Download Forest Biomes

Forest Biomes
1. What are the three main types of
forest biomes?
• Tropical Rain Forest
• Temperate Forest
– Temperate Rain Forest
– Temperate Deciduous Forest
• Taiga
2. The precipitation in a forest
biome needs to be __________.
• The precipitation in a forest biome needs to
be high.
Tropical Rain Forest
3. How much rainfall do tropical
rain forests receive in a year?
• 200 to 450 cm of rain a year
4. Tropical rain forests are located
near the ______________.
• Tropical rain forests are located near the
equator.
5. What is the climate like in a tropical
rain forest?
• Very Hot and Wet
6. What types of organisms are responsible
for the nutrients in the soil of a tropical
rain forest?
• There is a very little amount of nutrients in the soil.
Most plants get their nutrients by keeping their
roots close to the surface of the soil. When
decomposing material touches the roots they get
the nutrients directly from this material.
7. Look at the map on page 157. Which
two months had the least amount of
precipitation?
• August and September
8. What was the temperature of those
two months?
• About 25° C
9. Which two months had the highest
temperature?
• May and June
10. What was the precipitation during
those months?
• About 27 cm
11. List the four layers found within a
tropical rain forest.
• 1. Understory-Area below the canopy, very
little light reaches here
• 2. Lower Canopy- Part of the Primary Layer,
Receives less light than the upper canopy
• 3. Upper Canopy- Part of the Primary Layer,
Receives more light than the lower canopy
• 4. Emergent Layer- The top layer of the rain
forest.
12. What kinds of plants would you
expect to see in the emergent layer?
• Very tall trees that require direct sunlight
• tall as skyscrapers. The tops of the trees are
shaped like umbrellas and they grow on long,
thin trunks.
13. Which layer is the primary layer?
• Canopy
• The trees form a green roof over the forest
below. This roof is like an umbrella or canopy.
The canopy is the busiest part of the
rainforest. The leaves, flowers and fruit that
grow there provide food for monkeys, birds,
insects and other animals.
14. What kind of plants would be
found in the lower canopy?
• Shorter trees that can survive with little light.
15. What kind of plants would be
found in the understory?
• Trees or shrubs adapted to shade
16. Which layer is most of the animal
life found?
• Canopy because most of the flowers and fruits
grow there.
17. What two medicines can we make from
the plant Rosy periwinkle, found in the
tropical rain forest?
• vinblastine and vincristine
18. What are these two medications
used to treat?
• Cancer -Vinblastine to treat Hodgkin’s disease
–Vincristine to treat Childhood Leukemia
19. What percentage of the earth is
currently covered by tropical rain forests?
• Less than 7 percent
20. What did that percentage used to be?
• 20 percent
21. What is the biggest threat to
tropical rain forests?
• Humans
22. What are three reasons that
humans destroy tropical rain forests?
• Food
• Building Materials
• Trading of animals or
plants only found in
the rain forest
Temperate Rain Forest
23. What three areas can temperate
rain forests be found?
• North America
• Australia
• New Zealand
24. What is the climate like in a
temperate rain forest?
• High precipitation, High Humidity, and
Moderate Temperatures
25. Where is the only temperate rain
forests in North America located?
• Pacific Northwest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
26. Name four trees that can be found
in a temperate deciduous forest?
• Tall trees
• Small trees
• Shrubs
• Herbs
27. What happens to the leaves in a
temperate deciduous forest?
• In the fall they are shed from the trees.
28. What latitudes can deciduous
forests be found?
• Between 30° and 50° N
29. Name three types of trees that can
be found in a deciduous forest.
• Maple
• Oak
• Birch
30. Why do more plants grow on the floor
of a deciduous forest than in a tropical rain
forest?
• The floor of a decidous forest gets more light
than the floor of a rain forest does.
31. How long is the growing season in
a deciduous forest?
• Four to six months
32. Look at the map on page 162, what
months have the highest temperature
and precipitation?
• June, July, and August
33. What happens to the birds in a
deciduous forest?
• They are migratory. They cannot survive harsh
winters and fly south for the winter where
food is available.
Taiga
34. Where would a taiga biome be found?
• Broad band across the Northern Hemisphere
just below the Arctic Circle
35. How long are winters in the taiga?
• 6 to 10 months
36. What types of trees are found in a
taiga? (deciduous/confierous)
• Coniferous
37. What are two reasons that plant
growth is most abundant in the
summer months on the taiga?
• Nearly constant daylight and larger amounts
of precipitation
38. What is a conifer?
• A tree with needle-like leaves and seeds that
develop in cones.
39. How is this tree different than the
trees in a deciduous forest?
• Deciduous forest trees have normal broad
leaves.
40. How does the shape of a conifer
benefit it for its surroundings?
• It is shaped like a cone to prevent snow from
building up on the branches which would
break the branches from weight.
41. What do conifer needles do to the
soil in the taiga?
• They make the soil acidic which prevents
other plants from growing.