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! Biomes Around the World Created by The 4th grade class Of 2015-2016 ! Land Biomes ! ! Desert…………………………………………page!1! ! Grasslands…………………………………..page!3! ! Savanna……………………………………...page!6! ! Tundra………………………………….…….page!8! ! Tropical!Rainforest………………….…page!10! ! Temperate!Forest……………………..page!11! ! Taiga!Forest………………………..…….page!13! ! ! ! WATER Biomes ! Marine!Biome………………………….page!15! ! Freshwater!Biome…………….…….page!16! ! Coral!Reefs………………………..…….page!17! ! ! ! ! 1! Desert Biome What makes a desert a desert? Deserts generally get ten inches or less rain each year. They are so dry that sometimes rain evaporates before it can even hit the ground. Many deserts are rocky with scattered plants and shrubs Hot in the day, Cold in the night Some deserts can reach temperatures of well over 100 degrees during the day. And then drop below 32 degrees. Many deserts can get cold when the sun sets. Where are the major hot and dry deserts? The largest hottest and driest desert in the world is the Sahara Desert in northern Africa. The Sahara Desert covers over 3 million square miles of northern Africa. How do animals survive in the desert? Animals have adapted to survive in deserts despite there lack of rain and very hot temperatures. Many of the animals are ! 2! nocturnal which means they sleep in the hot day and come out during the cool night. What plants can live in deserts? Many plants are armed with sharp spines and needles to protect them from animals. These include cactus, grasses, shrubs, and some short trees. Dust storms Because the desert is so dry the wind will grind pebbles and sand into dust. Occasionally a big wind will gather the dust into a big storm. Dust storms can be over one-mile high and so thick that you couldn’t breath. They also can travel a thousand miles. Expanding deserts Currently deserts cover around 20%of the worlds land but they are growing’ this is called desertification and is caused by different factors including human activities the Sahara Desert is expanding at the rate of around 30 miles per year. Facts about the desert biome The giant saguaro cactus can grow 50 feet tall and live for 200 years. Plants that store water in their stems are called succulents. Some desert trees have deep tape roots that grow up to 30 feet deep in order to find water. ! 3! Grassland Biome What are Grasslands? Grasslands!are!wide!expanses!of!low!growing!plants.! The!amounts!of!rain!are!not!enough!to!grow!tall!plants! like!trees.! ! Where are the Major World Grasslands? Grassland!are!generally!between!deserts!and!forests.! Major!grasslands!are!located!in!South!America!and!North!! America,!but!they!are!also!in!Asia,!Africa,!and!Australia.! ! Types of Temperate Grasslands Each!major!area!of!grassland!in!the!world!has!it’s! own!characteristics!and!is!often!called!by!other! names.!For!example,!grasslands!in!North!America!! are!called!prairies.!!They!cover!around!1.4!million! ! 4! square!miles!of!central!United!States.! ! Animals in the grasslands The!biodiversity!grasslands!contain!foxes,!bobcats,! eagles,!turkeys,!and!wolfs.! ! Plants in the grasslands` There!are!thousands!of!types!of!plants!in!the!grasslands! including!weeds!and!hard!grasses.! ! Fires Wild!fires!can!play!an!important!role!for!the!grasslands.! ! Farming and Food The!grassland!biome!plays!an!important!role!in!human! farming.!They!are!used!to!grow!crops!like!wheat!and! corn.! ! ! ! 5! The shrinking grasslands !Unfortunately,!human!farming!and!development!has! caused!grasslands!to!steadily!shrink.! ! Facts about the Grassland Biome Prairie!dogs!are!rodents!that!live!in!burrows!under!the! grasslands.!Their!towns!can!stretch!over!hundreds!of! acres.! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 6! Savanna biome ! Characteristics!of!the!savanna! ! The!savanna!is!a!rolling!rolling!grassland!with!scattered!trees!and! shrubs.!!There!are!often!large!herds!of!grazing!animals!on!the!savanna! that!thrive!on!the!abundance!of!grass!and!trees.! ! ! Where!are!the!major!savanna!biomes?! ! Savannas!are!generally!found!between!the!desert!biome!and!the! rainforest!biome.!!The!largest!savanna!is!located!in!Africa!nearly!half!of! the!continent!of!Africa!is!covered!with!savanna!grassland.! ! ! Animals!in!the!savanna! ! Many!large!herbivores!(plant!eating!animals)!live!here,!these!include! zebras,!wildebeests,!giraffes,!ostriches.!!Predators!are!lions,!leopards! and!cheetahs.! ! ! Plants!in!the!savanna! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The!majority!of!the!savanna!is!covered!in!different!tip!of!grass!like! lemon!grass,!star!grass!and!Bermuda!grass.!!It’s!dry!so!the!plants! survive!by!storing!water!in!there!roots!or!reaching!low!to!get!water! with!there!roots.! ! ! ! ! 7! Fires!in!the!savanna! ! Fires!are!an!important!part!of!the!savanna.!!!They!clear!out!the!dead! grass!and!make!way!for!new!grass!to!grow.! ! ! Is!the!savanna!in!danger?! ! Over!farming!and!grazing!has!destroyed!most!of!the!savanna.!!In!Africa! the!desert!is!expanding!into!the!savanna!at!the!rate!of!30!miles!per! year.! ! ! ! Facts!about!the!savanna! ! The!African!savanna!boasts!the!largest!land!animal,!the!giraffe.!!The! baobab!tree!can!live!for!thousands!of!years.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 8! Tundra! ! ! Characteristics*of*the*Tundra*Biome* * It!gets!as!low!as!18!degrees!Fahrenheit!in!the!summer.!It!is!like!a!desert! of!snow.! ! Two*Types*of*Tundra* ! Alpine!tundra!is!the!area!of!high!land!in!the!mountains!above!the!tree! line.!Arctic!tundra!is!located!far!north!in!the!Arctic!circle.!!! ! ! Tundra*Seasons* ! The!Tundra!has!two!different!seasons:!a!long!winter!and!a!short! summer.!Being!so!far!north!the!tundra!has!long!winters.! ! ! What*is*permafrost* * Permafrost!is!a!layer!of!ground!below!the!topsoil!that!remains!frozen! throughout!the!year.!!This!layer!is!generally!only!a!few!feet!below!the! surface.! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* Plants*in*the*tundra* * Plants!that!grow!in!the!tundra!include!grasses,!shrubs,!herbs!and! lichens.! ! 9! Animals*in*the*the*tundra* * The!tundra!has!a!lot!more!animal!activity!in!the!summer!than!the! winter.!This!is!because!most!birds!migrate!south!for!the!summer.! Insects!lay!eggs!that!wait!for!the!summer!to!hatch.! ! ! ! Facts*About*the*Tundra*Biome* * The!word!Tundra!comes!from!a!Finnish!word!tunturi!which!means!tree! less!plain!or!barren!land.! ! 10! Tropical Rainforest Biome! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What!Makes!a!Rainforest!a!Rainforest:! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most!Rainforests!get!75!inches!of!rain!daily!that!means!they!also!get!floods,!down! pours,!and!many!other!water!difficulties’!many!species!of!animals!get!killed!at!this! time.!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Where!Are!the!Worlds!Rainforests?!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!South!America,!Africa,!Central!America,!Brazil,!Madagascar!are!the! worlds!Rainforest!and!act!like!the!earths!lungs!the!trees!give!us!oxygen!to!breath.! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Biodiversity!! The!Tropical!rainforest!has!the!most!biodiversity!of!all!the!biomes!despite!only! covering!6%!of!the!earth!surface.! !!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Layers!of!the!Rainforest! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!There!are!3!layers!of!the!rainforest!the!canopy,!the!understory,!and!the! forest!floor.!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What!make!these!biomes!so!important?! ! !!!! The!rainforest!also!provides!a!number!of!medicines!and!drugs!that!help!the! sicknesses!and!diseases.! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Disappearing!Rainforests!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Unfortunately,!human!development!has!been!destroying!rainforest! and!killing!animals.!! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Fact!about!tropical!rainforests! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!In!the!amazon!rainforest!alone!there!can!be!be!found!over!2,000! species!of!leopards.!! ! 11! Temperate!Forest! ! What!makes!a!temperate!forest?! _! It!can!be!between!minus!30!degrees!and!60!degrees.!! _! Temperate!means!temperature!in!this!case.! _! There!are!4!season![winter,!spring,!summer!and!fall]! and!since!winter!is!only!a!couple!months!in!winter! plants!have!plenty!of!time!to!grow.! ! Where!are!the!temperate!forest!located?! _! They’re!located!in!many!spots!in!the!world!around! half!way!between!the!equator!and!the!poles.! ! Types!of!temperate!forest! _! there!are!many!different!kinds!of!trees!which!are:! cedar,!cypress,!red!wood,!fir,!juniper,!and!pine!trees.! These!trees!have!needles!instead!of!leaves!and! cones!instead!of!flowers.!! _! Broad!leaf!trees!are:!maple,!oak,!elm,!walnut,! chestnut!and!hickory!trees.! ! Major!temperate!forest!of!the!world!are:! _! Japan! _! Europe! _! Eastern!North!America!! _! Eastern!China!!! ! 12! _! South!Australia!! _! New!Zealand!! ! The!plants!of!the!temperate!forest! The!plants!of!the!temperate!forest!grow!in!many! different!layers.!! ! The!top!layer!is!called!the!canopy.!The!canopy!is!made!of! full!grown!trees.!! ! The!second!layer!is!called!the!understory.!The! understory!is!made!up!of!smaller!trees.!! ! The!third!layer!is!called!the!forest!floor.!The!forest!floor! is!made!up!of!ferns!and!moss!and!many!other!things.! ! Animals!of!the!temperate!forest!! Animals!are:!black!bears,!mountain!lions,!deer,!fox,! squirrel,!skunk,!rabbit,!porcupine,!timber!wolves!and!a! number!of!birds.!Each!of!the!species!of!animals!adapted! to!the!winter.! ! Facts!about!the!temperate!forest! A!single!oak!tree!can!produce!90,000!acorns!a!year!! Trees!use!birds,!acorns!and!the!wind!to!carry!their!seeds!! ! 13! The Taiga Forest What makes the forest the Taiga Forest? Evergreen!trees!are!a!big!part!of!the!taiga!forest.!these!are! trees!that!don’t!drop!there!leaves!or!needle!in!the!winter.!they! keep!their!leaves!so!that!they!can!soak!as!much!sun!light!for!as! long!as!possible. ! ! Where are the Taiga Forests located in the World? These!forests!are!located!in!the!far!north!typically!between! the!temperate!forest!biome!and!the!tundra!biome.!Russia,! Siberia,!Canada,!Alaska,!Finland!and!Norway.! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! 14! Plants of the Taiga? The!dominant!plant!of!the!forest!is!the!evergreen!trees!these! trees!include!Spruce,!pine,!cedar!and!fir!trees.! ! ! Animals of the Taiga Biome !!!!!!!!!!! Birds,!squirrels,!cooper’s!hawks,!wolverines,!wolves,!Snowshoe! hares,!deer,!elk,!bears,!chipmunks,!bats!and!wood!peckers!!! ! ! Facts about the Taiga Biome _Taiga!is!a!Russian!word!for!forest.!! _Many!years!ago!the!taiga!was!covered!in!ice!glaciers.!! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! 15! MARINE!BIOME! TYPES!OF!MARINE!BIOMES! Although!the!marine!biome!is!primarily!made!up!of!oceans,!it!can!be! divided!up!into!three!types:! •! Oceans! •! Coral!Reefs! •! Estuaries! ! Ocean!Light!Zones! The!ocean!can!be!divided!up!into!three!layers!or!zones.!These!layers!are! called!“Light!Zones”!because!they!are!based!on!how!much!sunlight!each! area!receives.! ! Animals!of!the!Marine!Biome! The!marine!biome!has!the!most!biodiversity!of!all!the!biomes.!Many!of! the!animals!such!as!fish,!have!gills!that!allow!them!to!breathe!the! water.!Other!animals!are!mammals!that!need!to!come!up!to!the!surface! to!breathe,!but!spend!much!of!their!lives!in!the!water.!Another!type!of! marine!animal!is!the!mollusk!which!has!a!soft!body!and!no!backbone.!! ! Plants!of!The!Marine!Biome! There!are!thousands!of!species!that!live!in!the!ocean.!They!rely!on! photosynthesis!from!the!sun!for!energy.!Plants!in!the!ocean!are! extremely!important!to!all!life!on!planet!earth.!Algae!in!the!ocean! absorbs!carbon!dioxide!and!provides!much!of!the!earth’s!oxygen.! Examples!of!algae!include!kelp!and!phytoplankton.!Other!oceans!plants! are!seaweeds,!sea!grasses,!mangroves.! ! Facts!About!the!Marine!Biome! The!average!depth!of!the!ocean!is!12,400!ft.!Over!90%!of!the!life!on! earth!lives!in!the!ocean.! ! 16! FRESHWATER!BIOME! ! Types!of!Fresh!Water!Biomes! There!are!three!main!types!of!freshwater!biomes:! •! Ponds!&!Lakes! •! Streams!&!rivers! •! Wetlands! ! Ponds!and!Lakes! Ponds!and!lakes!are!often!called!lentic!ecosystems.!This!means! that!they!have!still!or!standing!waters,!not!moving!like!rivers!or! streams.! ! Streams!and!Rivers! Rivers!and!streams!are!often!called!lotic!ecosystems.!This!means! that!they!have!flowing!waters,!unlike!the!still!waters!of!ponds! and!lakes.!This!biome!can!vary!in!size!dramatically!from!small! trickling!streams!to!mild!wide!rivers!that!travel!for!thousands!of! miles.! ! Wetlands!Biome! The!wetlands!biome!is!a!combination!of!land!and!water.!The!land! may!be!mostly!underwater!for!part!of!the!year!or!just!flooded!at! certain!times.!One!of!the!key!characteristics!of!a!wetland!is!that! its!supports!aquatic!plants.! ! Facts!About!the!Freshwater!Biome! The!largest!wetland!biome!in!the!world!is!the!Pantanal!in!South! America.! ! 17! Coral Reefs ! What is a Coral Reef? Coral Reefs are made of organisms called polyps. Polyps live on the outside of reefs. When a polyp dies, it becomes hard and new polyps grow on top of it causing the reef to grow. Does the coral reef eat? Polyps eat small animals (called plankton) and algae. The algae get their food from sun. Coral Reefs need clear water to form. Where are the Coral Reefs located? The Great Barrier Reef stretches for 2,600 miles. Coral Reef need warm shallow water to form. ! 18! Types of Coral Reefs Fringe: Fringe reefs grow close to the shore line. They can be attached to the shore or to a channel lagoon. Barrier: Barrier reefs grow further from the shore line. Sometimes they can be several miles from the shore. Atoll: An atoll is a ring of corals surrounding a lagoon. It begins as a fringe reef around a volcanic island. Some atolls are so big that people can live on them. An example of this is the Maldives. Zones of the Coral Reef Coral Reefs develop zones. Each zone is inhabited by different corals, fish, and ocean life. Shore Zone: Depending on the shape of the reef, this area can be full of fish, sea cucumbers and starfish (sea stars.) Crest Zone: This is the highest point of the reef where waves break. ! Fore Zone: Around 30 feet deep, you will find it most populated part of the reef, full of different types of corals! Coral Reefs animals and plants -Star coral -Brain (!) coral -Column coral -Cactus coral -Finger coral -Sponges -Sea Stars -Anemones -Lionfish -Snails -Puffer fish -Clams -Cuttlefish -Clownfish -Sea cucumbers -Sharks Sea grass, seaweed and algae Many animals attach themselves to the reef covering nearly every square inch. 19! ! 20! Why are the Coral Reef important? Medical discoveries such as medicine for cancer. Coral Reefs provide food from fishing. Are they in danger? Yes! The reefs are slowly being destroyed. Since they grow at such a slow rate they are disintegrating faster than they can be repaired. Much of the damage is caused by humans primarily from pollution and overfishing. Even tourists can damage the reefs by standing on them, touching them, or bumping into them with their boats. Facts About the Coral Reef Coral Reefs grow very slowly. Large reefs grow at the rate to 1 to 2 cm. per year. It’s estimated that some of the largest took as long as 30 million years to form. The Great Barrier reef is so big it can be seen from outer space.
