Ecology Part C (AKS 6e, 6f)

A teacher shows the class a plant and asks the students to predict the biome the plant is from. Which of the following sets of questions would be MOST helpful to the students in determining the correct biome for the plant?

• What temperature range is needed for the plant to thrive? How much water does the plant need?

• How big is the container the plant is in? How tall does the plant grow when moved from its natural environment?

• What, if any, animals use this plant for food? What does the plant taste like?

• Does the plant produce flowers? If yes, what organism pollinates the flowers?

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

The graph shows the average yearly temperature and rainfall in a particular biome.

Which question would BEST help identify the biome the data represents?

• Which biome decreases in temperature during the night and the precipitation is about the same year-round?

• Which biome decreases in temperature during the winter months and the precipitation decreases at the same rate year-round?

• Which biome increases in temperature during the summer months and there is increasing precipitation year-round?

• Which biome increases in temperature during the summer months and has low amounts of precipitation year-round?

Which of the following questions would BEST differentiate between Taiga and Tundra?

• Does the biome have a cold climate?

• Is the vegetation tall or low to the ground?

• Does the biome consist of deciduous trees?

• 
  Is the biome located in the northern hemisphere?

A student is trying to develop questions to help identify an unknown biome. Which of the following questions would provide helpful information to identify an unknown biome?

• Does carbon cycle in this biome?

• Is the biome located near an ocean?

• Is sunlight an abiotic factor in this biome?

• 
  What is the average temperature and precipitation of this biome?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Plants and animals have adaptations that allow them to survive in their specific biome. Which explanation is MOST accurate regarding animal and plant adaptations for survival in a desert biome?

• Some mammals in this biome store their food (nuts and seeds) for winter; leaves change due to changes in climate in the Fall and Spring.

• Mammals in this biome tend to have extra layers of fat and tend to have fur; plants can begin to grow under snow, grow close to the ground, and flower quickly.

• Animals in this biome have scaly skin to save water and stay cool; plants have thick tissues and shallow roots that capture water.

• Animals in this biome migrate to the mountains during the dry season; some plants in this biome start growing on leaves due to lack of sunlight on the ground.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Use the information and picture to answer the following question.

The text describes the plant adaptations in a particular biome.

Plant Adaptations - Which Biome?

Many of the plants grow close to each other and low to the ground, escaping the cold, harsh winds common in this biome. Flowering plants are able to bloom very quickly, with small leaves providing a greater chance of retaining water. These plants also have very shallow roots, unable to extend further down because of the soil composition.

Which of the following explanations BEST supports the biome to which these plants belong?

• The plants are adapted to the desert biome because they have shallow roots that allow them to absorb surface water.

• The plants are adapted to the desert biome because they have small leaves that retain water in areas with little precipitation.

• The plants are adapted to the tundra biome because they grow close to the ground to better survive in the cold, harsh winds.

• The plants are adapted to the tundra biome because they are able to bloom very quickly and grow close to each other.

The aloe plant has thick, water-filled leaves covered with spikes. The flowers are high on a stalk, so that pollen can be quickly and easily released.

Which of the following explanations BEST supports in which biome the aloe would live?

• The aloe plant is best adapted for the desert because the water-filled leaves store water in times of low water availability.

• The aloe plant is best adapted for the temperate forest because the water-filled leaves store water in times of low water availability.

• The aloe plant is best adapted for the desert because the flowers are high on a stalk, so there is a lower chance of the flowers being eaten by the grazing animals.

• The aloe plant is best adapted for the temperate forest because the flowers are high on a stalk, so there is a lower chance of the flowers being eaten by the grazing animals.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Use the information and pictures to answer the following question.

Barnacles and corals are two types of animals that live in the ocean. Both animals build a hard layer of calcium carbonate around their soft body parts.

What is the MOST LIKELY reason that they build these layers?

• Protect them from predators because their calcium carbonate exterior allows them to withstand an attack from their predators in their specific environment.

• Help them capture food because their calcium carbonate exterior allows them to withstand an attack from their predators in their specific environment.

• Protect them from predators because their calcium carbonate exterior keeps them from drying out in their specific environment.

• Help them capture food because their calcium carbonate exterior keeps them from drying out in their specific environment.

This is the coldest biome, characterized by the presence of permafrost. It has no trees, only short bushes and shrubs.

• tundra

• taiga

• grassland

• savanna

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

This biome is very cold and is characterized by coniferous forests (has trees with cones and needles).

• tundra

• taiga

• grassland

• savanna