Studied in 3rd grade as
part of the
Science curriculum
Land Biomes
Scientists divide the Earth based on the distinctive
plant and animal species that live in a region. This
region also has a specific climate.
There are many types of land biomes, but the ones
most commonly talked about are:
Desert
Forest
Grassland
Taiga
Tundra
The Desert
• The desert biome receives, on average, less
than 10 inches of rain per year.
• Animals have special adaptations to live here:
– Nocturnal
– Less fur
– Scales
• Plants have special adaptations to live here:
–
–
–
–
Waxy skin
Needles
Shallow roots
Thick stems
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land biomes
The Grasslands
There are two types of grasslands, temperate and
tropical.
• A temperate grassland can
be found in North America
and is also known as a prairie.
• A tropical grassland can be
found in Africa and is also
known as a savanna.
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land biomes
The Grassland Duo
• The prairies have a mild climate that has about 10 to
25 inches of rain on average per year. Animals that
can be found here are prairie dogs and buffalo.
• The savannas are more hot and are typically warm all
year round. Animals here consist of zebra and lions.
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land biomes
The Tundra
• The tundra can be found further north of the
grasslands. This biome has low-growing plants as
there is a layer underneath the soil that is
permanently frozen. This is also known as
permafrost.
• Plants that live here are moss and low growing
shrubs.
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land biomes
The Taiga
• This biome is south of the tundra and
has evergreen forests. Animals from
the north migrate to here in the winter.
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land biomes
The Forests
• There are two main types of forests, the
tropical rain forests and the deciduous
forests.
• The deciduous forests, so named because
the leaves fall in autumn, have a temperate
climate.
• The tropical rain forest has more than 200 cm
of rainfall, on average, each year.
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land biomes
The Tropical Rainforest’s Flora and Fauna
• The tropical rainforest has the most animal
and plant species than in any other biome.
– Plants have adapted to live in an environment that
allows for a lot of light, little light and catching the
rain.
• Plant adaptations include long, broad leaves, growing
tall, and being able to grow with little light.
– Animals have adaptations that allow them to live in
an environment that has a many unusual plants
and animals.
• Such animal adaptations include: bright colors,
poisonous bodies, and long arms and tails.
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land biomes
The Deciduous Forest’s Flora and Fauna
• Since the temperature changes with the
seasons, plants and animals have
adapted to live in an ever changing
environment.
– Some animals hibernate during the winter
due to lack of food.
– Trees lose their leaves and plants die due
to the cold temperature.
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land biomes
Think About It
• If mankind were to use up all of the trees in the forest for
fuel, paper and other products, a terrible chain of events
would occur. The animals that once made the trees their
homes would either die out because they used the trees as
homes and food or they would move into another
environment and cause competition for food and shelter.
This in turn causes more problems, can you think of what
else can happen?
• Can you think of something that mankind can deplete from
a particular environment and what kinds of events would
follow?