1.1 Biomes – Student Notes
· ______are regions with similar ______components (ex. BC & New Zealand are similar biomes).
· Biomes are classified based on many characteristics: ______
______
______.
· There are ______ on Earth: Boreal forest, desert, grassland, permanent ice, temperate deciduous forest, temperate rainforest, tropical rainforest and tundra
· ______& ______ are 2 of the most important ______ in identifying biomes.
· Distribution of Biomes:
Other identifying Factors:
• ______ influences both temp. & precipitation.
Ex. The tropical zone has very warm temp. & high precipitation because the sun shines straight down &
warm air holds more moisture than cooler air.
• ______ is the height above sea level
– Higher elevations have less air, & therefore less heat is retained.
– Windward sides of mountains are wet, leeward sides are very dry.
• ______ carry warmth & moisture to coastal areas.
– Where warm currents meet land, ______are found.
Climatographs:
• Climate: the ______over a period of several years.
– A ______shows the average ______
______for a location over a period of 30+ years.
– Climatographs show the precipitation on the right hand y-axis, temperature on the left hand y-axis and time along the x-axis (bottom)
Adaptation & Biomes
• Biomes are often identified with ______ factors.
– Ex. A cactus in the desert, or a caribou on the tundra.
• Many of these characteristic factors have special ______ that allow the organisms to better ______in that biome
Types of adaptations:
1. ______ - a physical feature
that helps an organism survive.
Ex. A wolf has large paws to help it run in snow.
2. ______ - a physical or chemical event inside the body of an organism that allows it to survive.
Ex. A wolf maintains a constant body temperature.
3. ______ - a behaviour that helps an organism to survive.
ex. Wolves hunt in packs to capture large prey.