The Desert Biome

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The Desert Biome
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Remember Last year when you learned.
In your notebook, draw a flow map that names the
levels of organization we just talked
about. There should be 5 boxes

• More than one organism of the same species makes
  up a population
• More than one population of the same species
  makes up a community
• All of the different communities, along with the
  non-living things in the area, makes up an
  ecosystem
• This year we will learn what more than one
  ecosystem with similar climates and organisms
  makes.

This acronym might help you remember Orange
Puppies Cant Exist Because.
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What is a Biome?

• A biome is a group of ecosystems with similar
  climates and organisms.
• Its Big !!!!
• All of the deserts of the world make up the
  desert biome.
• An Ecosystem is all of the living and non-living
  things that interact in an area.
• Ecosystems can be big (like an entire desert,
  forest or grassland)
• or small as a microhabitat (like a schoolyard,
  or the inside of someone's mouth.)

Each color represents a different desert ecosystem
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-- In your notebookWith your group, draw and
complete a concept definition map about the word
Biome

• A biome is a group of ecosystems with similar
  climates and organisms.

Big
Has living an non-living things (biotic abiotic)
Similar climates
Desert
Forest
Grassland
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Basic Desert Characteristics

• Dry 10 inches or 25.4 cm of rain or less PER
  YEAR!!
• Wide range of temperatures
• (because of low humidity)
• warmer during the day
• colder at night
• Sandy or rocky soil and very little vegetation

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In your notebook

• Make a Modified Verbal Visual word association
  about deserts like the one below

Vocabulary Term
Visual Representation
Deserts
Aboitic factors
Biotic factors

• An area that receives 25 cm of rain or less in a
  year
• There is a wide range of temperatures
• Rocky or sandy soil

• Very few plants or animals
• Plants and animals have adaptations that help
  them to survive with very little water and
  extreme temperatures.

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Weathering, Erosion, or Deposition?In a Desert

• Because there is so little vegetation in a desert
  the soil is easily blown around by the wind. What
  is this called?
• Hills of sand that are piled when the wind slows
  down and drops what its carrying are called Sand
  Dunes. What is this an example of?
• When the sand being carried by the wind scratches
  off pieces of other rocks below. What is this an
  example of?

Erosion
Deposition
Weathering (abrasion)
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Adaptations are characteristics of an organism
that help it survive in its environment or
reproduce.

• Examples of Physical Adaptations in Plants
• Chloroplast for Photosynthesis
• Xylem and phloem ---- Turgor Pressure
• Desert plant adaptations to live with less water

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Examples of Physical Adaptations in Animals
Javelina

• Leg speed, sharp claws and/or teeth (tusks),
  spikes or quills, or armor for protection
• Cold blooded to avoid having to heat or cool
  themselves
• Coloring for camouflage or warning
• Some organisms dont sweat to avoid water loss
• Some animals have specialized kidneys to conserve
  water used for urine (example)
• Long ears on a jack rabbit, so that excess heat
  can escape (what about rabbits that live in a
  cold area?)

Armadillo
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Behavioral Adaptations are things an organism
does to help it survive and reproduce in its
environment

• hunting at night to avoid extreme heat
• storing food for later use (dry season, cold
  season etc)
• Hibernation or estivation (sleeping for long
  periods of time to conserve energy)
• Staying in groups to help deter prey
• Hunting in packs to help take down larger prey

• Migration to access food, avoid extreme
  temperatures, or to reproduce.
• Behaviors that attract a mate coyotes howling,
  deer fighting to determine mating rights,
  peacocks spreading feathers to show a colorful
  design.

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In your Science Notebook3-2-1 Blast Off

• List 3 examples of physical adaptations that
  would help an organism survive in a desert. (At
  least one for plants and at least 1 for animals.)
• List 2 behavioral adaptations that could help an
  organism survive in a desert.
• List 1 good definition for adaptation.

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Natural Selection (survival of the fittest)

• The organism that has the best traits will
  survive to reproduce so
• the best traits are more likely to be passed on.

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Selective Breeding

• Selective breeding is the process of breeding
  plants and animals for particular genetic traits.
  
• Humans choose organisms that have certain traits
  that they find desirable and breed then to create
  offspring with those traits.

• Researchers at the USDA have selectively bred
  carrots with a variety of colors.

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In your Notebook

• Create a double bubble map comparing and
  contrasting natural selection and selective
  breeding

Occurs when organisms reproduce
Creates organism with traits that humans want
Happens naturally
selective breeding
natural selection
Creates organisms with the most desirable traits
Organism might not survive in nature
Organism adapted to survive in nature
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THE END
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Photosynthesis How producers, or autotrophs,
make food

• Plants get water through the roots, carbon
  dioxide from the air, and energy from the sun
  (radiant energy) to make food (energy.)

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In your Science NotebookDraw and fill in the
multi- flow map about Photosynthesis
Water
Sugar (that plants use as food)
Photosynthesis (inside the chloroplast in leaves)
Carbon Dioxide
Radiant energy from the sun
Oxygen
Continue
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Protective coloration for camouflage
Countershaded Ibex are almost invisible in the
Israeli desert.
Camouflage allows predator to capture prey
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Warning coloration
Coral Snake (poisonous)
The Milk snake mimics the coral snake to trick
predators into thinking its poisonous.
Bright colors warn others that they are poisonous
and should be left alone!!
If red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow (for
Coral Snakes) if red touches black, you're okay,
Jack (for similar looking Milk Snakes)".
Continue
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Length of ears

• Arctic hare
• Short ears conserve heat

• Jack Rabbit
• long ears so that heat can be released easily

Continue
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Kangaroo Rats

• This species doesnt sweat or pant like other
  animals to keep cool.
• They also have specialized kidneys, which allow
  them to dispose of waste materials with very
  little output of water.
• They get all the water they need from the seeds
  they eat.

Continue
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Without water plants droop. The water pressure
inside plants is called turgor pressure
Seeds sprout because the force of water pressure
(also called turgor pressure) inflates the
emerging shoot. The force of the shoot
straightening pulls the seed leaves above ground.

Continue