Biomes -I Can Statements
I Can…
1. Analyze different levels of organization in the environment (biome, ecosystem,
community, population, and organism)
Largest: Biome: describes the climate, types of plants, etc. in a similar place in
the world. (ex. Deciduous forest)
Ecosystem: The community of organisms that live in a particular area, along
with their non-living environment. (ex. Highbanks Metro Park)
Community: All the different populations that live together in one area. They
can include different plants, animals, etc. interacting together. (ex. Tree with squirrels living
in it)
Population: a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area.
(ex. Family of squirrels)
Organism: a single, individual animal, plant, fungus, or other living things. (ex.
Squirrel)
2.
Compare and contrast abiotic and biotic factors and give an example of each.
Abiotic factors are non-living and biotic factors are living organisms or ones that
have once lived.
Abiotic: pencil, table, rock, sand, air, folder, etc.
Biotic: human, worm, bug, etc.
3.
Describe how biotic and abiotic factors can limit or increase populations.
Biotic Limit- predictors eating prey
Increase- reproduction
AbioticLimit- temperature, light, soil content, available water through precipitation.
Increase- some items, like rocks, provide shelter, shade, etc.
Plants Limit- blocking the sunlight and affecting temperature of the area.
- reducing the population's food supply if the plant dies.
Increase- roots keeping soil in place
- relaxing oxygen for animals and taking in carbon dioxide
AnimalsLimit - competing for food, shelter, mates, etc.
Increase - animals release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which means they
work with plants
4.
Interpret a variety of maps and satellite images to identify global climate
patterns.
A biome is a large geographic area that is similar in climate and that has similar
animals and plants.
The same biome can be located in many different areas of the world. When
looking at a map, you can see patterns/trends that show the different locations,
according to their location from the equator and climatic zones.
When looking at the United States, biomes are located near the same lines of latitude
because of the distance from the equator. The areas closer to the equator are
generally warmer and have more rainfall, while areas farther the equator tend to be
colder.
Look at the diagram below to see the patterns of the biomes and their locations.
5.
Compare and contrast the different biomes of Earth (climate, plant, animals)
There are 6 major biomes.
Climate describes the long-term weather patterns of the region, including the
average rainfall and average temperature. This can affect the soil type of the area,
what types of animals and plants live there, and how they adapt to the environment.
Climate is different than weather because it accounts for the long-term patterns
and weather is what is happening at the moment—more short term.
Major Biomes:
Taiga: a forest biome with long, cold winters and short, cool summer, has 30-60
cm of rain/year, the ground is not frozen all the time because snow insulates it,
plants are evergreen trees (coniferous trees), animals are birds, squirrels, deer, elk,
beavers, bears, wolves, etc. Ecosystems- forests. Also named Boreal. Locationupper regions of northern hemisphere.
Tundra: long, cold winters and short, cool summer, not much precipitation (less
than 25cm/year), no more than a desert, Very wet though because evaporation
cannot occur because it is so cold, has permafrost (deep layer of permanently
frozen soil), plants are mosses, grasses, shrubs, animals are lichens, rodents,
oxen, grizzly bears, fox, etc. Location- north of Arctic Circle.
Desert: These often lead into grassland areas, not much precipitation-less than 25
cm/year, cannot support trees, very dry soil, can be cold or hot, animals are
kangaroo rats, squirrels, snakes, owls, and foxes, animals are cacti, etc. Animals
and plants that live here must be able to go with little water. Location- Africa,
Asia.
Temperate/Deciduous Forest: a forest area with short winters, rain is 50-150
cm/year, located where water is available, cool mornings, warm days, temps vary
greatly, many trees/forests, have deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves as
winter approaches), have a wide variety of animals like mice, chipmunks, bobcats,
foxes, etc. This is where we live! Location- North America.
Tropical Rain Forest: located near the equator, warm all year long (no winters),
the wettest biome with 250-400 cm rain/year, lots of trees/forests that do not lose
their leaves, soil is poor in nutrients, high temperature which cause materials to
break down quickly. The most variety of animals and plants on Earth: monkeys,
birds, insects, snakes, orchids, vines, etc. Ecosystems- jungle. Location - close to
equator.
Grassland: Have moderate rainfall-25-120 cm/year, has many different types of
grasses, but there is not enough rain for trees, shrubs and a few trees, just
scattered. warm summers, cold winters but not extreme, wildfires and droughts
can be here often and not allow things to grow, warm summers but cold winters,
animals-rodents, bison, gazelle, zebra, tigers, lions, etc.Location- middle latitudes.
Ecosystems- plains, parries, savanahs.
6.
**Be able to compare biomes to each other**
Explain the different types of succession and give examples.
Succession is the change of the area overtime to rebuild.
Primary succession: when everything is wiped out, down to the rock—examples are
glaciers and volcano eruption.
Pioneer organisms are present for primary succession. These are organisms that
anchor to bare rock to break it down to soil. (example: lichens)
Secondary succession: when a lot of vegetation, etc. is wiped out, but there is
something left-soil, etc—examples are hurricanes, floods, forest fires, ponds filling
in, etc.
**When an ecosystem is stable and has not changed over years, it is called a climax
community.
7.
Provide examples of how organisms adapt for survival
Adaptations can be behavioral or structural. Behavioral are things like reproduction,
migration, and hibernation. It is how they behave. Structural are adaptations that are
changes in the body of the species—webbed feet of ducks, sharper beaks to hunt, etc.)
Example: A duck has webbed feet to help them swim-Structural
Bears hibernate for the winter to avoid the cold weather-Behavioral
Adaptations occur because of chance NOT choice and they take hundreds of
years. They are all about survival in a specific environment.
8.
Explain how species in an ecosystem interact through symbiotic
relationships. (commensalism, mutualism, parasitism)
Symbiotic relationships: how living things interact…
Mutualism: when both species benefit
Example: Bee and a flower: the bee gets food from the flower and the flower gets
pollen from the bee from other plants.
Commensalism: when one species benefit and the other is not affected.
Example: Orchids grow on trunks of trees, the orchid benefits by getting light
they need and nutrients, but the tree is not affected at all.
Parasitism: when one species benefits and the other is harmed.
Example: A tapeworm and an animal—the tapeworm takes all the nutrients from
the animal in their digestive tract and the animal is harmed by this.
**Not a true symbiotic relationship--Predator/Prey: when an animal (predator)
hunts another animal for food (prey)
Example: A lion hunts a gazelle for food. The lion the predator and the gazelle is
the prey.
9.
Summarize the ways that natural disasters and human activity affect the
Earth’s ecosystems. (oil spills, fire, deforestation, hurricanes)
All of these can cause loss of resources to organisms, competition, food web
problems—energy cannot be transferred if an organism is no longer there, adaptations
of animals that are not natural, succession, etc.
Biodiversity (different amounts of species in an ecosystem) is affected by natural
disasters and human activity—such as pollution. Pollution is an example of
substance that is harmful to the environment.
Biodiversity can be affected by not having as much diversity if you have
pollution, for example, because species may die and then that can cause a domino
effect in the ecosystem.
Also, biodiversity can be affected by invasive species--species that take over an
ecosystem and kill off other species or take their resources. This would decrease the
diversity within an ecosystem.