Biomes

1
Biomes

• Standard 5e 6a

2
Standard 5e 6a

• 5e Students know rain forests and deserts on
  Earth are distributed in bands at specific
  latitudes.
• 6a Students know weather (in the short run) and
  climate (in the long run) involve the transfer of
  energy into and out of the atmosphere.

3
Energy Transfer

• We learned from last unit that the sun heats the
  earth unequally, causing differences in
  temperature.
• We also learned that evaporation and
  precipitation of water occurs because of the
  unequal heating.
• Because of these two main things, solar energy
  and precipitation, energy is transferred
  throughout the globe.

4
Weather vs. Climate

• Energy transfer causes the weather the state of
  the atmosphere at a given time or place
  (temperature, precipitation, humidity, air
  pressure)
• Wind Rain
• Clouds, lightning, thunder
• Disasters hurricanes, tornadoes
• Weather is different from climate the long term
  average of weather.

5
What affects climate?

• Climate in an area is affected by two main things
• Direct sunlight (heat)
• Precipitation
• Climate directly affects the type of biome
• Biome is an environment with specific vegetation
  and organisms
• If it is cold, you have organisms that are
  suitable to the ____

6
Sunlight
Greenhouse Effect

• Sunlight gives off different wavelengths
• When it strikes the earth, different wavelengths
  get reflected while others are absorbed, heating
  the Earth.
• Some of it escapes into space, some reflects back
  to earth due to greenhouse gases

Sunlight
Some heat escapes into space
Greenhouse gases trap some heat
Atmosphere
Earths surface
7
Latitude
90N North Pole
Low Sunlight
66.5N
Arctic circle
Sunlight
Tropic of Cancer
23.5N
Equator
Most direct sunlight
0
Tropic of Capricorn
23.5S
Sunlight
Arctic circle
66.5S
Low Sunlight
90S South Pole

• The amount of direct light can affect the
  temperature.
• Remember that the equator gets the most sunlight,
  and polar regions gets the least.

8
Precipitation

• The amount of water falling in the given area can
  greatly affect the type of climate
• Remember that precipitation falls at 0 and 60

9
Biomes

• Because of these two factors combined, we get
  specific biomes at specific areas.
• For example, at the equator, there is a lot of
  sunlight, and a lot of precipitation, so there is
  a tropical rainforest.
• At 30, there is a lot of sunlight, but little or
  no precipitation, so there is a desert.

10
Overview

• Sunlight and precipitation affect the climate
• Climate over an environment produces a biome
• A biome has organisms suited to the climate
• Biomes generally occur on the same latitudes

11
Biomes

• There are two main types of biomes
• Land
• Aquatic (water)
• We will cover both today

12
Land Biomes

• Most land biomes are named after their climax
  community.
• Some of the land biomes
• Tundra
• Taiga (TIGH-guh)
• Temperate deciduous forest
• Grassland
• Tropical rain forest
• Desert

13
Temperate grassland
Tropical rain forest
Temperate forest
Tundra
Northwestern coniferous forest
Mountains and ice caps
Tropical dry forest
Desert
Temperate woodland and shrubland
Tropical savanna
Boreal forest (Taiga)
14
Aquatic biomes

• There are 3 main types of aquatic biomes.
• The amount of salt determines the type of biome.
• The 3 main types of aquatic biomes
• Freshwater
• Marine (saltwater)
• Estuaries

15
Tundra

• Tundra
• Located near the poles
• Treeless biome covered by moss, lichens, and
  grasses
• Permafrost a layer of permanently frozen subsoil

16
(No Transcript)
17
Taiga

• Taiga
• Covered by coniferous (cone bearing) trees.
• Bears, wolves, moose, elk are some of the typical
  animals

18
(No Transcript)
19
Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Temperate deciduous forest
• Plants change during the seasons (leaves change
  color)

20
(No Transcript)
21
Grasslands

• Grasslands
• Most of the rainfall occurs in one part of the
  season
• Hot summers, cold winters

22
(No Transcript)
23
Tropical Rain Forest

• Tropical rain forest
• Located at equator
• Receive 200-400 centimeters of rain a year
• Constant temperature.
• Home of the most types of animals than any other
  biome. Many colorful

24
(No Transcript)
25
Deserts

• Deserts
• Located at 30 latitude
• Less than 25 cm of rain falls a year
• Both plants and animals must be able to retain
  moisture.
• Birds, lizards, snakes, insects are typical
• Cactus and sagebrush sparsely cover the area

26
(No Transcript)
27
Freshwater biomes

• Rivers, streams, and lakes

28
(No Transcript)
29
Marine Biomes

• Includes all of the ocean
• Marine biomes are divided into 4 subcategories
• Intertidal zone
• Neritic zone
• Open-sea zone
• Deep-sea zone

30
(No Transcript)
31
(No Transcript)
32
Estuaries

• Estuaries are the boundaries between freshwater
  and saltwater.
• Since it is a mix of the two, a variety of
  organisms can be supported.
• Examples of estuaries
• Delta, swamp, lagoon

33
(No Transcript)
34
Biome Project

• In groups of 4-5, create a biome presentation
• Give information about the biome, including
• Temperature range (graph)
• Precipitation (graph)
• Location (latitudes/areas)
• Plants (vegetation)
• Animals
• Brief Description (Examples)
• Koppen climate classifications
• Posterboard or Powerpoint acceptable
• More visuals, the better
• 500000000 points

35
To help you out

• A Biology Textbook
• http//mbgnet.mobot.org/
• http//earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Laboratory/Biome/
  

36
Preplan

• What kind of presentation will you do?
  Powerpoint? Posterboard?
• Who is doing what? Research? Picture finding?
  Whos good with computers? Whos bringing
  materials?
• When do you want to meet up? Contact info?
• Anything else you can think of