1. Which ecosystem? 1. Low temperature range and high rainfall 2. Little vegetation can live in this biome due to the temperatures that exist 3. Animals must be highly adapted to live in these extreme cold temperatures 4. This is where we find many of the great game parks such as the Masaii Mara Game reserve in Kenya

2. Ecosystem By the end of the lesson you will; 1) Be able to explain the main features of the Taiga 2) Be able to explain how the conditions lead to a distinct biome 3) Be able to explain how conditions in tropical rainforests lead to distinct biomes 4) Have applied your new knowledge

3. Describing the Taiga Task 1. Watch the following video TrailerTrailer 2. What are the key features of the Taiga? Extension; What do you think the main challenges of living in this environment are?

4. Ecosystem By the end of the lesson you will; 1) Be able to explain the main features of the Taiga 2) Be able to explain how the conditions lead to a distinct biome 3) Be able to explain how conditions in tropical rainforests lead to distinct biomes 4) Have applied your new knowledge

5. Key Features; Task 1. How does each factor impact on the plants 2. Explain your answer in the box below Key FeatureImpact on plants Low top temperaturesPlants do not grow fast and so remain small and close to the ground Most precipitation in Winter falls as snow Plants are small due to a short growing season The soil is not very fertilePlants grow very slowly as they are not getting many nutrients There are few trees so little protection from the wind Plants will not grow tall so ensure that they are protected from the wind

6. Ecosystem By the end of the lesson you will; 1) Be able to explain the main features of the Taiga 2) Be able to explain how the conditions lead to a distinct biome 3) Be able to explain how conditions in tropical rainforests lead to distinct biomes 4) Have applied your new knowledge

7. How much can you remember? Nutrient cycle in Taiga Dead plants and branches fall from trees and land on the ground Decomposers such as bacteria and insects break down the material The litter takes a long time to break down as it is very cold Nutrients from the decomposed matter will return to the soil The plants will have shallow roots to allow them to take in the nutrients And the process will then start again

8. The water-cycle in the RainforestRainforest Task 1 1. Read through the following statements 2. Put them in the correct order to explain the water cycle 3. Draw a daigram to show the key processes The morning sun heats the ground There is a large amount of water vapor in the air The warm air starts to rise as a bubble of water vapor The clouds continue to develop to a height of between 2500 and 3500m This will in turn heat the air around it The warm air is fed by more warm air called thermals This means that condensation will occur at a low level Eventually there is too much water in the clouds leading to rain This means that clouds will be formed between 600m and 800m If the warm air is forced to rise over a mountain, warm moist air condenses to form cloud forests Key Question; Which of the following will happen during the morning? Key Question; Which of the following will happen in the afternoon?

9. Water movement in forests; The canopy of the rainforest catches the rain (interception) Rain hitting the ground will cause soil erosion Some water is run down the step – stem flow Leaf drip will reduce the amount of soil erosion in the rainforest Water that is on the leaves may be evaporated Drips from the leaf are called leaf drop The roots of the trees are shallow The roots take in water and nutrients Stem flowLeaf drip Evaporation from the soilWater is lost through pores in the leaf called transpiration Interception storageEvapotranspiration PrecipitationSurface storage in puddles Task 1.Add labels in to the correct section of the tree 2.Explain how water moves in the rainforest

10. Ecosystem By the end of the lesson you will; 1) Be able to explain the main features of the Taiga 2) Be able to explain how the conditions lead to a distinct biome 3) Be able to explain how conditions in tropical rainforests lead to distinct biomes 4) Have applied your new knowledge

11. Applying your new knowledge Task You are going to work in a group of 3 You need to try and get through as many questions as possible Choose how many points you want You have 5 minutes to answer as many questions as possible Good luck Points 1.Name 3 decomposers in a food chainWhat is drip flow? 2.Explain one path that rain can travel as it arrives on a tree What type of rainfall do we get in Rainforests? 3.Where do we find rainforests? And explain why the climate is like this Why do you get deserts at 30 degrees north? 4Describe and explain 3 different methods to reduce the impacts of low pressure systems Describe and explain 3 different ways that high pressure systems can be reduced 5.Explain the impacts of a low pressure system on different groups of people (at least 3) Why do you think that tropical rainforest are in danger of being destroyed

12. Written Application; Task Describe the different factors that will affect the formation of a Biome (5) CriteriaAchieved? Student has named one factor Student has explain how the factors will impact on the biome Student has named a second factor Student has explain how this factor will impact on the biome Student has used good geographical terminology in their answers

13. Ecosystem By the end of the lesson you will; 1) Be able to explain the main features of the Taiga 2) Be able to explain how the conditions lead to a distinct biome 3) Be able to explain how conditions in tropical rainforests lead to distinct biomes 4) Have applied your new knowledge

14. The morning sun heats the ground There is a large amount of water vapor in the air The warm air starts to rise as a bubble of water vapor The clouds continue to develop to a height of between 2500 and 3500m This will in turn heat the air around it The warm air is fed by more warm air called thermals This means that condensation will occur at a low level Eventually there is too much water in the clouds leading to rain This means that clouds will be formed between 600m and 800m If the warm air is forced to rise over a mountain, warm moist air condenses to form cloud forests Key Question; Which of the following will happen during the morning? Key Question; Which of the following will happen in the afternoon? The canopy of the rainforest catches the rain (interception)Rain hitting the ground will cause soil erosion Some water is run down the step – stem flowLeaf drip will reduce the amount of soil erosion in the rainforest Water that is on the leaves may be evaporatedDrips from the leaf are called leaf drop The roots of the trees are shallowThe roots take in water and nutrients Stem flowLeaf drip Evaporation from the soilWater is lost through pores in the leaf called transpiration Interception storageEvapotranspiration PrecipitationSurface storage in puddles