BIOMES: OUR EARTH’S MAJOR LIFE ZONES
PRE-TEST
True or False
Directions: Label each statement with a “T” if it is true or “F” if it is false.
____1. The word “biome” is a name to define an area that has a major community of
plants
and animals.
____2. Climate has nothing to do with where plants and animals live.
____3. All the plants and animals that live in the ocean’s coastal waters biome also live
in the deep ocean biome.
____4. To survive the hot day time periods in the desert, some animals burrow in the
cool ground.
Short Answer
Answer the following in the spaces provided. Use the back of the sheet if necessary.
5. What type of trees annually lose their leaves?
6. Name two fresh water environments.
7. What is the dominant plant life found in the tropical rain forest and the temperate rain
forest?
8. What is the name of the biome which has a geographical area that receives little
rainfall and whose terrain is often dominated by rocks, sand, and overall poor soil?
9. Many of the grasslands today are used for what purpose?
10. What is another name for the temperate shrublands whose plants are able to survive
the
destructive forces of fire?
11. The frozen subsoil of the tundra biome often prevents the existence of what type of
plant life?
Multiple Choice
_____ 1. An extremely cold, dry land biome is the: a. tundra b. coniferous forest c. deciduous
forest d. neritic zone
_____ 2. The biome that receives the least amount of rainfall is the: a. savanna b. desert
c. rain forest d. temperate grassland
_____ 3. In North Carolina we live in the:
a. temperate forest b. temperate grassland c. tundra d. desert
_____ 4. The following organisms are found in which biome?
Barrel Cactus, Prickly Pear, Jack Rabbit, and Coyote
a. tundra b. savanna c. desert d. coniferous forest
_____ 5. Which of the following statements about savannas is true:
a. They are characterized by a wet season followed by a dry season..
b. Their inhabitants include wolves, bears, foxes, and caribou.
c. They are characterized by steep mountains.
d. They do not receive enough rain to support trees.
_____ 6. All of the following biomes can be found in the United States EXCEPT:
a. temperate grassland b. tundra c. desert d. temperate forest
BIOMES: OUR EARTH’S MAJOR LIFE ZONES
VOCABULARY WORKSHEET
Directions: Match the letter of the definition with its term by putting the letter in
the blank.
_____ 1. decomposition
_____ 2. agriculture
_____ 3. alpine
_____ 4. tundra
_____ 5. algae
_____ 6. biomes
_____ 7. deciduous
_____ 8. temperate
_____ 9. grassland
_____ 10. conifers
_____ 11. predator
_____ 12. terrestrial
_____ 13. aquatic
_____ 14. precipitation
_____ 15. savanna
_____ 16. vents
_____ 17. transpiration
_____ 18. nutrient
_____ 19. ecosystem
_____ 20. desert
_____ 21. climate
A. any chemical that an organism must take from its
environment in order to survive
B. animal that preys on another organism
C. referring to land or living on land
D. geographical areas that share similar climate and plants
E. the process by which organisms decay
F. taking place in or on water
G. large cultivation of the land
H. shedding its leaves annually
I. condensation of water vapor, such as rain or snow
J. wide grass -covered biome with few trees
K. Used to describe biomes without extremes of heat or cold
L. marine or fresh water plants with no true stems or leaves
M. loss of water by evaporation through the plant’s pores
N. of cone-bearing trees, such as pines and their relatives
O. of high mountains
P. a treeless geographic area where the subsoil is frozen
Q. grassy flat land in hot regions with few trees
R. those aspects of the weather, such as temperature,
rainfall, and light that influence the life of organisms
S. all the organisms present in a particular area, together
with their physical environment
T. openings in the earth found at the ocean’s bottom
U. Hot and dry biome