This is my ‘virtual tour’ of America NATURAL WONDERS OF USA This is my ‘virtual tour’ of America CLICK TO ENTER THE SITE

CONTENTS 1. What is a Biome? 2. The Biomes – Coniferous; Tundra; Tropical Rainforest 3. The Biomes – Desert; Grass Land; Alpine 4. Niagara Falls – Introduction 5. Niagara Falls – Fun Facts 6. Grand Canyon 7. Yosemite National Park 8. The Redwoods of California BACK FORWARD

WHAT IS A BIOME? Biomes are a way to divide the Earth's surface. These divisions are based on climate patterns, soil types and the animals and plants that inhabit an area. Every inch of the Earth's surface is a part of one or more biomes. In America, there are a lot of contrasting biomes. You can do many different activities in these environments. For instance, in the Alps you could go skiing in the winter; mountain biking and trekking in the summer. CONTENTS BACK FORWARD

BIOMES OF AMERICA The coniferous biome is trees either with evergreen leaves or cones. Whereas, in the tundra habitat the environment is the coldest of all biomes. The word tundra comes from the word ‘tunturia’, meaning treeless plain. Frost moulded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, poor nutrients and short growing seasons are some of the things the tundra biome is known for. Unlike all the others, the tropical rainforest is an ecosystem that combines sunlight, rain and high temperatures and are located in the tropics. CONTENTS BACK FORWARD

BIOMES OF AMERICA Due to the low level of rainfall it receives each year, the deserts cover about 20% of the earth. There are four major types of desert in this biome – hot and dry, semiarid, coastal and cold. Grassland biomes are large, rolling terrains of grasses, flowers and herbs. A grassland is a region where the average annual amount of rainfall is great enough to support grasses and in some areas a few trees. As they are quite dry places drought and fire prevent large forests from growing. The Alpine biome is like winter to people in England; snow, high winds, ice, all the typical winter things. Alpine biomes are found in the mountain regions all around the world. The Alpine biome lies just below the snow line of a mountain. As you go up a mountain, you will travel through many biomes. CONTENTS BACK FORWARD

NIAGARA FALLS Niagara Falls is located on the border of Ontario, Canada and New York, USA. The 3 waterfalls combine to produce the highest flow rate of any waterfall on earth. The state park is the oldest in the United States of America. An estimate 12 million tourists come to Niagara Falls every year. CONTENTS BACK FORWARD

NIAGARA FALLS FUN FACTS Volume of water going over the American Falls: 567,810 L per second (150,000 gallons/second) The incredible Volume of water going over the Horseshoe Falls: 2,271,240 L per second (600,000 gallons/second) The rim of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls measures about 792 m (2200 ft). 50.9 metres is how high the fall is. The American Falls measure about 323 m (850 ft). The Bridal Veil Falls measure about 15m(50 ft). The height is 53.6 metres. CONTENTS BACK FORWARD

GRAND CANYON The Grand canyon is found in the US state of Arizona. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 kilometres) in length. At its widest point the Grand Canyon stretches 18 miles (29 kilometres) across. The parks narrowest point stretches 4 miles (6.4 kilometres) across. It is around 6000 (1800 metres) feet deep. The Colorado River runs through the Grand Canyon, it has been eroding its steep sides for millions of years. Found on the upper rim (limestone), the rock is around 230 million years old. While the Grand Canyon is neither the widest, longest nor deepest canyon in the world, it is an extremely popular tourist destination with around 5 million visitors enjoying its immense beauty every year. CONTENTS BACK FORWARD

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Yosemite National Park, located in the state of California, covers nearly 761,268 acres of land. The park is best know for its waterfalls, but within it nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, a vast wilderness and much more. Before it became a national park, it had been home to the Ahwaneechee Native American for 4,000 years. CONTENTS BACK FORWARD

THE ‘REDWOODS’ OF CALIFORNIA California redwood trees, which you can find on the west coast of America, are among the largest living beings in existence and one of the oldest. They can reach heights of more than 350 feet and some specimens have been alive since the days of the Roman Empire. Redwoods have been around for about 240 million years; compared to about 200,000 years for modern humans. Equivalent to about age 2-6 in human years, most redwoods we see are about 50-150 years old. CONTENTS FORWARD BACK

WHERE ARE THEY ALL? The Grand Canyon Niagara Falls The Redwoods of California Yosemite National Park CONTENTS FORWARD BACK