Designed by Christopher Becker,
Joeie Puckett, Michael Ruthenberg,
and Satura Thomas
Biomes are defined as "the world's major communities,
classified according to the predominant vegetation and
characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular
environment" (Campbell,1996).
Introduction
What animals live in this biome?
Where is your biome found?
What’s the weather
like here?
During your webquest, you will
be able to click on any of these
pictures to find out more about
the biome of your choice. Have
fun in your journey. We won’t
tell anyone you’re learning.
Your secret is safe with us!
Action!
Take me to a movie.
Links to other
websites
Where do you want to go?
Begin your journey here by choosing which
biome fits your specific interests or continue
your journey to a different ecosystem.
Tundra
Taiga
The taiga is one of our planet’s harshest
biomes. Although abundant with life,
survival is difficult because of the cold
climate and little precipitation. The word
“taiga” comes from a Russian word
meaning, “marshy, pine forest”. Click on
any of the pictures to find out more
about the taiga!
Temperate Forest
Tropical Rainforest
Desert
Like it dry? You’ve come to the right
place. Did you know that there are
both hot deserts and cold deserts?
It’s true. Antarctica is the world’s
largest cold desert! Click on one of
the pictures to find out what makes
the desert one of the most
interesting and diverse biomes!
Grassland
Taiga Animals
The taiga contains all sorts of furry creatures. Such animals as moose,
wolverines, red squirrels, fox, and lynx all live in the taiga. What do
these animals all have in common to battle the cold weather?
Click the moose to go back!
Where is the Taiga found?
Northern North America
Northern Asia
Northern Europe
The taiga is located in the far north of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Picture big pine trees covered in snow and you get the idea!
The taiga has the largest area of any of the terrestrial (land) biomes!
Click the moose to go back!
Taiga Weather and Climate
The taiga has some of
the harshest weather on
the planet. It boasts
some of the coldest
temperatures with
hardly any precipitation.
In the summer, the average
temperatures range between 20
degrees and 70 degrees
Fahrenheit. In the winter, put your
gloves and hat on because the
temperature ranges between -65
and 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
The taiga only
receives between
12 and 33 inches
of precipitation a
year!
Click the moose to go back!
Taiga Movie
Click the reel to play the movie!
Click the moose to go back!
Taiga Links
http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/taiga/index.htm
http://www.thewildclassroom.com/biomes/t
aiga.html
http://www.radford.edu/~swoodwar/CLASS
ES/GEOG235/biomes/taiga/taiga.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main
.php?section=biomes&topic=taiga
Click the moose to go back!
Roadrunner
Ostrich
Meerkat
Desert Animals
Horned Lizard
Sidewinder Rattlesnake
Life is a challenge for all life in
the desert. To live in the
desert, you must learn how to
rid yourself of excess heat and
you must learn how to obtain
and retain your water.
Needless to say, it’s difficult to
do all of these things. Yet, all
of these animals do. Amazing!
Carcal
Banded Gecko
Bark Scorpion
Sonoran Desert Toad
Click the cactus to go back!
Kangaroo Rat
Black Widow Spider
Where is a desert found?
Many deserts are found in bands along 30 degrees
latitude north and 30 degrees latitude south (between
the red lines on the map). Look at North Africa.
That’s the largest desert, the Sahara! Around 2
million people still live there in the harsh conditions!
Click the cactus to go back!
Desert Weather and Climate
The desert is the hottest biome on the
planet. The temperatures range from
well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit
during the day to well below 32
degrees at night. Remember, deserts
can be cold as well as hot! To be a
desert, you must receive less than 50
cm of precipitation in a year. Most
receive much less than that.
Click the cactus to go back!
Desert Links
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/bio
mes/deserts.php
http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/where.ht
m
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/desert_eco.html&edu=elem
http://www.terragalleria.com/pictures-subjects/deserts/
http://www.tropix.co.uk/themes/deserts.htm
Click the cactus to go back!
Desert Movie
Click the reel to play the movie!
Click the cactus to go back!
• Campbell, N.A. 1996. Biology, 4th Edition. The
Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company,
Inc., Menlo Park, California.