Biome Fact Sheet
Biome
Deciduous
Forest
Coniferous
or Boreal
Forest
(Taiga)
Soil
Rich fertile
soil
Rainfall/ yr
Adequate; 50125 cm
Temperature
-Weather changes
with seasons; warm
seasons & may
freeze in cool
seasons
Organisms
Plants: Deciduous trees- oak, hickory, elm, maple, pecan;
ferns & mosses
Animals: Foxes, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, black
bears, eagles, snakes, deer, rabbits, duckbilled platypus,
squirrels, chipmunks, mice, weasels, skunks, birds &
insects.
Plants: Coniferous trees- pine, spruce, fir, hemlock; moss
Animals: Migratory & hibernating animals- Moose, elk, deer,
bears, wolves, lynx, foxes, wolverines, beavers, porcupines,
red squirrels, finches, chickadees, other birds, & insects.
Plants: Succulent plants- aloe, cactus, sage; yucca shrubs &
wildflowers
Animals: Coyotes, foxes, ravens, cactus wren, roadrunners,
bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, kangaroo mice, other rodents,
bats, sidewinders, snakes, lizards, gila monster, toads,
tortoises, spiders, scorpions, centipedes & other insects.
Plants: Dominated by grasses- succulents, few shrubs or
trees
Animals: Coyotes, foxes, bison, prairie dogs, mice, zebras,
gazelles, antelope, hyenas, wildebeests, lions, cheetahs,
rhinos, giraffe, kangaroos, insects, etc...
Plants: Giant trees- redwoods, Douglas firs, cedars, maples,
epiphytes, ferns, lichens & mosses
Animals: Wolves, lynx, cougars, bear, migrating salmon,
birds, owls, raccoons, weasels, chipmunks, deer, elk,
shrews, frogs & insects.
Plants: Giant trees, broad leaf plants, palms, fruit trees,
epiphytes, ferns, orchids, vines lichens & mosses
Animals: Leopards, puma, sloths, monkeys, lemurs, gorillas,
bats, squirrels, toucans, parrots, frogs, salamanders,
snakes, anteaters, spiders, butterflies, birds, insects, etc…
etc… etc…
Characteristics/ facts
-Deciduous trees: Shed their leaves at
least once a year (conserves water).
-Many organisms migrate (leave to find
warmer weather) or hibernate (build
sleeping den) during winter.
-Growing season: 5-6 months a year
-Coniferous trees: needle-like leaves that
conserve water & cones to disperse seeds…
“Evergreen trees”.
-Growing season: 2-5 months
Poor- rocky
Adequate;
varies 25-125
cm
-Cold winters- lots
of snow
-Warmer rainy
summers
Poor-sandy
Almost none;
<25 cm…
may get NO
rain in a year
-Extremely hot
during the day; can
drop below freezing
at night!
Rich fertile
soil
Wet seasonabundant &
dry seasonalmost none;
25-120 cm
Warm to hot; may
have cold season
but rarely freezes
Fertile soil
Abundant;
300+ cm
-Weather changes
with seasons; warm
seasons & may
freeze in cool
seasons
Tropical
Rain Forest
Poor thin soil
Abundant;
always wetrains year
round
254+ cm
Always warm- near
the equator.
Tundra
Permafrost:
soil that
stays frozen
year round.
Almost none;
<25 cm…
may get NO
rain in a year
-Extremely cold &
windy!
Plants: Dwarf trees- willows, low grasses, shrubs, mosses
Animals: Wolves, foxes, polar bears, walruses, caribou,
arctic hares, foxes, migratory birds, black flies, mosquitoes
-Little evaporation
- Light 24 hrs.- summer; dark 24 hrs. - winter
-Migratory animals
-Very short growing season (few trees)
Freshwater
N/A
N/A
Varies with depth &
amount of sunlight
Plants: Algae, ferns & mosses
Animals: Fish, salamanders, frogs, turtles, snails, clams,
migrating salmon, insects
-Lakes & ponds are standing water
-Rivers & streams are flowing water
Varies with depth &
amount of sunlight
Plants: Algae, seaweeds, mosses
Animals: Sponges, jellyfish, sea anemones, snails, clams,
squid, octopus, starfish, sea cucumbers, crabs, lobsters,
shrimp, worms, fish, sharks, rays, turtles, marine birds,
penguins, whales, seals, sea lions, walruses, otters, etc…
-Habitats change with different amounts of
sunlight, temperature, salinity, wave action &
water pressure... animals may migrate to
find food or favorable conditions.
-Estuaries: shallow, sunlit areas where
rivers flow into the ocean & provide large
amounts of nutrients for living things.
Desert
Grasslands
Temperate
Rain Forest
Marine
(saltwater)
N/A
N/A
-Succulent plants: water-retaining plants
adapted to arid climate or soil conditions.
-Shifting sand=> few to no plants or trees
-More evaporation than precipitation
Growing season- short… depends on rain
-Prairies: mid-latitude (U.S.)
-Savannas: close to equator (Africa)
-Pampas: S. America
-Home to some of the largest land animals
on Earth! Animals may migrate to find water.
-Large amounts of rain support HUGE trees
-Epiphytes: plants that grow on other
plants.
-Temperate: moderate temperature
Growing season: 6-9 months
-Tall trees=> canopy
-Smaller trees=> understory
-More species live here than in all other
biomes combined!!!
Growing season: 9-12 months
Characteristics of Biomes Checklist
Use the Biome Fact Sheet & Biome Map and place a check in the boxes in the characteristics that apply to each biome.
Characteristic
Fertile soil
Migrating animals
Few trees
Little to no rainfall
Can freeze
Short growing seasons
Succulent plants
Adequate rainfall
Warm / hot weather
Frozen soil
Abundant rainfall
Poor soil
Always cold
Mosses
Numerous (large) trees
Located on all continents
Located on or near equator
Only in Northern
Hemisphere
Supports the most species
Desert
Tundra
Coniferous/
Boreal Forest
Deciduous
Forest
Grassland
Tropical Rain
Forest
Temperate
Rain Forest
Determine which biome(s) match the following scenarios and fill in the blanks:
1. The growing season in this biome can last all year. ______________________________
2. This biome can experience the greatest difference between high and low temperature in a single day.
______________________________
3. Two biomes where animals are most likely to hibernate. __________________________________________
4. Two biomes where animals would most likely burrow underground for protection or to escape the heat.
__________________________________________
5. Two biomes with little evaporation. __________________________________________
6. Biome that supports some of the largest land animals on Earth like buffalo, elephants, hippopotamus, giraffes,
and rhinoceros. ______________________________
7. Biome that can experience 24 hours of sunlight or darkness. ______________________________
8. Biome where you are most likely to find evergreen trees. ______________________________
9. Biome where you might find dwarf trees because of the short growing season. _________________________
10. Two biomes that are NOT determined based on the amount of rainfall they receive or the type of soil they
have. __________________________________________