BJU Science 5 Chapter 6 Biomes

Describe the deciduous forest biome.

Deciduous forest biome consists of deciduous trees which lose their leaves in the winter. It is a wet biome because it gets lots of precipitation and changes with each of the four seasons.

Describe the desert biome.

Deserts receive very little precipitation, have nocturnal animals, have succulent plants which store water, and have extreme temperatures (very hot during day and cold at night). Some deserts (like Antarctica) are cold and covered in snow.

What is permafrost?

Permafrost is permanently frozen soil found in the tundra.

What is a biome?

A biome is a large area of the earth in which plants and animals share a similar environment.

What is a conifer?

A conifer is a cone-bearing tree. It does not lose its leaves in the winter and are mostly evergreens (spruce, fir, pine).

Describe aquatic biomes.

Aquatic biomes that do not have one specific climate, but are classified as either saltwater or freshwater.

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity refers to how many species of plants and animals are found in a specific area.

Describe bogs.

Bogs are a wetland that has only fresh water and is usually cold.

What is climate?

Climate is the usual weather of a region over a long period of time, and it determines what types of animals and plants can live in a biome.

Describe the freshwater biomes?

Freshwater biomes include: ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. Classified as either standing water or moving water, gravity causes this water to flow downhill toward the ocean.

What are the grassland biomes?

Grassland biomes main vegetation is grass and are found between deserts and forests. (prairies and savannas)

What keeps river water flowing toward the ocean?

Gravity keeps freshwater flowing downhill toward the oceans.

Describe marshes and swamps

Marshes and swamps can have either fresh water or salt water. Marshes usually do not have trees while swamps have many trees.

What is peat?

Peat, which is found in bogs, is partially decayed plant matter piled up into dense layers.

What is the salinity of seawater?

Salinity is the amount of dissolved salt in the water.

What is the biosphere?

The biosphere consists of all the areas where life can exist and the living organisms that live there. These areas are called biomes.

What is the canopy layer of the rain forest?

The canopy layer of rain forest is where trees grow closely together and little sunlight gets through.

Describe the coniferous forest biome.

The coniferous forest (also called the taiga) is the largest land biome. It stretches across most of Canada and large parts of the US, Europe, and Asia and has two main seasons (summer and winter)

Land biomes are influenced by their climates. What are the eight land biomes?

The eight land biomes are: coniferous forest, deciduous forest, desert, grassland prairie, grassland savanna, mountains, rain forest, and tundra

What is the emergent layer of the rain forest?

The emergent layer of rain forest receives the most sunlight but faces strong winds and heat.

What is the forest floor layer of the rain forest?

The forest floor layer of rain forest is where even less sunlight reaches and very few plants grow.

Describe the grassland prairies.

The grassland prairie is found between the polar and tropical regions, has all four seasons, covers much of central North America, and has fewer trees.

Describe the mountain biome.

The mountain biome may have more than one biome in it, because as you travel up the air becomes thinner and colder.

Describe the tropical rain forest biome.

The rain forest has the most abundant rainfall all year long, is hot and humid because it is near the equator, and scientists believe half of all known species of animals live here.

Describe the saltwater biomes.

The saltwater biomes (also called marine biomes) are the ocean and include tide pool and coral reef zones.

Describe the grassland savanna biome.

The savanna is a tropical grassland which has a warmer climate than prairies (because they are near the equator). It has only two seasons (wet and dry) and has more trees than a prairie.

Describe the tundra biome.

The tundra is the coldest biome, found near the Arctic Circle, stays frozen most of the year, and is very dry.

What is the understory layer of the rain forest?

The understory layer of rain forest has younger trees and leafy plants which do not need much sunlight.

Describe the wetlands biome.

The wetland biome (marshes, swamps, and bogs) are almost always wet, but the water can come and go with the ocean tides.