple Choice

There are temperate rainforests in Washington State.

• Yep, that is true.

• No, they aren't in the tropics.

Aquatic Biomes

There are many ways to classify aquatic biomes. One way is freshwater vs. saltwater (also called marine) .

Ocean biomes are saltwater. Another word for things related to the ocean is marine.

Lakes and rivers are freshwater.

Multiple Choice

A marine biome would be located in

• a lake or river

• an ocean or sea

• a game against navy

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT an example of a biome?

• DESERT

• MARINE

• RAINFOREST

• TUNDRA

• DESSERT