Biomes

Front 1

Deserts

Back 1

receive very little rain, on nearly every continent, and are earth's driest ecosystem;

Front 2

Climate of deserts

Back 2

hot during the day and cold at night, some remain cold all of the time

Front 3

Plants found in deserts

Back 3

spiny cactus, thorny shrubs, contain shallow roots

Front 4

Animals found in deserts

Back 4

lizards, bats, woodpeckers, snakes

Front 5

Human impact for deserts

Back 5

cities, farms, and recreational areas in these use valuable water, plants grow slowly and when they are damaged by people/livestock recovery takes many years

Front 6

Grasslands

Back 6

areas where grasses are the dominant plants;
ex

Hint 6

prairies, savannas, meadows

Front 7

Climate of grasslands

Back 7

warm, have wet and dry seasons

Front 8

Plants found in grasslands

Back 8

grass, trees, wildflowers

Front 9

Animals found in grasslands

Back 9

bison, elk, prairie dogs, coyotes

Front 10

Human impact for grasslands

Back 10

people plow large areas of these to raise cereal crops, reduces habitat for wild species, large herbivores are now uncommon in many grasslands due to hunting and loss of habitat

Front 11

Tropical Rain Forests

Back 11

forests that grow near the equator, receive large amounts of rain, have dense growths of tall, leafy trees, down near the equator

Front 12

Climate of tropical rain forests

Back 12

receives large amounts of rain, warm and wet year-round

Front 13

Plants found in tropical rain forests

Back 13

vines, mosses, ferns, orchids

Front 14

Animals found in tropical rain forests

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insects, snakes, frogs, flying squirrels, fruit bats

Front 15

Human impact for tropical rain forests

Back 15

people have cleared more than half of these for lumber, farms, ranches, some organizations are working to encourage people to use less wood harvested from rainforests

Front 16

Temperate Rain Forests

Back 16

regions of earth between the tropics and the polar circles, have mild climates with distinct seasons, moist ecosystems in coastal areas, pacific northwest, different species than a tropical

Front 17

Climate of temperate rain forests

Back 17

winters are mild and rainy, summers are cool and foggy

Front 18

Plants found in temperate rain forests

Back 18

spruce, hemlock, cedar, fir, redwood trees, ferns

Front 19

Animals found in temperate rain forests

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salamanders, woodpeckers, owls, eagles, chipmunks

Front 20

Human impact for temperate rain forests

Back 20

their trees are a source of lumber, logging can destroy the habitat of forests species, tree farms help provide lumber without destroying habitat

Front 21

Temperate Deciduous Forests

Back 21

grow in temperate regions where winter and summer climates have more variation than those in temperate rainforests, the most common forest ecosystems in the United States, Contain mostly deciduous trees

Front 22

Climate of temperate deciduous forests

Back 22

winter is below freezing with snow, summers are hot and humid

Front 23

Plants found in temperate deciduous forests

Back 23

maples, oaks, birches, deciduous trees

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Animals found in temperate deciduous forests

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snakes, ants, butterflies, birds, raccoons

Front 25

Human impact for temperate deciduous forests

Back 25

humans have cleared thousands of acres of these for farms and cities

Front 26

Taigas

Back 26

a forest biome consisting mostly of cone-bearing evergreen trees; exist only in the northern hemisphere; occupies more space on Earth's continents than any other biome

Front 27

Climate of taigas

Back 27

winters are long, cold, and snowy, summers are short, warm, and moist

Front 28

Plants found in taigas

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evergreen trees, spruce, pine, and fir

Front 29

Animas found in taigas

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owls, mice, moose, bears, other cold-adapted species

Front 30

Human impact for taigas

Back 30

tree harvesting reduces this habitat

Front 31

Tundras

Back 31

cold, dry, treeless, South of the north pole, also exists in mountainous areas at high altitudes

Front 32

Climate of tundras

Back 32

winters are long, dark, and freezing, summers are short and cool

Front 33

Plants found in tundras

Back 33

shallow-rooted mosses, lichens, grasses

Front 34

Animals found in tundras

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lemmings, caribou, many animals hibernate or migrate south during winter

Front 35

Human impact for tundras

Back 35

drilling for oil and gas can interrupt migration patterns

Front 36

Freshwater Ponds and Lakes

Back 36

contain freshwater that is not flowing downhill. These bodies of water form in low areas on land.

Front 37

Plants found in freshwater ponds and lakes

Back 37

algae, lilies

Front 38

Animals found in freshwater ponds and lakes

Back 38

cattails, reeds, insects, crayfish, frogs, fish

Front 39

Human impact for freshwater ponds and lakes

Back 39

humans fill these with sediments to create land for houses and other structures, runoff from farms, gardens, and roads washes pollutants into ponds and lakes, distrusting food web, contribute runoff

Front 40

Streams and Rivers

Back 40

flowing freshwater;

Front 41

Plants found in streams and rivers

Back 41

willows, cottonwoods, water-loving plants

Front 42

Animals found in streams and rivers

Back 42

trout, salmon, crayfish, many insects, snails, catfish

Front 43

Human impact for streams and rivers

Back 43

people take water from these for drinking, laundry, bathing, crop irrigation, industrial purposes, hydroelectric plants use the energy flowing water to generate electricity, runoff from cities, industries, farms is a source of pollution, hydroelectric power plants dam rivers and streams

Front 44

Wetlands

Back 44

aquatic ecosystems that have a thin layer of water covering soil that is wet most of time, contain freshwater, saltwater, or both; among earth's most fertile ecosystems

Front 45

Plants found in wetlands

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cottonwoods, willows, swamp oaks

Front 46

Animals found in wetlands

Back 46

heroes, loons, warbles, egrets, alligators, turtles, frogs

Front 47

Human impact for wetlands

Back 47

many are being preserved;
drained ones are being restored

Front 48

Estuaries

Back 48

regions along the coastline where streams or rivers flow into a body of saltwater, form along the coastlines, where fresh water in rivers meet salt water and oceans;
have varying degrees of salinity

Front 49

Plants found in estuaries

Back 49

mangroves, pickle weeds, seagrasses

Front 50

Animals found in estuaries

Back 50

worms, snails, oysters, shrimp, crabs, clams, striped bass

Front 51

Human impact for estuaries

Back 51

have been filled with soil to make land for roads and buildings, destruction reduces habitat for species and exposes the coastline to flooding and storm damage

Front 52

Open Oceans

Back 52

cover most of the earth's surface, contains different types of ecosystems, extends from the steep edges of continental shelves to the deepest parts of the ocean;
the amount of light in the water depends on depth

Front 53

Plants found in open oceans

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phytoplankton, microscopic algae, seaweed

Front 54

Animals found in open oceans

Back 54

sea cucumbers, brittle stars, jellyfish, tuna, mackerel, dolphins

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Human impact for open oceans

Back 55

overfishing threatens many ocean fish, trash discarded is a source of pollution and animals become tangled in plastic or mistake it for food, overfishing and trash

Front 56

Coastal Oceans

Back 56

the ocean shore between the lowest low tide and the highest high tide, include several types of ecosystems, including continental shelves and intertidal zones

Front 57

Plants found in coastal oceans

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ferns, algae, seaweed

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Animals found in coastal oceans

Back 58

crabs, sea stars, dolphins, whales

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Human impact for coastal oceans

Back 59

oil spills and other pollution harm coastal organisms

Front 60

Coral Reefs

Back 60

an underwater structure made from outside skeletons of tiny, soft bodied animals called coral

Front 61

Plants found in coral reefs

Back 61

coral, algae

Front 62

Animals found in coral reefs

Back 62

parrotfish, groupers, angelfish, eels, shrimp, crabs, scallops

Front 63

Human impact for coral reefs

Back 63

pollution, overfishing, and harvesting of coral threaten these