Understanding Biomes

Understanding Biomes — page 1 — CHAPTER ONE What Are Biomes What is the climate like where you live Is it hot or cold dry or rainy Think about the animals and plants that are native to your area You might not have realized it but the climate where you live and the plants and animals that live there put your community in one of Earth's biomes Biomes are large regions on Earth with similar climates plants and animals The environmental conditions in a biome its temperature and precipitation determine which plants and animals can live there

Understanding Biomes — page 2 — Woolly spider monkeys of the tropical rainforest would not survive in the dry desert biome just as the antelope of the grasslands is not adapted to conditions in a tropical rainforest 5

Understanding Biomes — page 3 — Terrestrial biomes occur on land These include forests grasslands savannahs deserts and tundras Aquatic biomes are the freshwater and saltwater biomes Freshwater biomes include lakes ponds rivers streams and wetlands The largest biome on Earth however is composed of saltwater It is the oceans Together the oceans cover about 70 percent of Earth's surface The evaporation of seawater from aquatic saltwater biomes provides rainwater for the plants and animals living in land biomes The Everglades in Florida is called the River of Grass Both crocodiles and alligators inhabit its waters 6

Understanding Biomes — page 4 — Grasses and lichens grow on the arctic tundra Arctic Ocean Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean Indian Ocean Southern Ocean Desert air contains very little moisture so temperatures vary greatly from day to night Tropical rainforests remain warm all year long Because rainforests are so humid heat is retained in the air There is very little temperature change from day to night 7

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