Chapter 6 Biomes
Warm up #1
What is the study of how living
things interact with one another and
their environment?
A. Biology
B. Ecology
Connections in the Biosphere
The biosphere is the part of Earth in which
living things are found.
Living things depend on and are connected
to each other through resources they
share.
Ecology is the study of how living things
interact with each other and their
environment.
Ecologist is a scientist that studies the
interactions of living things.
Organization of the Biosphere
I. An organism’s environment is
anything that can effect the organism.
a. Includes both living and
nonliving parts.
II. A population is a group of
individuals that belong to the same
species and live in the same area.
III. A community is a group of
populations that interact with each
other in a particular area.
A. Communities depend on the nonliving
environment to meet many of their needswater, shelter, and minerals, etc.
IV. An ecosystem is a community of
organisms living together along with
the nonliving parts of the
environment.
V. Earth’s biosphere is made up of
many ecosystems.
Warm up #2
Which statement best describes a
population?
A. Dogs, cats, and people living in the
same house.
B. A group of individuals of the same
species living in the same area
Meeting the Needs of Organisms
Abiotic Factors: are nonliving parts of
an ecosystem .
A. Water, sunlight, temperature, soil,
and air are important abiotic factors that
organisms depend on.
Biotic Factors: are the living
organisms in an ecosystem.
A. Many biotic factors are too tiny to be
seen.
B. Includes billions of bacteria that can
be found in the soil, microscopic mites
that live on your skin, algae that fill the
ocean, and protists that live in the
digestive system of cattle.
Adaptations
1. Biotic and abiotic factors shape the
communities that live in an ecosystem.
2. All organisms in a particular ecosystem
have adaptations that help them survive
there.
3. An adaptation is a characteristic that
helps an organism live and reproduce in a
particular environment.
4. In order for organisms to live in harsh
environments, very low temperatures, and
long, dark days, organisms develop
adaptations.
Warm #3
Three important abiotic factors within
an ecosystem are:
A. Air, soil, and grass.
B. Water, sunlight, and air.
Warm up #4
What is the biosphere?
The upper layer of soil where all plants
grow.
The part of Earth in which living things
are found.
What are Earth’s Biomes?
Climate and Biomes
1. A biome is a large of ecosystems with
similar climates and organisms.
2. Grouping ecosystems into biomes
helps ecologists describe the world.
3. Each biome consists of different parts of the
world with similar climates.
4. The two main characteristics used to describe
biomes are the average yearly temperature
and the amount of precipitation.
Characteristics of Biomes
Important factors that influence biome
communities include temperature,
precipitation, and soil type.
Tropical Rain Forest
Contains more species than any other
biome.
Warm, wet areas
The soil is nutrient-poor, because
most of the nutrients are contained in
the plants.
Deciduous Forest
Have cold winters-some animal species
hibernate during winter months; many bird
species migrate to warmer climates for the
winter.
The most common plants of the deciduous
forests are deciduous trees-those that shed
their leaves each year and then grow new
ones.
Include oak, maple, beech, and hickory
As the forest trees lose their leaves each
year, they fall to the ground and decay. As
a result, the soil is nutrient-rich.
Warm up #5
Where would you find a layer of
permanently frozen soil just below the
surface?
A. In the desert
B. In the tundra
Taiga
Have long, cold winters.
Nutrient-poor soils.
Also called the boreal forest or
coniferous forest.
The thick fur of caribou, elk, moose,
and deer is an adaptation in the Taiga
Biome to help keep them warm.
Grassland
Does not receive enough rain to
support many large trees.
Nutrient-rich soil that supports tall
grasses and agricultural crops (wheat,
corn, soybeans).
Bison, zebras, rhinoceros, giraffes,
coyote, prairie dogs, grasshoppers,
etc.
Tundra
Beneath the surface, the soil of the tundra
remains frozen all year.
The cold temperatures, high winds, and
short growing season limit plant growth.
An important feature of the tundra is its
permafrost-a layer of permanently frozen
soil just beneath the surface.
Foxes, hares, caribou are common
animals.
Desert
Are extremely dry
Not all of the desert is considered hot.
Many deserts are quite cool,
especially at night.
Desert plants include cacti and other
plants that have short growth cycles.
What do deciduous trees do each
year?
A. grow extra leaves when rain is
scarce.
B. Shed their leaves and then grow
new ones.
Which of the following statements
about biomes is correct?
Earth is divided into three major
biomes.
Each biome consists of different parts
of the world with similar climates.