Ecology: The study of Land Biomes

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EcologyThe study of Land Biomes
Alpine biome. Paul Fuqua. 2005. unitedstreaming.
14 April 2006 lthttp//www.unitedstreaming.com/gt
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Why?
Why do we care about the environment?? Why should
we learn about biomes???
Last time we checked Nobody living on the
Moon Nobody living under the
Ocean Only an average of 15
astronauts live on the ISS at any
given time
Illustration of Shuttle docked to Space Station.
NASA. 2005. unitedstreaming. 14 April 2006
lthttp//www.unitedstreaming.com/gt
So, for now this is the ONLY place we have to
live!
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Questions to Ponder throughout Unit
1. How does a biomes climate control what
species of plant or animal lives there?
2. How do plants and animals share limited
resources?
3. How do plants and animals need each other?
4. How do plants and animals change to survive in
a certain area of the world?
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Definitions Knowem

1. An Ecosystem is a system formed by the
   interaction of a community of organisms with
   their physical environment
2. A Biome is a major community characterized by the
   dominant forms of plant life and the prevailing
   climate
3. A community is a group of all the different kinds
   of organisms living in the same area
4. A population is a group of organisms of the same
   kind living in the same area at the same time

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Biomes can help us understand ecosystems.

• A biome is a part of the world that has a certain
  climate.

• Some places are hot, some are cold, some are wet,
  and some are dry.

• Different plants and animals have adapted to
  living each biome.

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Biome Research

• You are going to research different types of
  biomes. Use your graphic organizer to record the
  different plants and animals found in each biome.
• Go to the next slide and watch the videos
• Use www.sciencespot.net to help you research

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Biome Basics
There are six main land biomes
Click on each picture below to play a video on
the biome.
Temperate
Rainforest
Tundra
Desert
Grassland
Taiga
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Exit Slip 1
Copy the following Qs and write brief statements
that answer the following Qs about ecology and
biomes

1. Write a descriptive paragraph about each of the
   six major land biomes
2. How can learning about biomes help humans,
   animals, and plants?

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The Desert Biome
Our in-class notes will focus on the desert
biome.
Click on the picture below to play the video.
Desert, Sonoran (2). Paul Fuqua. 2005.
unitedstreaming. 14 April 2006 lthttp//www.uniteds
treaming.com/gt
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deserts are formed because of limited resources?
Did You Know...

• As air moves up over a mountain range, it gets
  cold and loses the ability to hold moisture -- so
  it rains or snows. When the air moves down the
  other side of the mountain, it gets warmer. Warm
  air can hold lots of moisture, so it doesn't rain
  as much. Deserts are formed when precipitation is
  trapped in the warm air, and little rain falls to
  the ground.

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Respond

1. How much rainfall does the desert biome receive?

2. What is the difference in rainfall between the
desert biome and the biome in which you live?
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Fitchburg, WI ?
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How do animals survive in the desert?

• As you know, water is a limited resource in the
  desert.
• Intense heat, searing sun, and lack of water are
  just a few of the challenges facing desert
  animals.

Yucca plant growing at White Sands National
Monument at sunset. Paul Fuqua. 2005.
unitedstreaming. 14 April 2006 lthttp//www.uniteds
treaming.com

• Desert animals have many adaptations.
• Some animals never drink, but can survive from
  getting their water from seeds. Some seeds can
  contain up to 50 water.

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you need to Adapt to your environment, baby

• An adaptation is a trait or characteristic that
  has evolved in a species helping it to survive.

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Honest, Mom It was an accident. I didnt mean
to grow those spikes on my head.

• All organisms have adaptations that help them
  survive and thrive.
• Adaptations usually occur because a gene mutates
  or changes by accident! Some mutations can help
  an animal or plant survive better than others in
  the species without the mutation.

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Why does that creature look soooo silly???

• Some adaptations are structural. Structural
  adaptations are physical features of an organism
  like the bill on a bird, camouflge on a lizard,
  or the fur on a bear.

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Excuse me but you have been holding your breath
for an exorbitant amount of time!

• Some Adaptations are Physiological.
  Physiological Adaptations occur inside an
  organisms body affecting its body processes.
  e.g. A seal can hold its breath for thirty
  minutes under water in order to find food.

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Ummm, Why is that coyote urinating on every tree
around his den?

• Other adaptations are behavioral. Behavioral
  adaptations are the things organisms do to
  survive. For example, bird calls and migration
  are behavioral adaptations

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Exit Slip 2
Copy the following Qs and write brief statements
that answer the following Qs about ecology and
biomes

1. Identify three types of adaptations and explain
   how they are different
2. Why is Savanna Oaks considered to be in the
   Deciduous Forest Biome?
3. Why is it likely that WI will never become a
   desert

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If you find resources, they will come
The desert has resources, but some are limited.
Lets go to the web site below to research the
deserts resources. Answer these questions

• What resources can be found in the desert?
• 2) Which resources are limited in the desert?

• Click on this link to go to the web site
• http//www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome
  /deserts.html

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How do desert plants and animals depend on each
other?

• You are now going to research plants and animals
  at the Missouri Botanical Garden web site.

• At the web site, find at least one example of a
  plant or animal that needs another organism in
  order to survive.

• Record your example in your notes.

• At the web site, you will need to click on
  desert plants or desert animals and click on the
  ones you want to learn more about.

Click on this link to go to the web
site http//mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/desert/index.ht
m
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How are plants and animals are important to each
other?
Click on the picture to play the video.
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Food Chains
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How are plants and animals important to the
desert ecosystem?
Click on the picture to play the video.
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Exit slip 3
Copy the following Qs and write brief statements
that answer the following Qs about ecology and
biomes

• 1) Draw a food chain for plants and animals in
  the desert.
• 2) How do living things in biomes need each other
  in order to survive.
• 3) What resources can be found in the desert
  biome?

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Do you want to know more?
You may follow the link below to find out more
about land ecosystems.
Go to the Science Spot at http//sciencespot.net/
and click the Kid Zone graphic in the upper
right hand corner. Click on the Ecology and
Environment link under the BIOLOGY Section.
Scroll down the page to find the links for
biomes. Bookmark these websites for future
reference!
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References

• United Learning (Publisher). (1998). Biomes Our
  Earth's Major Life Zones (streaming video).
  Retrieved from United Learning at
  http//www.unitedstreaming.com on March 25, 2003.