Name
Section
Date
1.1
Biomes
Summary
Textbook pages 8–33
Before You Read
A biome includes large regions that have similar living and non-living components.
Tundra and desert are two examples of biomes. What other biomes can you name?
◆
What is a biome?
✏ Make Flash Cards
The biosphere is the thin layer of air, land, and water on or
near Earth’s surface where living things exist. A biome is the
largest division of the biosphere. Biomes are characterized by
their biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components.
For each biome, write a
question on one side of the
flash card. Write the answer
on the other side. Quiz yourself until you can answer all
the questions.
What are Earth’s biomes like?
Earth has eight terrestrial (land-based) biomes.
Biome
Main characteristics
tundra
■
■
boreal forest
■
■
temperate deciduous
forest
■
■
■
temperate rainforest
■
■
grassland
■
■
tropical rainforest
■
■
desert
■
■
permanent ice
■
■
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located in the upper northern hemisphere; very cold and dry
due to permanently frozen soil, plants are short and there are few trees
found in the far north; below freezing half the year
mainly coniferous (cone-bearing) trees
located in temperate regions, mostly eastern North America, eastern Asia, and western
Europe
trees lose their leaves in winter
large seasonal changes with four distinct seasons
found along coastlines where ocean winds drop large amounts of moisture
cool and very wet, allowing trees (mainly evergreens) to grow very tall
occurs in temperate and tropical regions
covered with grasses that have deep roots, which are well adapted for drought
found in a wide band around the equator
wet and warm year-round, allowing for the growth of a dense canopy of tall trees
occur in temperate and tropical regions; days are hot and nights are cold
rainfall is minimal and plants and animals are adapted to reduce water loss
includes the polar land masses and large polar ice caps
the few animals that live here are well insulated against the extreme cold
Biomes
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Section
Name
1.1
Date
Summary
continued
✔
●
How do abiotic factors influence the characteristics
and distribution of biomes?
What are the two main
abiotic factors that
influence the characteristics and distribution of
biomes?
Identical biomes are found in different parts of the world.
These biomes all have similar plants and animals (biotic
factors) because they have similar temperatures and
precipitation patterns (abiotic factors). Temperature and
precipitation are the main abiotic factors that influence the
characteristics and distribution of biomes. The following
factors influence temperature and precipitation:
◆ latitude
◆ elevation
◆ wind
✔
◆ ocean currents ●
How are organisms adapted to the specific
conditions of their biome?
Adaptations are characteristics that enable organisms to
better survive and reproduce. Organisms are specially adapted
for survival in the specific environmental conditions of their
biome. There are three types of adaptations:
◆ structural adaptations: physical parts or features of an
organism that enable it to survive and reproduce.
◆ physiological adaptations: a chemical or physical event
that takes place in the body of an organism to support its
ability to survive and reproduce
◆ behavioural adaptations: things that an organism
does (ways that it behaves) that enable it to survive and
reproduce. ●
✔
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Average Temperature (ºC)
Climate is the average pattern of weather conditions that
occur in a region over a period of years. Temperature and
precipitation are two important factors that determine climate.
A climatograph is a graph of climate data for a specific
region. A climatograph gives average temperature and
average total precipitation for each month.
Climatograph
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, 59ºN
25
180
160
15
140
120
5
100
–5
80
–15
60
40
–25
20
–35
0
J F M A MJ J A S O N D
Month
Average Precipitation (mm)
What are climatographs?
© 2008 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited
Reading Check
✔
●
List the three main types
of adaptations displayed by
organisms.
Section 1.1
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Name
Cloze
Activity
Section 1.1
Date
Use with textbook pages 8–28.
Biomes and ecosystems
Vocabulary
latitude
ocean currents
physiological
precipitation
structural
temperature
terrestrial
abiotic
adaptations
behavioural
biome
biotic
climatograph
elevation
Use the terms in the vocabulary box to fill in the blanks. Use each term only once.
1.
components are the living organisms in an environment, such
as plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.
2.
components are the non-living parts of an environment, such
as sunlight, soil, moisture, and temperature.
3. A
includes large regions that have similar biotic components
and abiotic components.
4. A
biome is land-based.
5.
and
are two important abiotic factors
that influence the characteristics of biomes and the distribution of biomes on Earth.
6.
is the distance measured in degrees north or south from the
equator.
7.
8.
is the height of a land mass above sea level.
are another abiotic factor that affects temperature and
precipitation and therefore influences the characteristics of biomes.
9. A
is a graph of climate data for a specific region and is
generated from data usually obtained over 30 years from local weather observation
stations.
10.
are characteristics that enable organisms to better survive and
reproduce.
11. A
adaptation is a physical feature of an organism’s body
having a specific function that contributes to the survival of the organism. A
adaptation is a physical or chemical event that occurs within
the body of an organism that enables survival. A
adaptation
refers to what an organism does to survive in the unique conditions of
its environment.
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Biomes
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Name
Applying
Knowledge
Section 1.1
Date
Use with textbook pages 20–28.
Various biomes
Complete the following table, describing the general locations and two to three
main physical features of the eight terrestrial biomes.
Biome
Location(s)
Physical features
tundra
boreal forest
temperate deciduous
forest
temperate rainforest
grassland (temperate and tropical)
tropical rainforest
desert (hot and cold)
hot desert:
cold desert:
permanent ice (polar ice)
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Section 1.1
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Name
Interpreting
Illustrations
Section 1.1
Date
Use with textbook pages 16–28.
Climatographs
Which world biomes are represented by the data in the following climatographs?
–15
–25
J F M A MJ J A S O N D
Month
–35
D
600
25
500
15
400
5
300
–5
200
–15
100
–25
0
–35
J F M A MJ J A S O N D
Month
Average Precipitation (mm)
C
Average Temperature (ºC)
Biome:
Average Precipitation (mm)
Biome:
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
E
F
35
25
15
5
–5
–15
J F MA MJ J A S O N D
Month
Average Temperature (ºC)
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
–25
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5
–5
–15
–25
J F M A MJ J A S O N D
Month
–35
25
15
5
⫺5
⫺15
⫺25
J F MA MJ J A S O N D
Month
⫺35
300
35
250
25
200
15
150
5
100
–5
50
–15
0
J F MA MJ J A S O N D
Month
–25
Biome:
Biome:
6
Average Precipitation (mm)
Biome:
Average Precipitation (mm)
Biome:
15
Average Temperature (ºC)
5
–5
25
Average Temperature (ºC)
15
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Average Temperature (ºC)
25
Average Temperature (ºC)
Average Precipitation (mm)
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Average Precipitation (mm)
B
A
Biomes
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Name
Use with textbook pages 8–28.
Biomes
Term
Descriptor
abiotic
adaptations
biome
biotic
climate
latitude
8. Which of the following is an abiotic
component of an environment?
A. algae
Match each Term on the left with the best
Descriptor on the right. Each Descriptor may only
be used once.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Assessment
Section 1.1
Date
A. the distance measured
in degrees north or
south from the equator
B. characteristics that
enable organisms to
better survive and
reproduce
C. relating to non-living
parts of an environment, such as sunlight,
soil, moisture, and
temperature
D. relating to the living
organisms, such as
plants, animals, fungi,
and bacteria
E. the largest division of
the biosphere
F. the average conditions
of the atmosphere in a
large region over
30 years
Circle the letter of the best answer.
7. A biome is best represented by a:
A. river
B. city
C. latitude
D. desert
B. sunlight
C. fungi
D. plants
9. Which of the following is a biotic
component of an ecosystem?
A. moisture
B. sand
C. bacteria
D. temperature
10. Which of the following is a characteristic
of the boreal forest biome?
A. below freezing half the year
B. long, hot summers
C. polar land masses
D. lots of precipitation
11. Which world biome is represented by a
climatograph that illustrates an average
precipitation of 300 cm in the month of
January?
A. grassland
B. tropical rainforest
C. permanent ice
D. temperate deciduous forest
12. Which world biome is represented by a
climatograph that illustrates an average
temperature of –25ºC in the month of July?
A. boreal forest
B. tropical rainforest
C. permanent ice
D. tundra
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