Biomes and Ecosystems

1. Biomes and Ecosystems Biomes Climate Zones

2. Biome • A biome is a large region with plants and animals that are able to live in that location with its particularclimate. • Plants and animals have adapted in different ways to the amounts of water, heat, and soil in that area.

3. World Climate Zones • Two of the most important factors determining an area's climate: - temperature and - precipitation. • World biomes are controlled by climate. • All three components, climate, vegetation, and animals are interwoven to create a biome.

4. Biome and Ecosystem • Ecosystem: How  the living things interact with each other and interact with the nonliving things in a particular area is called an ecosystem. There is a difference between a Biome and an Ecosystem. • A biome can be thought of many similar ecosystems throughout the world grouped together. • Ex: in the forests there is the rotting tree stump ecosystem, the forest floor ecosystem, the canopy ecosystem, etc. They are all a part of one biome - the deciduous forest biome. • An ecosystem is much smaller than a biome.

5. Aquatic – Saltwater and Freshwater • 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. • Includes rivers, lakes, oceans, and every other body of water on Earth. • This water is teeming with life of tremendous diversity.

6. Forestlands - Deciduous • Located in the mid-latitude areas, in places that have four seasons. • Many different kinds of trees, shrubs, and herbs grow in deciduous forests. • They have four seasons: summer, spring, fall, and winter.

7. Forestlands - Coniferous • Coniferous forests consist mostly of conifers, trees that grow needles instead of leaves. • These adaptations help conifers survive in areas that are very cold or dry. • Some of the more common conifers are spruces, pines, and firs.

8. Forestlands – Rainforest • There are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate. • Tropical rainforests are found closer to the equator where it is warm. • The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome where it rains all year long.

9. Grasslands - Savanna • Grassland that grows under hot, dry climatic conditions • trees above a continuous tall grass. • All the rain comes in 6-8 months. • The largest areas of savanna are found in Africa, South America, Australia, and India.

10. Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuk-JW-wng0

11. Activity • Landforms Puzzle. • Complete by end of class. • Put in binders.

12. Grasslands - Steppe • The Steppe is a dry, cold, grassland that is dominated by short grasses, and no trees. • Term usually refers to the grasslands of Central Asia • No humidity in the air because Steppe is located away from the ocean.

13. Grasslands - Prairie • Dry grassland very similar to a steppe, but with longer grasses. • Usually refers to grasslands of North America.

14. Grasslands - Pampas • Temperate grassland located in South America. • Essentially same as prairie or steppe.

15. Desert • Deserts are defined by rainfall – receiving less than 10” of rain in an average year. • Deserts typically have little vegetation. • Most Hot and Dry Deserts are near the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. Cold Deserts are near the Arctic part of the world..

16. Tundra • The tundra is located at the top of the world, near the North Pole. • The most distinctive characteristic of tundra soil is its permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of ground. • The tundra has cool summers and very cold winters.

17. Definitions and Matching • Define all terms. • Match the definitions to the terms. • Due for HW next class.