Which Biome, Where?Comparing Land and Water Environments on Earth

Key Objectives:

The student will:– Investigate and Understand

the differences between ecosystems and biomes

Key Objectives:

The student will: – Differentiate between

ecosystems and biomes

Key Objectives:

The student will:– Investigate and Understand

the characteristics of land (terrestrial), marine (salt water) and freshwater biomes

Key Objectives:

The student will:– Compare and contrast the biotic

and abiotic characteristics of major land, marine and freshwater biomes

Key Terms

Biome Marine Biome Freshwater Biome Tundra Desert Grassland Dormancy

Tropical Rain Forest Taiga (Evergreen

Forest) Temperate Deciduous

Forest Hibernation Migration

Biome

Large geographical regions with similar climates, plant and animal life

Land Biomes (Terrestrial)

TundraTaigaTemperate Deciduous

ForestTropical Rain ForestGrasslandsDesert

Tundra

A terrestrial biome characterized by its frost-molded landscapes. It is the coldest of all the biomes.

Tundra

Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain

Taiga (Evergreen Forest)

A terrestrial biome characterized by forest covered with coniferous trees (Pine Trees).

Taiga (Evergreen Forest)

The taiga is the largest terrestrial biome in the world.

It covers large parts of Canada, Europe, and Asia.

Temperate Deciduous Forest

More precisely termed temperate broadleaf forest

Temperate Deciduous Forest

A terrestrial biome characterized by having a temperate climate and that most of the trees lose their leaves in the winter

Rich dark soil from years of leaf decomposition

Tropical Rain Forest

A terrestrial biome characterized by its hot, moist environment it is found near Earth's equator.

Tropical Rain Forest

Though only about 6% of the earth’s land surface. It is earth's most complex biome in terms of both structure and species diversity.

Desert

A terrestrial biome characterized little rainfall and dry barren landscapes. It covers about one fifth of the Earth's surface

Grasslands

Covers over 20% of the earth’s surface. Large areas of the North America called the

prairie. Also located in central Europe and central Asia

In Africa it is called the savannah Deep rich soil excellent for farming

BREAK

Aquatic Biomes

The Marine Biome The Freshwater Biome

Marine Biome

Makes up the largest percentage of aquatic biomes on earth.

These biomes are extremely important to how our earth currently functions.

Marine Biome

These biomes involve a medium to high percentage of salt in the water

Freshwater Biome

An aquatic biome that accounts for less than one fifth of the area of the Earth.

Freshwater Biome

It provides half of the drinking water, one third of the water used for irrigation.

Support Terms

Hibernation

A behavioral adaptation observed in some organisms which live in colder climates where the organism slows down and sleeps out the cold season

Migration

The instinctive movement of animals such as birds moving south for the winter

Dormancy

The time of year when plants do not appear to be living (brown grass in Winter)

When a seed has not yet germinated

Adaptation

An evolutionary change that allows a species to survive in a particular environment.– Hummingbirds long beak for extracting

nectar– Penguins are flightless birds but use

their wings to swin

Lab Time

Now it is time to introduce the new lab.

Pease open your Green lab guides to page1

Read the introduction silently as I read it aloud

Essential Learnings

Regions of the world located at similar or opposite latitudes often have similar climates and ecosystems

These are called Biomes

Essential Learnings

There are six (6) terrestrial biomes– Tundra– Taiga (Evergreen Forest)– Temperate Deciduous Forest– Tropical Rain Forest– Grassland– Desert

Essential Learnings

There are two (2) aquatic biomes– Marine – Freshwater

Essential Learnings

Climate is defined as the typical long-term weather pattern found in an area over time

Essential Learnings

The tilt of the earth on its axis combined with its revolution around the sun play a major role in the climate of any region

Essential Learnings

Climate factors:– Precipitation– Temperature– Altitude– Latitude

Essential Learnings

Climate may also be affected by nearby large bodies of water, high altitude and a “rain shadow effect” of a mountain range.

Essential Learnings

Regions of the world located at similar or opposite latitudes often have similar climates and tend to have ecosystems with similar dominant plants and animals

Essential Learnings

Organisms adapt to their environments

Natural Selection is the process where the best suited organisms for the environment survive and the less suited do not

Essential Learnings

Adaptations may be:– Structural (physical features)

Beak sizeLoss of flight but ability to swim (penguins)

Essential Learnings

Adaptations may be:– Behavioral

HibernationMigration

Essential Learnings

Many plants go dormant periods of cold and low sunlight or during the harsh winter season

They come back/revive every spring.