The Biomes of the World
•I can classify differences between Deciduous
Forests, Coniferous Forests, and Tropical Rainforests.
•I can determine the animals, plants, climate, and
vegetation states that are involved in each of these
biomes.
Our first stop
What in the World is a biome???
• The word biome is used to describe any type of
environment on Earth that has a characteristic
climate and group of living organisms.
Close your eyes and imagine you’re walking
into your back yard.
• What biome do you think you’re in?
Deciduous Forest
• The deciduous forest has temperate climates with
four distinct seasons.
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Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
• The deciduous forest is the only biome where the
leaves change and fall off their branches. If you’re
driving through the country and see these trees, you
know you’re in a Deciduous forest!
• Average yearly rainfall 75-125cm (29.5-49 inches)
• Average temperatures Summer- 82F, Winter 43F.
What animals do you think
live in the Deciduous forest?
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Mice
Deer
Owls
Raccoons
Squirrels
What are some other animals that might live in this
biome?
Plants (Vegetation) of the
Deciduous Forest
• What are some plants that you grow in your back
yard?
• Pear trees
• Cedar tree
• Berry bushes
• Oak trees
• Maple trees
• Apple trees
• Can you think of anything else?
Now we’re getting on a train
and travelling to Canada!
What biome do you think
we’re in now??
The Coniferous Forest
(Taiga)
• The coniferous forest is the largest land biome on
Earth.
• The average temperature in summer is 14C (57F)
and in the winter -10C(14F)
• Average yearly rainfall is 35-75cm (14 to 29.5 inches)
• The winters are long and cold with summers being
very short.
• The main characteristic of this biome is evergreen
trees also known as conifers.
• Pine trees are one type of conifer
• The soil can be very rocky and poor
Where do you think Coniferous
Forest biomes can be found?
• Canada
• Siberia
• They are not found in the southern hemisphere.
Coniferous Forest animals
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Take a guess!
Black bears
Grizzly bears
Owls
Foxes
Otters
Snowshoe hares
Notice how SOME animals can live in MULTIPLE
biomes.
Be brave folks for now we
are getting on a plane and
travelling to …… Brazil!
What’s in Brazil you
ask?
Climate and Rainfall
• The Tropical Rainforest is very hot and wet because
its normal location is very close to the equator.
• Rainforests like this one are very dense with trees
that can block the sunlight. Because these trees are
so tall and thick, very little sunlight reaches the forest
floor.
• Average rainfall per year is 157.5 inches!
• The average temperatures in the daytime are 93F
and during the night 68F and very humid.
Tropical Rainforest
animals
• In the Tropical Rainforest there are 4 levels in which
different types of animals live on each to survive.
Animals of the Rainforest
Forest Floor
 Worms
 Insects
Understory layer
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Snakes (boa constrictor)
Jaguar
Tapir (kind of like a wild boar)
Animals Continued
Canopy
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Gibbons (type of monkey)
Sloths
Cuckoos
Emergent layer
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toucans
Scarlett macaws
Blue morpho butterflies
Plants (Vegetation) in the
Tropical Rainforest
• What are some plants we might find as we walk
through the rainforest?
• Bengal bamboo
• Mangrove trees!
• Durian trees
Biomes of the World
Day 2
I can define the difference between the tundra biomes of
the world
I can define what savanna biomes are and desert biomes
are.
I can recognize the different plants and animals that live in
each biome as well as their climates.
Now get ready to travel to
Africa
• What biome do you think we’re in?
So what’s the climate?
 The climate here is extremely dry with only 10 inches
of rain PER YEAR.
 The average temperatures for summer 100F with
winter temperatures at 45F.
 So how do animals survive with this heat?
 Huge ears help jack rabbits get rid of their body heat.
 Kangaroo rats never need to drink. They recycle water from the food that
they eat.
 Deep-rooted plants can reach groundwater as deep as 30m.
 Cacti store water in their stems and roots
 The residents of the desert biome have special adaptations to survive in a
dry climate.
Desert Animals
Animals continued
• Animals also have adaptations for living in the
desert. Most desert animals are active only at night,
when temperatures are cooler. Some animals, such
as the spadefoot toad, bury themselves in the
ground and are dormant during the dry season.
Plants and vegetation in
the desert
• Cacti store water in their stems and roots
• Some flowering plants bloom, bear seeds, and die
within a few weeks after a heavy rain.
• What are some adaptations of desert plants?
• Some plants have shallow, widespread roots that
grow just under the surface.
• These roots let plants take up water during a storm.
• The leaves of desert plants also have a waxy
coating that helps prevent water loss.
Now let’s travel to
Australia
• What biome do you think we’re in?
Climate in the Savanna
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Average yearly rainfall 59 inches
Average temperatures in the dry seasons 86F!
Wet seasons 68F!
The savannas are found in Africa, India and South
America. There is a little part of Northern Australia
that is Savanna as well.
Animals of the Australian
Savanna
Zebras,
giraffes,
lions, and
acacia trees
are found
in the
savannas of
Africa.
Plants and Vegetations of
the Savannas
Jamaha tree
Cycs
Kangaroo Paw
Our last stop is the
Alaska!
• What biome do you think we’re in?
Arctic Tundra Climate
 Tundra biome have very low temperatures and very little
precipitation (Rainfall). Winters in the tundra are long and
extremely cold; summers are short, mild, and cool.
 Average yearly rainfall is 12-20 inches
 Average temperatures in summer 54F and winter -15F.
 There are different types of tundra biomes. Polar tundra is
the north and south poles and has layers of permafrost
which is a layer of soil that stays frozen all the time.
 Alpine tundra is similar to arctic tundra and also has
permafrost. It is found on top of a mountain where there
are no trees because trees can’t survive in the cold.
Animals in Tundra
Biomes.
• Can you guess what animals might live in this
Tundra?
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Arctic foxes
Reindeer
Caribou
Grizzly bears
Ermines (a kind of weasel)
These animals all have thick fur that protects them from the cold.
Some of these animals like the caribou migrate south for the winter.
Plants and Vegetation in
the Tundra
• Because it is very cold in the tundra, most of the soil
is frozen. Only the very thin top layer of soil is
unfrozen and available for plants to grow.
• This limits the kinds of plants that can grow in the
tundra to only small, low-growing types, such as
o Mosses
o Grasses
o Small bushes
• Trees cannot grow in the tundra because their roots
cannot grow deep enough into the soil.
Pop Quiz!!
• Choose the abiotic factors that characterize the
tundra biome.
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A. arctic foxes, wolves, snowy owls
B. warm, wet forests
C. very little rainfall, extreme temperatures
D. very low temperatures, very little rainfall
• Very low temperatures and very little precipitation
are abiotic, or nonliving, factors that characterize
the tundra biome.
• Succulent plants store water. Given this
characteristic, which biome would they be best
suited to live?
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A. freshwater
B. salt water
C. tundra
D. desert.
• Desert biomes have a very low rainfall. Organisms
that store water, like succulent plants, are adapted
to limited water conditions.
Please pass your graphic
organizers to the front
row. This is for a grade!