Biome Basics
What is a biome?
A large region with similar climate, plants, and animals.
What is climate?
The average weather in an area over a long time.
What does biotic mean?
Living or once-living parts of an ecosystem.
What is an adaptation?
A feature that helps an organism survive in its environment.
This term refers to the variety of different species living in a particular biome.
What is biodiversity (or species diversity)?
Name two examples of a land biome.
Desert, forest, tundra, or grassland.
Which biome has frozen soil called permafrost?
Tundra
What does abiotic mean?
Nonliving parts of an ecosystem, like sunlight, soil, and water.
Why do cactus plants have thick stems?
To store water.
A healthy ecosystem has high biodiversity, which means it has (many/little) different species
Many different species
What makes one biome different from another?
Its climate, plants, and animals.
Why is grassland soil good for farming?
It’s rich and full of nutrients.
These living things use sunlight to make their own food and are the first step in a food chain.
What are plants (or producers)?
Why do arctic animals have thick fur?
To stay warm in freezing temperatures.
When there are only a few plants or animals left of a species, it is in danger of becoming this.
Extinct
Which biome has very little rain and extreme temperatures?
Desert.
How do bacteria and other soil organisms help keep an ecosystem healthy?
A. They make the soil dry and hard
B. They break down dead materials and recycle nutrients
C. They take nutrients out of the soil
D. They stop plants from growing
B. They break down dead materials and recycle nutrients
How do abiotic factors like sunlight and water affect biotic factors?
They determine how plants grow and what animals can survive.
What type of adaptation helps animals blend into their surroundings?
Camouflage.
These are plants or animals from other places that harm the ecosystem when introduced to a new area.
What are invasive species?
What is the difference between a biome and an ecosystem?
A biome is a large area with similar ecosystems; an ecosystem is a smaller area where living and nonliving things interact.
How does climate affect what plants and animals live in a biome?
It controls temperature and rainfall, which determine what can survive there.
How do biotic and abiotic factors work together in an ecosystem?
Living things depend on nonliving things for survival—like plants needing sunlight, water, and soil nutrients.
Why do rainforest trees grow tall with large leaves?
To reach sunlight and absorb more light.
Why is it beneficial for an ecosystem to have high biodiversity?
High biodiversity helps ecosystems recover from natural disasters. More species= a healthier ecosystem.