Freshman Honors Biology
Chapter 15: Biomes in the
Biosphere
 A biome is a complex system of land communities
that cover a large area
 For example: Tropical rain forests, desert, tundra
 Biomes have unique climate ranges
 Climate is the specific weather pattern of an area over
a period of time
 For example: Climate of Indiana is that we have four
seasons; climate of Antarctica is that they have frozen
water with very little snow.
Climate Zones
 The world is divided into three climatic zones:
 Polar


Cold, non-humid temperatures
Geographic range: Canada to the North Pole
 Tropical


Hot, humid temperature range
Geographic range: Florida to the Equator
 Temperate


Mild climate; seasonal changes
Geographic range: Florida to Canada
Climate & Biomes
 So what influences climate?
 Latitude
 Location on landmass (on the coast or inland?)
 Proximity to land features, like mountain ranges
 Biomes have specific climate patterns
 Because each species is adapted to live in a specific set of
environmental conditions, animals and plants usually
die if a climate changes too much
 For example, if Indiana were to become like it was in the
Ice Age, most plants and animals would die because they
couldn’t adapt to the colder weather.
Biomes, Continued
 Organisms that live in a specific biome have unique
adaptations
 Gives them a better ability to live successfully in that
environment
 Examples:


Cactus living in the desert that has a waxy coating to prevent
water loss
Mountain goats living on top of mountains have very thick fur
coats to prevent internal body temperature drop
RA Activity
 Each student will read and learn about the 6 major
biomes
 Text: Pages 462-467 (Alligator)
 Other resources: Biomes Overview Video (26 min)
 Your task:
 Create a tree map with each of the different Biomes

Include all pertinent info about each Biome!
Biome Examples
 Tundra
 Boreal Forest
 Temperate Forest
 Temperate Woodland/Shrubland
 Temperate Grassland
 Desert
 Tropical Savanna
 Tropical Seasonal Forest
 Tropical Rain Forest
Commensalism
Biomes in Detail
 Deserts (hot & cold)
 VERY little rain
 Plants and animals have adaptations to prevent water
loss
 Tropical Rainforest/Jungle
 Rain amount is very high
 Temperatures are stable around 75°F
 Grassland (temperate/savannah)
 Savannah – think Safari!
 Temperate – like Indiana
More Biomes
 Arctic/Tundra
 Also have very little rain
 Contain permafrost (topsoil is frozen year-round)
 Deciduous Forest
 Leaves change colors, die, and fall to the ground
 Mountainous (taiga)
 Animals include moose, eagles, mountain lions and goats
 Swamp/Marsh
 Very moist soil, often with standing water
 Plants include mangroves and lily pads
More Biomes
 Pond/Lake
 Sitting bodies of water
 Animals include turtles, fish (carp, trout, bass, etc.), egret birds
 River/Stream
 Flowing bodies of water
 Animals include salmon, eagles, brown bears
 Estuary
 Where rivers/streams meet the saltwater of the ocean
 For example: New Orleans
 Ocean
 Several depths create many animal adaptations
 Read “Open Ocean Ecosystems” on page 80 in the Zebra book with
your partner – do a Think Aloud.
RA Activity – Marine Ecosystems
 Pages 468-470 (15.4 Alligator book)
 1’s read “Intertidal Zone”
 2’s read “Open Ocean Ecosystems”
 3’s read “Coastal ocean and coral reefs”
 We will then rotate and discuss! Take GOOD notes!
16.1: Human Population Growth
 Demography is the study of the size of human
populations
 Growth rates are controlled by the same factors as
animal populations
 Birth Rate
 Death Rate
 Immigration and Emigration
 Age Structure
Historical
Demography
•Human
population used
to be low and
relatively stable
•Limited by
resources and
disease
•Past 500 years
•Exponential
growth as
limits have
been removed
Age Structures
 Histogram depicting the
number of people in each
age category within a
population (Figure 14, page
104, Zebra book)
 Can be used to predict
future growth
What effect does Human Population
Growth have on Pollution?
 Water
 Chemicals, Trash, Temperatures, Noise,
 Eutrophication (causes algae overgrowth)
 Land
 Chemicals, Trash
 Air
 Chemicals and Noise
Acid Precipitation Effects
Effects of Pollution: Ozone Depletion;
Ozone; Greenhouse Effect
 While watching the
BrainPop clips, answer
the following:
 1. What is ozone?
Include chemical
formula!
 2. Why is it important to
the atmosphere?
Water Quality & Pollution: Biological
Magnification
 Chemical pollutant
becomes more
concentrated as it
moves up the
trophic levels within
a food chain or web
 Very dangerous for
top level predators
 Fig. 16.11, page 495
Threats to Biodiversity
 Habitat Loss
 Deforestation
 Overexploitation (overuse)
 Habitat Fragmentation
 Pollution
 Biomagnification, Acid Precipitation
 Introduction of Invasive Species
 Threats to Biodiversity
Overexploitation (overuse)
 The excessive use of species that have economic value
 Bison hunted for meat, hides, and just for sport

Population went from 50 million to 1000
 Passenger pigeons

Now extinct
 Ocelot and white rhinoceros
 Overexploitation used to be the number one reason for
extinction; now it’s habitat destruction
Habitat Loss
Habitat Fragmentation – page 499
Invasive (Introduced)
Species
 Also called non-native
species
 Introduced to new
habitat
 Often grows without
check because of lack
of natural predators or
disease in the area
 Pages 500-501
Losing Biodiversity
 Species experiences a decline in growth
 Threatened
 Canadian lynx
 Prairie dog
 Endangered
 Bald Eagle
 Many Marine Mammals
 Extinct
 Dodo
 Passenger Pigeon
Section 3: Conserving Biodiversity
 Pages 502-505
 Class Activity: reading “16.5 Conservation”
 1’s Read “Sustainable Development…”
 2’s Read “Conservation practices…”
 Think Aloud with your table partner and take your
own notes on “Protecting Earth’s Resources…”