Section

Name Date

Biomes
1.1
Summary
Textbook pages 8–33

Before You Read

A biome includes large regions that have similar living and non-living components.
Tundra and desert are two examples of biomes. What other biomes can you name?

◆
✏ Make Flash Cards
For each biome, write a
question on one side of the
flash card. Write the answer
on the other side. Quiz your-
self until you can answer all
the questions.
What is a biome?
The biosphere is the thin layer of air, land, and water on or
near Earth’s surface where living things exist. A biome is the
largest division of the biosphere. Biomes are characterized by
their biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components.
What are Earth’s biomes like?
Earth has eight terrestrial (land-based) biomes.

Biome Main characteristics

tundra ■ located in the upper northern hemisphere; very cold and dry
■ due to permanently frozen soil, plants are short and there are few trees
boreal forest ■ found in the far north; below freezing half the year
■ mainly coniferous (cone-bearing) trees
temperate deciduous ■ located in temperate regions, mostly eastern North America, eastern Asia, and western
forest Europe
■ trees lose their leaves in winter
■ large seasonal changes with four distinct seasons
temperate rainforest ■ found along coastlines where ocean winds drop large amounts of moisture
■ cool and very wet, allowing trees (mainly evergreens) to grow very tall
grassland ■ occurs in temperate and tropical regions
■ covered with grasses that have deep roots, which are well adapted for drought
tropical rainforest ■ found in a wide band around the equator
■ wet and warm year-round, allowing for the growth of a dense canopy of tall trees
desert ■ occur in temperate and tropical regions; days are hot and nights are cold
■ rainfall is minimal and plants and animals are adapted to reduce water loss
permanent ice ■ includes the polar land masses and large polar ice caps
■ the few animals that live here are well insulated against the extreme cold

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 Section
Name Date
1.1
Summary

continued

●
How do abiotic factors influence the characteristics
and distribution of biomes? ✔ Reading Check
What are the two main
Identical biomes are found in different parts of the world. abiotic factors that
These biomes all have similar plants and animals (biotic influence the character-
factors) because they have similar temperatures and istics and distribution of
precipitation patterns (abiotic factors). Temperature and biomes?
precipitation are the main abiotic factors that influence the
characteristics and distribution of biomes. The following
factors influence temperature and precipitation:
◆ latitude
◆ elevation
◆ wind
◆ ocean currents ● ✔

What are climatographs? Climatograph

Fort Nelson, British Columbia, 59ºN

Average Precipitation (mm)

Climate is the average pattern of weather conditions that 180 25

Average Temperature (ºC)

160 15
occur in a region over a period of years. Temperature and 140
precipitation are two important factors that determine climate. 120 5
100
A climatograph is a graph of climate data for a specific –5
80
region. A climatograph gives average temperature and 60 –15
40
average total precipitation for each month. 20
–25
0 –35
J F M A MJ J A S O N D
How are organisms adapted to the specific Month
conditions of their biome?
Adaptations are characteristics that enable organisms to
better survive and reproduce. Organisms are specially adapted
for survival in the specific environmental conditions of their

●
biome. There are three types of adaptations:
◆ structural adaptations: physical parts or features of an
✔ Reading Check
organism that enable it to survive and reproduce. List the three main types
of adaptations displayed by
◆ physiological adaptations: a chemical or physical event
organisms.
that takes place in the body of an organism to support its
ability to survive and reproduce
◆ behavioural adaptations: things that an organism
does (ways that it behaves) that enable it to survive and
reproduce. ● ✔

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 Cloze
Name Date Activity
Section 1.1
Use with textbook pages 8–28.

Biomes and ecosystems

Vocabulary
abiotic latitude
adaptations ocean currents
behavioural physiological
biome precipitation
biotic structural
climatograph temperature
elevation terrestrial

Use the terms in the vocabulary box to fill in the blanks. Use each term only once.
1. components are the living organisms in an environment, such
as plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.
2. components are the non-living parts of an environment, such
as sunlight, soil, moisture, and temperature.
3. A includes large regions that have similar biotic components
and abiotic components.
4. A biome is land-based.
5. and are two important abiotic factors
that influence the characteristics of biomes and the distribution of biomes on Earth.
6. is the distance measured in degrees north or south from the
equator.
7. is the height of a land mass above sea level.
8. are another abiotic factor that affects temperature and
precipitation and therefore influences the characteristics of biomes.
9. A is a graph of climate data for a specific region and is
generated from data usually obtained over 30 years from local weather observation
stations.
10. are characteristics that enable organisms to better survive and
reproduce.
11. A adaptation is a physical feature of an organism’s body
having a specific function that contributes to the survival of the organism. A
adaptation is a physical or chemical event that occurs within
the body of an organism that enables survival. A adaptation
refers to what an organism does to survive in the unique conditions of
its environment.
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 Applying
Name Date Knowledge
Section 1.1
Use with textbook pages 20–28.

Various biomes
Complete the following table, describing the general locations and two to three
main physical features of the eight terrestrial biomes.
Biome Location(s) Physical features

tundra

boreal forest

temperate deciduous
forest

temperate rainforest

grassland (temperate and tropical)

tropical rainforest

desert (hot and cold) hot desert:

cold desert:

permanent ice (polar ice)

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 Interpreting
Name Date Illustrations
Section 1.1
Use with textbook pages 16–28.

Climatographs
Which world biomes are represented by the data in the following climatographs?

A B
Average Precipitation (mm)

Average Precipitation (mm)

180 25 Average Temperature (ºC) 180 25

Average Temperature (ºC)

160 160
15 15
140 140
120 5 120 5
100 –5 100 –5
80 80
60 –15 60 –15
40 –25 40 –25
20 20
0 –35 0 –35
J F M A MJ J A S O N D J F M A MJ J A S O N D
Month Month

Biome: Biome:
C D
Average Precipitation (mm)

600 25 180 25
Average Temperature (ºC)

Average Precipitation (mm)

15 160

Average Temperature (ºC)

500 15
5 140
400
120 5
300 –5
100
200 –15 ⫺5
80
100 –25 60 ⫺15
0 –35 40
J F M A MJ J A S O N D ⫺25
20
Month
0 ⫺35
J F MA MJ J A S O N D
Month

Biome: Biome:
E F
180 35 300 35
Average Precipitation (mm)
Average Precipitation (mm)

Average Temperature (ºC)

160
Average Temperature (ºC)

25 250 25
140
120 15 200 15
100 5
5 150
80
60 –5 100 –5
40 50 –15
–15
20
0 –25 0 –25
J F MA MJ J A S O N D J F MA MJ J A S O N D
Month Month

Biome: Biome:

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 Assessment
Name Date
Section 1.1

Use with textbook pages 8–28. 8. Which of the following is an abiotic

component of an environment?
Biomes A. algae
B. sunlight
Match each Term on the left with the best
Descriptor on the right. Each Descriptor may only C. fungi
be used once. D. plants
Term Descriptor
9. Which of the following is a biotic
1. abiotic A. the distance measured component of an ecosystem?
2. adaptations in degrees north or
3. biome south from the equator
A. moisture
4. biotic B. characteristics that B. sand
5. climate enable organisms to
C. bacteria
6. latitude better survive and
reproduce D. temperature
C. relating to non-living
parts of an environ- 10. Which of the following is a characteristic
ment, such as sunlight, of the boreal forest biome?
soil, moisture, and A. below freezing half the year
temperature
D. relating to the living B. long, hot summers
organisms, such as C. polar land masses
plants, animals, fungi,
and bacteria D. lots of precipitation
E. the largest division of 11. Which world biome is represented by a
the biosphere climatograph that illustrates an average
F. the average conditions precipitation of 300 cm in the month of
of the atmosphere in a January?
large region over
30 years A. grassland

Circle the letter of the best answer. B. tropical rainforest

C. permanent ice
7. A biome is best represented by a:
D. temperate deciduous forest
A. river
12. Which world biome is represented by a
B. city climatograph that illustrates an average
C. latitude temperature of –25ºC in the month of July?
D. desert A. boreal forest
B. tropical rainforest
C. permanent ice
D. tundra

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