The Mysteries of Biomes Explored Ms. Henchey 5th Grade

Objectives Students should name and compare the six major biomes of the earth. Students should be able to list at least 2-3 types of plants and animals found within each biome. Students should identify the weather and general location of each biome.

What is a biome? A biome is a large area of land that has distinctive plants and animals adapted to that environment. How many types of biomes are there? There are 6 major biomes of the earth: Freshwater, Marine, Desert, Forest (Deciduous and Rainforest), Grassland, and Tundra.

Why are biomes important anyway? Biomes are the homes to thousands of different types of plants and animals. If we don’t preserve and respect each biome, the plants and animals that live within it will suffer. Is there a biome today that is not being preserved? What is happening to the plants and animals that live there?

The Freshwater Biome The freshwater biome has a salt concentration of less than 1%. The plants and animals that live here adapted to the environment and could not survive in an area of high salt concentration like the ocean. Can you think of an example of a freshwater biome? Lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams are all good examples of freshwater biomes that can be found all over the world! The freshwater biome contains shallow and deep water zones. Have you ever gone swimming in a river and noticed how cold it gets the deeper the water goes? Just like when you swim in a river, the water is warmer at the top-most, shallow parts, because the most sunlight reaches and warms it. As you move deeper in the water, the temperature grows steadily cooler, because very little sunlight can reach it.

The Freshwater Biome What animals are found here? Snails Trout (fish) Snakes Turtle Otter Frogs

The Freshwater Biome What plants are found here? Algae Water moss Plant plankton Cattails

The Marine Biome The marine biome covers 75% of the Earth! Marine biomes have a high salt concentration. Can you think of any bodies of water that have salt in them? Marine biomes are usually found in oceans, the biggest of all the biomes! Oceans are separated by 4 zones of deepness. Just like in the freshwater biome, the temperature of the marine biome depend on the deepness of the water. The deeper the water is, the colder the temperature.

The Marine Biome What animals are found here? Tropical Fish Sea Turtle Jelly Fish Whale Starfish Sharks Seagulls

The Marine Biome What plants are found here? Algae Coral Seaweed

The Desert Biome Deserts have very dry and hot climates. Because of the heat and dryness, the desert’s plants and animals have had to adapt to its climate. Most deserts only get 10 inches of water a year! During the day it becomes very hot in the desert and can get up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit! At night, however, the desert can have temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit! The desert contains almost as many plants and animals as the rainforests do! The desert biome is found in northern Africa, western North America, western Asia, the center of Australia, and on the west coast of South America . Can you think of a plant or animal that has adapted to having only a little water throughout the year?

The Desert Biome What animals are found here? Camels Kangaroo Snakes Lizards

The Desert Biome What plants are found here? Cactus Yucca Aloe

The Forest Biome There are two types of forest biomes: the deciduous forest biome and the rainforest biome.

The Deciduous Forest Biome The deciduous forest biomes are found in the eastern United States and Canada. Deciduous trees shed their leaves in the fall and grow new leaves in the spring. Rainfall in the deciduous forests is 30 to 40 inches per year. The average summer temperature here is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit and about 25-20 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter.

The Deciduous Forest What Animals are found here? Chipmunk Squirrel Black Bear Bald Eagle Deer

The Deciduous Forest What plants are found here? Lady fern Mushroom White Oak Trees Birch Trees

The Rainforest Biome The rainforest has very tall trees and a climate of warm weather all year round. The rainforests also have over 100 inches of rain each year! Almost all rainforests are found near the equator. The rainforest has different layers. The top layer is called the emergent layer and forms a canopy of trees that are 100-250 feet tall! Each layer of the rainforest captures sunlight and blocks some sunlight from reaching the layer below it. Because the trees form a canopy over the rainforest, there is less sunlight toward the bottom layers. The least amount of sunlight touches the rainforest’s ground- it is usually completely in shadow!

The Rainforest Biome What animals are found here? Elephants Tiger Chimpanzee Sloth Rhinoceros

The Rainforest Biome What plants are found here? Bamboo Coconut Trees Sugar Cane Fig Trees

The Grassland Biome The grassland biomes are large lands of grasses, flowers, and herbs. The grasslands usually gets 10-30 inches of rain each year. Because of this the grasslands have droughts, which also cause fires that prevent forests from growing here. There are two different types of grasslands: tall-grass, and short-grass. Tall-grass environments are humid and very wet, while short-grass environments are dry, with hotter summers and colder winters than the tall-grass. In the winter, grassland temperatures can be as low as -40° F. In the summer, however, it can reach temperatures up to 70° F. There are two seasons in the grassland biome: a growing season and a dormant season. During the growing season, there is no frost and plants can grow, but during the dormant season, plants can’t grow because it is too cold. Grasslands can be found in the center of continents.

The Grassland Biome What animals are found here? Coyotes Eagles Bobcats Bison Crickets Prairie Chicken

The Grassland Biome What plants are found here? Sunflowers Clover Crazy Weed Asters

The Tundra Biome The tundra is the coldest of all biomes. The tundra biome has little rainfall, very cold temperatures, and frost-molded land. There are two types of tundra's: the arctic tundra and the alpine tundra. The arctic tundra is near the north pole with an average winter temperature of -30 degrees Fahrenheit and an average temperature of 3-12 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. The alpine tundra can be found on very high mountaintops where trees can’t grow. At night, the temperature gets below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The arctic tundra has a permanent layer of frozen ground called permafrost.

The Tundra Biome What animals are found in the arctic tundra? Salmon Trout Polar Bears What animals are found in the alpine tundra? Mountain Goats Sheep

The Tundra Biome What plants are found in the arctic tundra? Reindeer moss Lichen Flowers What plants are found in the alpine tundra? Dwarf trees Small Leaf Shrubs

Discussion Questions How have animals adapted to their biome? What about plants? What would happen if we destroyed or lost a biome? Could an animal adapt to living in a different biome? Why or why not? Could we find each biome in the United States or are they in different parts of the world? Give examples.

Activities Page http://pbskids.org/mamamirabelle/games.html http://www.picadome.fcps.net/Lab/currl/biomes/default.htm#Interactive%20Activities http://www.mrnussbaum.com/biomes.htm

Assessment Students will be given a blank world map page. They must then follow the legend and color in correct location of where each biome is found. Students will then be given a hand-made exam which asks them to list 2-3 animals and plants, and general facts about each biome.

Acknowledgements http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org http://www.mbgnet.net/ http://www.worldbiomes.com/biomes_desert.htm http://lsb.syr.edu/projects/cyberzoo/biome.html

Thank You For Your Time!