02. Biomes

Outcomes:

• • be able to give a definition of a biome.

• be able to explain the difference between a biome and the biosphere.

• give reasons who organisms might live in one biome but not another.

Activity #1:

You are given a copy of the text below. Read it carefully and highlight in different colours the key vocabulary.

"There are so many organisms that live practically everywhere on our earth. The part of the earth that supports life is called the biosphere. Living things such as bacteria and other microscopic organisms can live high up in the atmosphere as well as in the deepest darkest parts of the ocean. The living things in ecosystems that make up the different parts of the biosphere depend upon the different climates in each area. Climate is the general weather of an area over a long period of time. The climate determines what plants can grow in that area and those plants determine which animals the area can support.

Based on climate, the biosphere is broken down into different biomes. A biome is a large region characterized as having a distinct climate and specific types of plant and animal life. Biomes exist on land as well as in water. There are several different biomes in the earth’s biosphere. A tundra, for example, is a biome that is a very cold, dry land biome that encircles the Arctic Ocean – far from the equator. A tundra is the home to polar bears, arctic wolves, and snow owls. A coniferous forest, on the other hand, is a biome full of trees that stay green all year. The trees (conifers) have needle-like leaves and produce seeds in cones (think pine and fir trees!). Animals such as moose, elk, bobcats, and fox live in this biome.

A deciduous forest, unlike coniferous, contains trees like oak, maple, and birch that drop their leaves every year in the fall. By dropping their leaves, these deciduous trees are able to conserve water and energy during the winter months. There are deciduous forests in the eastern US and animals such as deer, black bear, coyote, turtles, and many birds live there. The tropical rain forest is another very green biome located close to the equator. The temperature is very warm with abundant rainfall. The rain forest is home to more species and more varieties than any other ecosystem on earth. Animals such as tree frogs, toucan, leopard, monkey, jaguar, and tree snakes are just a few of the many animals that call the rain forest their home.

The grasslands are biomes where bison, antelope, prairie dogs, and gophers make their home. Grasslands are fairly dry and cannot support the trees of a forest, but with fertile and rich soil, can support many species of grass for animals to graze and dig. An even dryer biome is a desert. Deserts get very little precipitation and many animals rely on the plants (such as cacti) to get water. Desert plants have well-developed root systems and spiny leaves to quickly take in any rainfall and preserve it for long periods of time. Many animals, like certain species of rats, that live in the desert are nocturnal – this means they come out at night to find food when the temperature isn’t so hot.

Freshwater and saltwater ecosystems are large biomes that contain many different fish and plant species. Freshwater habitats could be fast or slow moving lakes or streams that house trout, minnows, and crayfish. The saltwater ecosystem (oceans) are divided into zones and serve as a home to everything from plankton to coral and from sea stars to whales."

Activity #2:

Cut out and glue down the BIOMES chart. At the top record the meaning of BIOME and BIOSPHERE. Beside each biome, record 1 fact about the biome from the reading passage and then add one species that lives in that biome.

You can cut and paste the animal examples given or draw your own. Some of the animals given could be used in more than one biome.

Answer the writing prompt.

Next Lesson: Sampling Techniques