Download KEY Forest Biomes Deciduous Forests: Plants and animals in the

KEY
Forest Biomes
Deciduous Forests:
Plants and animals in the deciduous forest biomes have adapted to cold winters and
hot, rainy summers. The trees have broad leaves that gather a lot of light during
the growing season. Leaves form a canopy that blocks out much of the light.
Plants on the forest floor have adapted to decreased sunlight. In autumn, when
the amount of sunlight decreases, the leaves stop producing food for the trees,
change color and drop to the ground. When this happens, the forest loses its
canopy. This happens so that the leaves won’t gather snow and the branches won’t
break. In the spring, before the canopy returns, many smaller plants use the extra
sunlight to grow rapidly on the forest floor.
Coniferous Forests:
Organisms in coniferous forests must be able to survive long, very cold winters.
Most of the trees in these forests have long, narrow, evergreen leaves, often
called needles. These leaves have a waxy coating that decrease water loss in the
winter, when frozen grounds keep trees from getting water. Conifers produce
cones instead of flowers. The shape of conifers is one adaptation to the cold,
snowy climate. The branches bend downward and snow falls off the trees before it
becomes heavy enough to break the branches. The needles usually are a dark color
that absorbs the maximum amount of heat from the Sun, and they do not fall off
the trees in winter. Because summers are short, this allows the plant to start
photosynthesis as early in the spring as possible.
Rain Forests:
The tropical rain forests make up a hot, wet biome located near the equator. In
this climate, plants grow all year round, with no dormant period. The temperature
never drops below freezing. The rain forests grow in layers. Many plants under
the canopy have huge leaves to capture as much sunlight as possible. Some plants,
such as orchids and bromeliads, live in trees, collecting nutrients from small
pockets of decaying leaves. The bottom layer of the rain forests have very few
plants because so little light reaches the forest floor. The hot, moist environment
is the perfect place for fungi, bacteria and other microorgainisms.
Forest Biomes Guided Notes
Deciduous Forests:
Plants and animals in the ________________ forest biomes have _____________ to
___________ winters and _______, rainy summers. The trees have ___________
leaves that gather a lot of ______________during the growing season. Leaves form a
_____________ that blocks out much of the light. Plants on the forest _____________
have adapted to decreased _____________. In autumn, when the amount of
_______________ decreases, the leaves ______________ producing food for the
trees, change color and drop to the ground. When this happens, the forest loses its
______________. This happens so that the leaves won’t gather _____________ and
the branches won’t ________________. In the spring, before the canopy
______________, many smaller plants use the extra _______________ to grow
_____________ on the forest floor.
Coniferous Forests:
Organisms in __________________ forests must be able to survive long, very
_____________ winters. Most of the trees in these forests have long, narrow,
________________ leaves, often called needles. These leaves have a ___________
coating that _______________ water loss in the winter, when frozen grounds keep trees
from getting _______________. Conifers produce cones instead of flowers. The
___________________ of conifers is one adaptation to the cold, snowy
___________________. The branches bend ______________ and snow falls off the
trees before it becomes heavy enough to ______________ the branches. The needles
usually are a ____________ color that ___________________ the maximum amount of
______________ from the Sun, and they do not fall off the trees in winter. Because
_______________ are short, this allows the plant to start ________________ as early
in the spring as possible.
Rain Forests:
The tropical rain ______________ make up a hot, wet biome located near the
_______________. In this climate, plants grow all _____________ round, with no
__________________ period. The temperature never drops below ______________.
The rain forests grow in _______________. Many plants under the canopy have
__________ leaves to _________________ as much ____________________as
possible. Some plants, such as _______________ and bromeliads, live in
_______________, collecting ______________________ from small pockets of
decaying leaves. The __________________ layer of the rain forests have very few
plants because so little _________________ reaches the forest floor. The hot, moist
environment is the perfect place for ______________, _________________ and other
microorgainisms.