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BIOME
Forthecompleteencyclopedicentrywithmediaresources,visit:
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Abiomeisanareaoftheplanetthatcanbeclassifiedaccordingtotheplants
andanimalsthatliveinit.Temperature,soil,andtheamountoflightandwater
helpdeterminewhatlifeexistsinabiome.
Abiomeisdifferentfromanecosystem.Anecosystemistheinteractionofliving
andnonlivingthingsinanenvironment.Abiomeisaspecificgeographicarea
notableforthespecieslivingthere.Abiomecanbemadeupofmany
ecosystems.Forexample,anaquaticbiomecancontainecosystemssuchas
coralreefsandkelpforests.
Notallscientistsclassifybiomesinthesameway.Someusebroad
classificationsandcountasfewasfivebiomes.Theseareforest,grassland,
freshwater,marine,desert,andtundra.
Otherscientistsusemorepreciseclassificationsandlistdozensofdifferent
biomes.Forexample,theyconsiderdifferentkindsofforeststobedifferent
biomes.Tropicalrainforeststhatarewarmandwetyear-roundareonebiome.
Temperatedeciduousforests—thosethathavecoldwinters,warmsummers,
andaredominatedbytreesthatlosetheirleaves—areadifferentbiome.Taiga
forests,whichareincoldregionsandaredominatedbycone-bearingfirsand
spruces,areyetanotherbiome.
Boundariesbetweenbiomesarenotalwayssharplydefined.Forinstance,there
aresometimestransitionzonesbetweengrasslandandforestbiomes.Coasts
andwetlandsaretransitionzonesbetweenterrestrialandaquaticbiomes.
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Biomesmoveastheclimatechanges.Tenthousandyearsago,partsofNorth
Africawerelushlandscapescutbyflowingrivers.Hippopotamuses,giraffes,and
crocodileslivedamidabundanttrees.Gradually,theclimatedriedout.Today,
thisregionispartoftheSaharaDesert,theworld'slargestdesert.
Vocabulary
Term
Partof
Definition
Speech
abundant
adjective
amid
prepositioninthemiddleof.
aquatic
adjective
biome
noun
broad
adjective
wideorexpansive.
classify
verb
toidentifyorarrangebyspecifictypeorcharacteristic.
climate
noun
coast
noun
coralreef
noun
deciduous
adjective
desert
noun
ecosystem noun
environmentnoun
fir
forest
noun
noun
inlargeamounts.
havingtodowithwater.
areaoftheplanetwhichcanbeclassifiedaccordingto
theplantandanimallifeinit.
allweatherconditionsforagivenlocationoveraperiod
oftime.
edgeoflandalongtheseaorotherlargebodyofwater.
rockyoceanfeaturesmadeupofmillionsofcoral
skeletons.
typeofplantthatshedsitsleavesonceayear.
areaoflandthatreceivesnomorethan25centimeters
(10inches)ofprecipitationayear.
communityandinteractionsoflivingandnonlivingthings
inanarea.
conditionsthatsurroundandinfluenceanorganismor
community.
varietyofpinetree.
ecosystemfilledwithtreesandunderbrush.
freshwater noun
waterthatisnotsalty.
grassland
ecosystemwithlarge,flatareasofgrasses.
noun
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Term
Partof
Definition
Speech
kelpforest noun
underwaterhabitatfilledwithtallseaweedsknownas
kelp.
lush
adjective
abundantandrich.
marine
adjective
havingtodowiththeocean.
network
noun
precise
adjective
rainforest
noun
Sahara
seriesoflinksalongwhichmovementorcommunication
cantakeplace.
exact.
areaoftall,mostlyevergreentreesandahighamount
ofrainfall.
noun
world'slargestdesert,innorthAfrica.
soil
noun
toplayeroftheEarth'ssurfacewhereplantscangrow.
spruce
noun
coniferous,orcone-bearing,tree.
taiga
noun
Desert
temperaturenoun
terrestrial
transition
zone
evergreenforestincool,northernlatitudes.Alsocalled
borealforest.
degreeofhotnessorcoldnessmeasuredbya
thermometerwithanumericalscale.
adjective
havingtodowiththeEarthordryland.
noun
areabetweentwonaturalorartificialregions.
existinginthetropics,thelatitudesbetweentheTropic
tropical
adjective
ofCancerinthenorthandtheTropicofCapricorninthe
south.
tundra
noun
wetland
noun
cold,treelessregioninArcticandAntarcticclimates.
areaoflandcoveredbyshallowwaterorsaturatedby
water.
Articles&Profiles
UniversityofCalifornia:MuseumofPaleontology—TheWorld'sBiomes
Interactives
NASAEarthObservatory:MissionBiome
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Websites
WindowstotheUniverse:TheOceanBiome
MissouriBotanicGardens:BiomesoftheWorld
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