Unit Three

3.1 Biomes and Diversity

Vocabulary

Biome: Large region of land with a distinct climate and certain types of plant and animal life

Deciduous forest: Biome usually having four distinct seasons and communities of deciduous trees.

Desert: Dry climate that receives an average of less than 25 cm of rainfall per year

Freshwater biome: Include lakes, ponds, swamps, streams and rivers.

Grassland/savannah: Large land region in which the main types of plants are grasses and scattered trees

Microhabitats: A very small habitat, such as a clump of grass or crack in a rock

Saltwater biome: The ocean

Taiga/coniferous forest: A conifer forest biome located south of the tundra

Tropical rainforest: Most diverse biome; receives between 200 cm and 600 cm of precipitation each year

Tundra: A cold, dry, mostly treeless land biome

Habitat: The place in an ecosystem where an organism lives

Niche: Role that a species plays in a living community or ecosystem

Biodiversity: The variety of organisms in a specific environment, or on Earth as a whole

Biotic: Any factor in an environment that was once or ever could be living

Abiotic: Any factor in an ecosystem that never was or ever could be a living organism (Ex. Air, water, rocks, sunshine, etc

Videos

3.2A Adaptations and Variations

Vocabulary

Adaptation: structure, behavior, or other trait in an organism that helps it to survive in its environment

Biosphere: the part of Earth that supports life

Camouflage: concealment by some means that alters or obscures the appearance

Community: all the populations sharing a specific area or region

Dichotomous key: a system used for identifying plants, animals, rocks, or minerals, that is made up of a series of paired descriptions to choose between

Ecosystem: all the living populations in an area along with the nonliving parts of that environment

Hibernation: a deep sleep in which body systems reduce to minimal levels

Limiting factors: a condition or resource that keeps a population at a certain size

Migration: seasonal movement of animals from one place to another

Mimicry: the resemblance shown by one animal species to another, which protects it from predators

Natural selection: process by which organisms change over time as those with traits best suited to an environment pass their traits to the next generation

Population: all the members of a species living in a particular area at a particular time

Species: group of organisms that can mate and produce offspring that in turn can produce more offspring

Taxonomy: the branch of science that formally names and classifies organisms by their structure, function, and relationships.

Variation: difference in the structural or functional characteristics of an organism from the species or population norm or average

Videos

3.2B Dichotomous Keys

Vocabulary

Dichotomous key: system used for identifying plants, animals, rocks, or minerals, that is made up of a series of paired descriptions to choose between

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