2.7.2c Biomes

1. 2.7.2c Biomes Infer the relationship between environmental conditions and plants WARM-UP: What are the three regions of NC? How do abiotic factors affect biotic factors of an ecosystem? (Give an example)

2. BIOMES • Write definition of biome at the top of your paper. • Definition: Biome • A complex of terrestrial communities that covers a large area and is characterized by certain soil and climate conditions and particular groups of plants and animal • Can all kinds of organisms live in every biome? No!

3. Examples • Examples: Write on back of paper. • Kangaroo rat- a desert rodent with adaptation in their kidney to help conserve water • Rain forest plants- contain long, thin leaves with drip trips to help shed excess water

4. Write at bottom of paper. • Adaptationsin plants and animals help different species survive under different conditions in different biomes • Plants and animals also exhibit variations in tolerance, or ability to survive and reproduce under conditions that differ from their optimal conditions • Tolerance • Plants and animals in Arizona for example, can tolerate temperatures that range from very very hot to below freezing • Rain forest plants and animals will die if the temperature drops below freezing or rises above 34 degrees Celsius

5. Major Biomes • Create bubble map with major biomes. • Tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, tropical savanna, desert, temperate grassland, temperate woodland and shrubland, temperate forest, northwestern coniferous forest, boreal forest, and tundra • Write in main bubble under “Major Biomes”: Each biome is defined by a unique set of abiotic (nonliving) factors- particularly climate- and characteristic plants and animals

6. Tropical Rainforest • Has more rainthan all other biomes combined • Hot and wet year round • Species: ferns, woody vines, orchids, sloths, tapirs, jaguars, anteaters, monkeys, parakeets, piranhas, anacondas • Tropical Dry Rainforest • Rainfall is seasonal rather than year round • Generally warm year-round, alternating wet and dry seasons • Species: tall deciduous (leaves fall off ) trees, dense canopy, tigers, monkeys, elephants, termites, snakes, monitor lizards

7. Tropical Savanna • Also called Grassland • Spotted with isolated trees, small groves of trees, and shrubs • Frequent fires, large animals • Species: tall grasses, shrubs, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, antelopes, zebras, baboons, ostriches • Desert • Dry-annual precipitation of less than 25cm • Organisms can tolerate extreme conditions • Extreme temperature changes during the course of a day (very hot during the day and very cold at night) • Species: cacti, mountain lions, gray foxes, mule deer, kangaroo rats, roadrunners, owls, hawks, tortoises, rattlesnakes, lizards

8. Temperate Grassland • Rich mix of grasses, plains and prairies • Periodic fires and heavy grazing by large herbivores • Warm to hot summers, cold winters, fertile soils • Species: coyotes, badgers, wolves, grizzly bears, rabbits, prairie dogs, cattle, owls, snakes, grasshoppers

9. Temperate Woodland and Shrubland • Semi-dry climate and a mix of shrub communities and open woodlands • Large areas of grasses and wildflowers and a lot of oak trees • Fires are a constant threat • Species: evergreen shrubs, coyotes, deer, rabbit, squirrels, hawks, lizards, snakes, butterflies, bobcats • Temperate Forest • Mixture of deciduous and coniferoustrees • Deciduous trees lose their leaves in fall, cold winters • Species: deer, black bears, bobcats, conifers, flowering shrubs, herbs, mosses, ferns, raccoons, skunks, songbirds, turkeys, squirrels

10. Northwestern Coniferous Forest • Mild temperature, moist air from the Pacific Ocean provides abundant rainfall • Conifers, moss and flowering trees and shrubs are abundant • Species: fir, spruce, hemlock, and redwood trees, bears, elk, deer, owls, bobcats, weasels • Boreal Forest • Dense evergreen forests of coniferous trees-also called taiga • Bitterly cold winters, mild summers, high humidity • Mostly in the Northern Hemisphere • Species: lynxes, wolves, weasels, moose, beavers, migratory birds

11. Tundra • Characterized by permafrost-a layer of permanently frozen subsoil • Short, cool summers, small and crushed/short plants due to cycles of thawing and freezing • Cold temperatures, high winds, short growing season • Species: mosses, lichens, short grasses, shore birds, musk ox, arctic foxes, caribous, small rodents (can withstand harsh conditions)

12. If you finish begin chapter 4 questions in the book 1-12. Write in complete sentences.