Download Biome A Biome B

Biome Information Cards
Biome A
This biome resembles a frozen-over prairie land. It is located in the northern
hemisphere, encircling the North Pole and on the Antarctic peninsula in the
southern hemisphere. During the winter season the temperature can typically be as
cold as –50° F. Because the weather is so harsh, trees cannot grow here and plants
grow close to the ground. Plants in this biome include low shrubs, mosses, lichens,
grasses, and wildflowers.
Some of the characteristics of this biome are the cold climate, low-growing
vegetation, short growing seasons, short summers, and limited drainage.
Although the weather is harsh, animals still manage to thrive. During the brief
summer, insects hatch out of eggs which were frozen in the top soil. These insects
become food for birds such as hawks and ravens. Mammals such as the arctic hare,
mink, weasel, wolf, wolverine, brown bear, vole, and reindeer wander this land.
Other animals that are commonly seen on the ice pack and coastal areas include the
polar bear, walrus, and arctic fox.
Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm
Biome B
This biome has forests that are highly seasonal with warm summers and cold
winters. The leaves of trees in this region change color and drop in the fall. Most of
the trees become bare in the winter. This biome also has rainfall amounts from 28–
60 inches per year and it covers large areas of the United States.
The wood of the trees in this biome is used for constructing houses and other
buildings in addition to being burned as firewood and used in creative artwork.
The decline and loss of these forests in this biome in many parts of the world are the
result of humans clearing land for farming and building. Animals in this biome
include chipmunks, grey squirrels, and foxes. Some of the plants include oak trees,
maple trees, wildflowers, and poison ivy.
Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm
Biome C
This biome is the largest of all the biomes on Earth and is divided into three parts:
ocean, coral reefs, and estuaries. There are millions species of aquatic animals that
live in this biome. Just a few examples are: the blue whale, sea otters, sea turtles,
crabs, squid, and fish. There are several million species of algae and aquatic plants.
The species of plants and animals that can be found depends on factors such as the
depth of the water, amount of oxygen that is available, and water temperature.
Subtle temperature changes in this biome also affect the climate over land. The
ocean currents affect coastal areas as the temperature of the air coincides with the
temperature of the water.
This biome also includes islands, such as the Hawaiian Islands, which were created
from the lava of giant underwater volcanoes. At one time these islands were
connected to a larger land mass.
Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm
Biome D
Rainfall is almost non-existent in this biome. The plants in this location can survive
without moisture for extremely long periods of time. Some of the characteristics of
the plants are thick, waxy leaves, large root systems, and water storage systems like
in the cactus.
The animals which live in this dry biome are usually light-colored and use
camouflage to blend into their environment. Many of them are nocturnal. Their
activity at night helps them to avoid the sweltering heat. During the day they often
lay in burrows or under rocks. Animals in this biome include jackrabbits, kangaroo
rats, owls, snakes, lizards, and tortoises. The types of plants depend on the location,
but they include: sagebrush, Joshua trees, Saguaro cacti, and mesquite trees.
Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm
Biome E
Trees that carry cones are spread throughout this biome. These trees expend a lot of
energy to grow their leaves. Some of the trees have needles which look tempting to
grazing animals. The animals refrain from consuming the needles of these trees
because of a chemical that resides within them; however, they enjoy the blueberries
and other shrubs that may grow there.
Snow falls in the winter and the days can be as short as six hours during that season.
Rainfall is reasonably high and is spread throughout the course of the year.
During the cold winter months, some animals hibernate or grow extra layers of fat
or fur to keep them warm. Animals such as wood bison, black bear, caribou, wolves,
ground squirrels, and bald eagles live in this biome. As days become longer in
summer, plant life thrives in the milder weather.
Many human activities affect the ecosystems in this biome. Humans gather food by
fishing, hunting, and trapping. Other activities that occur in these areas are tourism,
mining, oil and gas extractions, and forestry.
http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ccforest.htm
Biome F
Depending on where you live this biome, it can also be known as a prairie, steppe,
pampas, or veldt.
Because the summers are so hot, the plants often turn a crispy golden brown color.
During the winter the land is cold and the winds move swiftly over the open plains.
The rainfall in some parts of the region is so sparse that it will not support the
growth of trees. Regions where there is more rain have tall grasses. The tall grasses
are maintained with the help of the change of the seasons and wildfires help keep
the biome balanced. If wildfires did not wipe out the tall meadows the land would
become covered in shrubs. The wildfires not only control the growth of plants in this
biome, but they also help to keep the land healthy which facilitates the new growth
of vegetation. Animal grazers such as bison, deer, and horses also help keep the
plant growth under control. Besides the tall grasses that grow here, wildflowers
display the colors of the rainbow every spring.
http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm
Biome G
While this biome makes up only three percent of the Earth’s surface, it is needed to
support life on Earth.
This biome is made up of two main types: flowing-water ecosystems (lotic) and
standing-water ecosystems (lentic). Examples of lotic ecosystems are rivers, creeks,
and brooks. Examples of lentic ecosystems are ponds and lakes.
This biome can be described using the following characteristics: depth, flow,
temperature, and water chemistry. These factors affect the organisms that live in
the biome.
Examples of organisms that live in this biome include algae, lily pads, fishes, snakes,
beavers, otters, frogs, salamanders, and many species of insects and migratory
birds.
www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomewater.htm
Biome H
This biome is sometimes called the “lungs of the planet,” because 40% of our oxygen
is made available by the plants there. This biome is located in Central and South
America, Southeast Asia and West Africa. Approximately 4–8 meters of rain falls
annually and approximately half of the earth’s animal species live within this biome
and 200 different species of trees have been found here.
Many kinds of animals call this biome their home, such as: African forest elephants,
dawn bats, and Bengal tigers. Plant life in this biome includes bamboo, coconut
trees, kapok trees, and certain kinds of fig trees.
Many of the forests are at risk. Every sixty seconds an area the size of fifty football
fields of forests is destroyed. Of all the world's forests, it is these that face the
greatest threat from mankind.
http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm
BIOME I
This biome has been called the rainforests of the ocean because of its rich biodiversity.
The average water temperature cannot be less than about 18-20 degrees Celsius. For this reason,
this biome is generally found between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the Equator.
They are almost exclusively found in tropical and sub-tropical waters across the globe. Since
there is no shortage of sunlight, nutrients soon become the limiting factor for primary producers.
So the waters around this biome are in fact relatively nutrient poor. Yet still, they support this
incredible diversity of life.
One of the main animals is coral. Corals are small animals that belong to the phylum
Cnidaria together with anemones, jellyfish and hydroids. Corals build the framework of this
biome. You can also find Sharks, Butterfly fish, Nudibranchs, Sea stars, Cuttlefish, and
Clownfish. But also even some reptiles such as turtles and sea snakes. All in all there are
thousands of animals that make this biome their home. Plants would include many types of algae
(which can form sea weeds) and various sea grasses that help to support the ecosystem.
Info from: http://www.untamedscience.com/biology/biomes/
BIOME J
This biome is said to have a Mediterranean climate. This biome covers regions of Earth
that people pay big bucks to live in! The weather is always beautiful, no matter the season. This
biome has mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. In the winter, this biome typically see
about 5-25 cm of precipitation and 40°-65° F temperatures. During the summer, the driest part
of the season, they see very little precipitation (~0-5 cm), and 60°-85° F days.
Here you will find short, dense, and scrubby vegetation. The reason they look like this is
because short, dense and scrubby vegetation can survive very well in dry habitats. This is called a
drought-resistant strategy for survival. The plants are uniquely adapted to live in dry climates,
where water conservation can be a matter of life and death. Examples of plants are the poison
oak, scrub oak, Yucca, various shrubs, and cacti .The animals are adapted to hot, dry weather.
There are also many small mammals, reptiles and insects. Examples include coyotes, jack
rabbits, mule deer, alligator lizards, horned toads, praying mantis, honey bees and ladybugs in
North America and wild goats, sheep, cattle, mouflon, horses, lynx, wild boar, rabbits, vultures
and eagles in Europe.
Info from: http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes.html and http://www.untamedscience.com/biology/biomes/
BIOME K
This biome comprised mostly of grasses and a few scattered trees. The biome covers half
the surface of Africa, large areas of Australia, South America, and India. The climate is usually
warm and temperatures range from 68° to 86°F (20 to 30°C). This biome exists in areas where
there is a 6 - 8 month wet summer season, and a 4 - 6 month dry winter season. The annual
rainfall is from 10 - 30 inches (25 - 75 cm) per year. During the dry season, lightning often strikes
the ground, igniting the dry grasses that cover it.
The area is dominated by grasses such as Rhodes grass, red oats grass, star grass, lemon
grass, and some shrubs. Most grass is coarse and grows in patches with interspersed areas of
bare ground and there are very few trees due to the lack of rainfall. Animals native to this biome
in Africa include African elephants, zebras, horses, and giraffes. Insects, small burrowing
animals, and birds also frequent this biome. Many animals in the biome are herbivores, which
means they eat plants, and there is plenty of grass in the biome. During the rainy months animals
thrive here, but the rainy season is only half the year.
Info from: http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes.html
BIOME L
These high-latitude areas are completely covered in ice that occurs in the polar regions of
Earth. These areas receive less solar energy from the sun and are therefore subject to low surface
temperatures, allowing ice caps to form. This area averages less than 10 inches of precipitation,
so technically it is a desert!
Conditions in this biome are too extreme to sustain life. Even bacteria, organisms known
to inhabit the most extreme of environments, are absent. However, the less extreme
(comparatively speaking) areas of the Arctic and Antarctic do support some forms of life. These
animals all share one thing in common: the ability to generate their own body heat. The birds
and mammals that inhabit the poles spend the majority of their time eating in order to obtain
enough calories to keep their body heat up. The Arctic is home to terrestrial mammals such as
foxes, polar bears, caribou, ground squirrels, wolves, wolverines, ermines, and musk oxen. There
are also marine mammals (walruses, seals, and whales) and a variety of raptors and seabirds.
The Antarctic is home to penguins, a few seabirds, and seals. Some areas there have plant life
such as moss and lichen.
Info from: http://www.untamedscience.com/biology/biomes/ & https://sites.google.com/site/climatetypes/
BIOME M
They are found all over the world in lowland areas or along rivers, lakes, and streams.
Some are temporary and seasonal. They occur for a few weeks at a time and then disappear until
they are refilled with water. Others are always under water. This area can be made of
freshwater, saltwater, or a combination of the two. It acts as a filter that purifies or cleans
surface water. It acts like sponges by holding flood waters and keeping rivers at normal levels.
This biome occurs naturally on every continent except Antarctica. The main types include
swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens.
Plants included in this biome are shrubs, cattails, bulrush, seagrasses, eelgrass, and arrow
arum, which is a floating vegetation. Forested versions of this can also have trees like black
spruce, cypress and mangroves. This biome has characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants.
Animals could include the American Alligator, American Bittern, Herons, Common Snipe,
raccoons, possums, birds, frogs, Amphibians, Walking Catfish, insects, fish, rabbits, moose, and
bears.
Info from: http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/wetlands/index.htm