Biomes

Biomes

Remember these definitions:

a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

Biome

all the organisms that live in a place, together with their nonliving environment

Ecosystem

Remember these definitions:

physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem

Abiotic Factor

any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact.

Biotic Factor

Multiple Choice

The types of plants that grow in a biome are...

• a Biotic Factor

• an Abiotic Factor

Multiple Choice

Temperature and Rainfall are...

• Abiotic Factors

• Biotic Factors

The ​biome found in any location on earth can be predicted by knowing the yearly precipitation and average temperature.

The
Precipitation,
Temperature,
Biome Chart

Found in areas near the equator, with warm temperatures year round and very high rainfall. Tropical rainforests are home to extremely diverse communities of plants and animals.

Tropical Rainforest

Also found in tropical areas with high temperatures year-round, but rainfall is lower. During periods of drought, some plant species lose their leaves.

Tropical
Dry Forest

Found in areas with distinct seasons, and moderate to high levels of precipitation. Forest structure has four levels: the canopy, understory trees, shrubs, and grasses and other small plants.

​​Temperate Deciduous Forest

​The climate includes a colder winter and warmer summer, but the coniferous trees in this biome keep their leaves year-round. Precipitation can vary from very high to moderately low.

Temperate Coniferous Forest

Multiple Choice

If a biome is "temperate", it means...

• It is near the equator and the climate is warm year-round.

• It is near the poles and the climate is cold for most of the year.

• It is at a moderate latitude with warmer and colder seasons.

Multiple Choice

What type of forest biome has the highest annual precipitation?

• Tropical Rainforest

• Tropical Dry Forest

• Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Temperate Coniferous Forest

Multiple Select

Which two types of forest have trees that lose their leaves for part of the year?

• Tropical Rainforest

• Tropical Dry Forest

• Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Temperate Coniferous Forest

Found in areas with low rainfall and large temperature changes between summer and winter. As the name suggests, the dominant plants in this biome are grasses.

Temperate Grassland

Wildfires, large grazing animals, and relatively low rainfall shape this tropical biome characterized by both grasses and trees.

Savanna

This biome is found mostly in coastal areas with hot, very dry summers and cool, moist winters (including much of California). Shrubs and small trees are the main plant life.

Chaparral

This biome includes some of the driest places on earth, and can be hot, cold, or temperate. Some areas have very little visible life, but most deserts have woody shrubs or cacti.

Desert

Multiple Choice

True or False: All deserts have very hot climates.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Compared to the Savanna biome, Temperate Grasslands...

• Are much wetter

• Have more variation in temperature

• Have a higher average temperature

• Have more trees

The northernmost type of forest biome is found where summers are short and winters are very cold. Precipitation is low and comes mostly in the form of snow.

Boreal Forest

This biome experiences extreme cold for much of the year, and is also very dry. Only the top layers of soil thaw in the summertime, so plant life is limited.

Tundra

High mountain ranges in both the tropics and temperate areas create this biome, where temperatures are lower and rainfall is often higher than in nearby low-lying areas. Depending on the area, alpine regions may look like a grassland, shrubland, or woodland.

Alpine

In extreme northern or southern areas, the temperatures stay below freezing year-round and all precipitation comes in the form of snow.

Polar Ice

Multiple Choice

The Tundra and Boreal Forest are found at extreme northern and southern latitudes, with...

• Low average temperatures and low precipitation

• Low average temperatures and high precipitation

• Large variability of temperatures and high precipitation

• High average temperatures and low precipitation

Multiple Choice

Which biome is associated with mountains and high-elevation areas?

• Alpine

• Boreal Forest

• Savanna

• Tropical Rainforest

Multiple Choice

Which of these biomes does NOT have a large difference in temperature between summer and winter seasons?

• Chaparral

• Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Tropical Dry Forest

• Temperate Grassland

Multiple Choice

The Chaparral biome is generally found...

• Near coastlines at temperate latitudes

• In the middle of continents

• Near a tropical rainforest

• In very cold areas

Multiple Choice

What biome is typically has dispersed trees surrounded by grass?

• Savanna

• Tundra

• Tropical Rainforest

• Boreal Forest

Match

Match the names of the biomes with their locations on the world map.

Tundra

Chaparral

Tropical Rainforest

Temperate Grassland

Desert

• Tundra

• Chaparral

• Tropical Rainforest

• Temperate Grassland

• Desert