Biomes

Question 1

What is a biome?

Answer 1

large regions of Earth whose distribution depends on the amount of rainfall and temperature in the area

Question 2

How many biomes are there and what are they?

Answer 2

7; Marine, Tropical Rainforest, Desert, Temperate Grassland, Temperate Deciduous Forest, Conifer Forest/Taiga, Tundra

Question 3

What is the largest biome?

Answer 3

Marine; 3/4 of Earth

Question 4

What is the most stable biome and why?

Answer 4

Marine; high specific heat of water

Question 5

Which biome provides most of Earth’s food and oxygen?

Answer 5

Marine

Question 6

How is the marine biome subdivided?

Answer 6

amount of sunlight received, distance from shore and water depth, open water vs ocean bottom

Question 7

Which oceans are nutrient-poor?

Answer 7

Open oceans

Question 8

Where is the tropical rainforest biome found?

Answer 8

near the equator

Question 9

What are the characteristics of a tropical rainforest?

Answer 9

abundant rainfall, stable temperatures, high humidity, 20% of Earth’s net carbon fixation

Question 10

Which biome has the greatest plant and animal species diversity?

Answer 10

Tropical Rainforest

Question 11

What are the characteristics of trees in tropical rainforests?

Answer 11

very tall with interlacing tops to form a dense canopy that keeps the floor dimly lit and away from heavy rain

Question 12

What are the trees in tropical rainforests covered with?

Answer 12

Epiphytes = photosynthetic plants that grow on other trees and may kill them (however not parasitic)

Question 13

Which biome receives <10 inches of rainfall per year?

Answer 13

Desert

Question 14

Which biome has the most extreme temperature fluctuations?

Answer 14

Desert; boiling during day and freezing during the night

Question 15

When are animals most active in the desert?

Answer 15

Night/Early Morning/Late Afternoon when the heat is not so intense, burrow underground or hide in shade to remain cool

Question 16

What are the characteristics of cacti?

Answer 16

have shallow roots to capture as much water as possible, drought-resistant, expand to hold extra water, have spines to protect against animals

Question 17

What are the characteristic plants of a desert?

Answer 17

Cacti, sagebrush, creosote bush, and mesquite

Question 18

What are the characteristic animals of a desert?

Answer 18

Rodents, kangaroo rats, snakes, lizards, arachnids, insects, and a few birds

Question 19

What does the temperate grasslands biome cover?

Answer 19

Huge areas in both temperate and tropical regions of the world

Question 20

What are the characteristics of a temperate grassland?

Answer 20

low annual rainfall, uneven seasonal occurence of rainfall

Question 21

What are the characteristic animals of a temperate grassland?

Answer 21

Bison/Pronghorn Antelope (US), wildbeest/gazelle (Africa), prarie dogs, rodents

Question 22

Where is the temperate deciduous forest biome found?

Answer 22

Northeast of North America, south of taiga

Question 23

What are the characteristics of the temperate deciduous forest?

Answer 23

trees drop their leaves in winter, vertical stratification of plants and animals, rich soil

Question 24

What species does a temperate deciduous forest have more than taiga?

Answer 24

plant species

Question 25

What are the characteristic mammals of temperate deciduous forests?

Answer 25

squirrels, deer, foxes, bears

Question 26

Where is the taiga biome found?

Answer 26

Northern Canada, much of the world's northern regions

Question 27

Which biome is the largest terrestrial biome?

Answer 27

Taiga

Question 28

Which biome has an abundance of rainfall with very cold winters?

Answer 28

Taiga

Question 29

What are the characteristics of the taiga?

Answer 29

Dominated by conifer forests (spruce, fir), dotted with lakes/ponds/bogs

Question 30

What is a special characteristic of trees in the taiga and why?

Answer 30

Trees have branches directed downward to prevent the heavy accumulation of snow since taiga has heavy snowfall

Question 31

Taiga has a greater variety in which species than which biome?

Answer 31

Animal species; Tundra

Question 32

What are the characteristic animals of taiga?

Answer 32

moose, black bear, lynx, elk, wolverines, martens, porcupines

Question 33

Which animals are prevalent in the summer in the taiga?

Answer 33

Flying insects and birds

Question 34

Where is the tundra biome found?

Answer 34

Northern parts of North America, Europe, and Asia

Question 35

What is permafrost and where is it found?

Answer 35

Found in the tundra; permanently frozen subsoil

Question 36

What are the characteristics of the tundra?

Answer 36

frozen desert, very little rainfall, rolling treeless plains, many lakes/ponds/bogs in depresions

Question 37

What are the characteristic animals of the tundra?

Answer 37

Insects (flies), reindeer, caribou, arctic wolves, arctic foxes, arctic hares, lemmings, and polar bears

Question 38

Important Tundra Fact:

Answer 38

of individual organisms is high, # of species is low