Biomes and Microhabitat Review

Ecosystems: Biomes

Open Ended

Describe the ecosystem you live in.

The animals that see in the wild and the temperature and weather.

Biomes

• Large communities on Earth with similar climates and organisms

• Plants and animals are ADAPTED for a specific biome

• Biomes have changed many times during Earth’s history

• Humans have a major impact on biomes

This is a picture of all of the different biomes around the world

Abiotic vs. Biotic

• There are many factors that affect an ecosystem/biome.

• Some are living while others are not

Biotic Factors

There are things that are living. Animals, plant life, bacteria, fungus. Etc.

Anything that is or was living.

Open Ended

Name at least two examples of BIOTIC factors.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a biotic factor?

• Temperature

• Animals

• Plants

• Bacteria

Abiotic Factors

These factors are non living. These are things that are NOT ALIVE.

Ex. Water, Temperature, Altitude, Sunlight, Soil, etc

Open Ended

Name at least two examples of an ABIOTIC factor.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT an example of an abiotic factor?

• Rocks/Soil

• Water

• Sunlight

• Grasses

Desert

• Receives an extremely low amount of rainfall each year. (10 inches a year)

• Temperatures can rise up to 100^oF and higher during the day and can drop to 23^oF at night

Multiple Choice

How would you describe the desert?

• Warm and humid

• Dry and cold

• Hot and dry

• Perfect temperature

Adaptations

• Animals will have to hunt at night to prevent water loss. (Kangaroo Rat)

• Plants will be shorter and have roots closer to the surface.

• Plants will have a waxy coating to prevent water loss (Cactus)

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT an adaptation that might be seen in plants or animals in the desert?

• Animals hunt at night

• Some plants have a waxy coating to prevent water loss

• Plants have short roots two absorb water faster

• Animals have white coats to blend in.

Taiga (Coniferous Forest)

• Also known as a coniferous or boreal forest

• Located in northern regions: south of the tundra

• Short, wet summers and long, cold winters

• Temperatures range from -40^oF to 68^oF

• Precipitation is 12 to 35 inches

Multiple Choice

What is another name that the Taiga goes by?

• Rainforest

• Grasslands

• Coniferous Forest

• Oceanic Forest

Taiga (Coniferous Forest)

Many of the plants in this forest are going to be pine trees . These trees do not lose their leaves during the winter and remain green year long and have pine cones. (Hence the name coniferous.)

Multiple Choice

Why is the Taiga known as the Coniferous Forest?

• It has a lot of pine tree that have pine cones

• It has a lot of trees that loose their leaves in the winter

Many of the tree types in this forest are CONE bearing trees like PINE trees.

Tundra

• Extremely cold and dry

• Very short summers and long winters

• Temperature ranges from -40^oF to 68^oF

• Precipitation ranges from 6 to 10 inches a year

Multiple Choice

How would you describe the tundra?

• Cold and wet

• Cold and dry

• Hot and Dry

• Perfect weather

All the plants and animals are adapted to live in such cold environments. What color is most common in animals of the tundra?

Multiple Choice

What color are the majority of the animals seen in the tundra?

• White

• Brown

• Tan

• Black

Open Ended

Why are the animals of the tundra primarily white?

Rainforest

• A dense forest with a large variety of species and abundant rainfall.

• The MOST BIODIVERSE BIOME

• The daily temperature ranges from 68F to 77F

• Yearly precipitation is from 79 to 394 inches a year

Multiple Choice

The rainforest is know to be the ______ _______.

• Least Diverse

• Most Driest

• Most Biodiverse

Deciduous Forest

• Consists of trees that lose their leaves during a specific season

• Four distinct seasons with average rainfall and temperatures

• Yearly temperature range from -22F to 86F

• Average rainfall of 30 - 59 inches a year

Multiple Choice

True or False: The deciduous forest experiences all four seasons.

• True

• False

Grassland

• Dominated by grasses instead of large shrubs or trees

• Also known as prairies, pampas, steppes and savannas

• Temperatures range from -4F to 86F

• Average rainfall ranges from 20-35 inches per year

Multiple Choice

What is the most common vegetation found in the grasslands?

• Grasses

• Trees

• Flowering Plants

Multiple Choice

True or False: The ocean is considered to be Marine.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Lakes and ponds are considered to be freshwater

• True

• False

Poll

Which biome do you think Houston belongs to?

• Rainforest

• Deciduous Forest

• Grassland

• Taiga (Coniferous) Forest

• Desert

Houston, Tx

• Houston is part of the plains. The majority of uncultivated land is GRASSLAND.

• The reason we have trees that change leaves for the season is because we have planted them.

Open Ended

Write down one biome and something you learned about it.