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Biome Test Study Guide
Vocabulary to Know:
Permafrost: soil that stays permanently frozen
Conifer tree: tree that produces seeds in cones and keep their needles (form of leaves)
Deciduous tree: tree that loses its leaves in the fall
Climate: the weather / rainfall / temperature of an area (*most important climatic factor)
Desertification: the creation of desert conditions
Facts to Know:
Permafrost prevents large trees from putting roots into the ground. (*found in the tundra)
The needles of a conifer tree have a waxy covering to prevent them from freezing and losing water.
The coniferous forest is also called the Taiga because the ground is spongy and soggy in the spring (like a swamp
forest).
The trees in a deciduous forest lose their leaves in the fall to prevent water loss and freezing.
The Tropical Rain Forest has more variety of plant and animal life than any other land biome because of mild,
consistent temperatures and a large amount of rainfall.
The Grassland has few trees because of low rainfall, fires, and grazing animals.
The Grassland is also called savanna, plains, and steepes.
The plants in the Desert have widespread roots close to the ground to absorb water quickly.
The fleshy stems of the plants in the Desert allow plants to store water.
Recognize the characteristics of each biome: (these will be used in multiple choice questions)
--Precipitation (amount and kind) and Temperature
--Plants
--Animals
Tropical Rain Forest
At least 200 cm yearly
Rain
20 C to 33 C
(68 F to 91.4 F)
Orchids, ferns, woody vines, tall broadleafed trees, fig, banana tree, lipstick tree,
moss, liverworts
Ocelots, boa constrictors, monkeys, jaguar,
ants, beetles, centipedes, toucans, spiders,
frogs, macaw, parakeet, sloth
Tundra
Less than 25 cm yearly
Rain and snow
Rarely above 0 C (freezing)
(32 F)
Lichens, mosses, dwarf willow, birches,
grass, arctic poppy, blue lupine, fungi,
cotton grass,
Musk oxen, lemmings, caribou, wolves,
arctic fox, field mouse, ground squirrel,
ptarmigans
Grassland
25 cm to 75 cm yearly
Rain
-35 C to 30 C
(31 F to 86 F)
Acacia trees (thorny trees), variety of short and
tall grasses, grains
Desert
Less than 25 cm
Rain
0 C to 32 C
(32 F to 89.6 F)
Aloe plant, organ-pipe cactus, evening
primroses, Mexican Golden Poppies,
Mesquite, Saguaro cactus
Giraffes, antelope, zebra, ostriches, bison,
Lizards, rodents, sidewider, chameleon,
prairie dog, eagles, snakes, vulture, mice, rats,
camel, roadrunner, kangaroo rat, cottontail,
elephants, lions, cheetahs, hawks
scorpion, knit fox, gila woodpecker, desert
tortoise, mule deer, coyote, bobcat
Coniferous Forest
Deciduous Forest
50 cm (average)
75 to 125 cm per year
Rain and snow
Rain and snow
Approximately -30 C to 20 C
-20 C to 35 C
(-22 F to 68 F)
(-4 F to 95 F)
Hemlock, spruce, fir, pine, conifer, evergreen, Oak, maple, hickory, beech, wild
bushes, ferns, shrubs
flowers, primrose, grasses, ferns,
shrubs
Moose, Canadian lynx, red squirrels, beavers,
Insects, spiders, snails, gray squirrel,
wolves, crossbill, warbler, gray jay, gray owl,
deer, raccoon, red fox, blue jay,
snowshoe hare, weasels, spruce grouse
thrush, frogs, ruffled grouse, snakes,
mice, salamanders, woodpeckers,
small mammals