1. Bell Ringer What are the four major spheres of the Earth?
Atmosphere – Earth’s air
Geosphere –Earth’s land
Hydrosphere –Earth’s water
Biosphere – Earth’s living things

2. Biomes

3. Divisions of the Biosphere
Biosphere – all the living things on Earth

4. Biosphere Divisions The biosphere is divided into smaller parts
Biosphere  Biome  Ecosystem  Community  Population  Individual

5. Divisions of the Biosphere
Biome – organisms living in the same climate (temperature and precipitation) as each other

6. Biosphere Divisions
Ecosystem – areas within a biome where organisms interact with the living and nonliving parts of their environment

7. Biosphere Divisions
Community – organisms in an ecosystem that directly depend on each other
Population – the number of one specific species living in a community
Individual Organism

8. Biomes
Biomes – organisms living in the same climate as each other

9. Polar Biome
Polar – cold temperatures year-round and little to no precipitation
Usually covered in snow and ice
Location Examples: Arctic and Antarctic

10. Polar Biome Permafrost – soil that is permanently frozen
Soil – Shallow with no distinctive layers (horizons)
Permafrost – soil that is permanently frozen
Does not promote the growth of vegetation

11. Polar Biome
Organism Examples: polar bears, penguins, seals, some species of algae

12. Tundra Biome Tundra – treeless plains with cold temperatures
Most freshwater comes from melting snow/ice rather than precipitation
Location Examples: Alaska, Canada, Russia
Nearly all tundras are located in the Northern Hemisphere

13. Tundra Biome
Soil – permafrost in winter, short growing season once ground thaws in summer
Soil can only support the growth of small plants (not trees)

14. Tundra Biome
Organism Examples: caribou, foxes, rabbits, mosses, lichen
Lichen

15. Taiga (Boreal) Forest Biome
Taiga – cold temperatures, moderate precipitation with coniferous (evergreen) trees
Very cold winters and warmer summers
Location Examples: Russia and Canada (directly south of the tundra)

16. Taiga (Boreal) Forest Biome
Soil – thick, fertile, able to support large evergreen trees
Organisms Examples: evergreen trees, lynxes, wolves, moose

17. Deciduous Forest Biome
Deciduous Forest – milder temperatures, moderate precipitation with deciduous trees
Deciduous – trees that lose their leaves in the fall
Cool winters and warm summers
Location Examples: Europe, China, Japan, eastern US (including North Carolina)

18. Deciduous Forest
Soil – thick, fertile, able to support a variety of plants
Organism Examples: deciduous trees (oak, maple, etc.), ferns, deer, squirrels

19. Tropical Rainforest Biome
Tropical Rainforest – high temperatures year-round, high amounts of precipitation
Location Examples: near the equator, Brazil, western Africa, southeastern Asia

20. Tropical Rainforest Biome
Soil – warm and wet environment leads to lots of chemical weathering, which washes away the soil’s nutrients
So, tropical soil is fairly infertile (doesn’t grow plants well)
Plants grow in the rainforest despite this because the climate also leads to the fast decay of dead organisms, which replaces nutrients

21. Tropical Rainforest Biome
Organism Examples: ferns, orchids, sloths, jaguars, anteaters, monkeys, anacondas

22. Grassland Biome
Grasslands (prairies, savannas) – mild temperatures with enough precipitation to support grasses, but not enough for trees
Location Examples: temperate climates in the interiors of continents; located just beyond the tropics; central Africa, Great Plains of the US

23. Grassland Biome
Organism Examples: grasses, lion, cheetah, elephant, baboon, hyena, ostrich

24. Desert Biome
Desert – arid (rain is uncommon) with large temperature difference (hot days, cold nights)
Location Examples: northern Africa, Australia, southwestern US
Soil: light-colored, coarse, high salt levels, supports little vegetation

25. Desert Biome
Organism Examples: cactus, tortoise, rattlesnake, roadrunner, hawk, kangaroo rat
Most desert organisms have adapted to living with limited water, and most animals are active at night when it’s cooler

26. Aquatic Biomes Freshwater Biome
Location Examples – lakes, ponds, streams
Organism Examples: fish (trout, salmon, bass), frogs, otters, ducks, turtles

27. Aquatic Biomes Marine (Saltwater) Biome
Location Examples: oceans, coral reefs, estuaries
Organism Examples: fish (angler fish, tuna, clownfish), octopus, jellyfish, kelp, sea turtles

28. Biomes of North America
Color each area as directed and determine its biome based on location and description.
The whole map should be colored when done.
Answer the analysis questions and turn in to basket.
This is INDIVIDUAL work. There is no need to collaborate.
Use your notes to help you.