Biomes

Front 1

tundra - climate

Back 1

precipitation is less than 25 cm annually

Front 2

tundra - climate

Back 2

annual summer average temperature range from 3 C to 12 C

winter temperature range from -20 C to -30 C

Front 3

tundra - physical features

Back 3

always have a layer permanently frozen soil called permafrost

Front 4

tundra -physical features

Back 4

its flat terrain results in poor drainage

Front 5

tundra -physical features

Back 5

in summer, a thin layer of topsoil thaws, creating many pools and marshes

Front 6

tundra -physical features

Back 6

cold and dark much of the year but has 24 hours of daylight each day during its brief winter

Front 7

tundra -plant adaptations

Back 7

no trees grown here since the growing season is too short

Front 8

tundra -plant adaptations

Back 8

roots cannot penetrate permafrost

Front 9

tundra -plant adaptations

Back 9

many plants grow close to the ground, where they absorb the warmth that has been trapped by the dark soil and are sheltered from the fierce winds

Front 10

tundra -plant adaptations

Back 10

short grasses, lichens, and mosses survive here

Front 11

tundra -plant adaptations

Back 11

some flowering plants, such as the arctic crocus, have fuzzy coverings on their stems, leaves, and buds that provide protection from the wind

Front 12

tundra -plant adaptations

Back 12

shrubs flower quickly during the long, sunlit summer days

Front 13

tundra -plant adaptations

Back 13

the labrador tea bush keeps its old leaves rather than dropping then, which conserves nutrients and helps protect the plant from cold, wind, and drying out

Front 14

tundra -animal adaptations

Back 14

arctic foxes and hares have compact bodies and shorter legs and ears, which reduces heat loss

Front 15

tundra -animal adaptations

Back 15

many animals grow more slowly and reproduces less frequently than animals in temperate biomes, therefore requiring less energy

Front 16

tundra -animal adaptations

Back 16

the greenland suffer butterfly has a long life cycle, taking up to 14 years to become an adult

Front 17

tundra -animal adaptations

Back 17

caribou migrate to food sources in winter

Front 18

tundra -animal adaptations

Back 18

in winter, the white feathers of the snowy owl prevent its prey from seeing it against the snow.

Front 19

tundra -animal adaptations

Back 19

many birds migrate here in summer to eat insects that reproduce in great numbers in the marshy conditions

Front 20

tundra - climate graph

Back 20

Front 21

boreal forest -climate

Back 21

precipitation is 30cm to 85cm annually, much of it falling as snow

Front 22

boreal forest - climate

Back 22

temperatures are below freezing half of the year and often drops to -40 C

Front 23

boreal forest -physical features

Back 23

there is a short summer growing season of an average of 50 days

Front 24

boreal forest -physical features

Back 24

the terrain is often rough, many marshes, shallow lakes, and wetlands hold vast amounts of water. the soil is also very wet

Front 25

boreal forest -plant adaptations

Back 25

trees are mainly coniferous (cone-bearing), such as black spruce and white spruce, with small, pointed, waxy needles that resist water loss and allow snow to slide off easily

Front 26

boreal forest -plant adaptations

Back 26

in a balsam fir--white spruce forest, little light reaches the forest floor, so there are few understory plants.

Front 27

boreal forest -animal adaptations

Back 27

insect-eating birds such as warblers migrate south in the fall.

Front 28

boreal forest -animal adaptations

Back 28

seed eaters such as the finch stay year-round.

Front 29

boreal forest -animal adaptations

Back 29

small mammals such as chipmunks and shrews burrow in winter to stay warm.

Front 30

boreal forest -animal adaptations

Back 30

mammals such as moose have thick insulating coats and tend to be large. large bodies enable moose to retain their body heat.

Front 31

boreal forest -animal adaptations

Back 31

the fur of snow hares change from summer brown to winter white, which camouflages them from predators.

Front 32

boreal forest -animal adaptations

Back 32

insects multiply rapidly and in large quantities in the summer.

Front 33

boreal forest -animal adaptations

Back 33

reptiles and amphibians are rare since they are not adapted to survive low temperatures

Front 34

boreal forest -climatograph

Back 34

Front 35

temperate deciduous forest - climate

Back 35

the annual rainfall is about 75 cm to 180 cm, with precipitation equally distributed throughout the year

Front 36

temperate deciduous forest - climate

Back 36

temperature range from -30 C in winter to 30 C in summer

Front 37

temperate deciduous forest - physical features

Back 37

seasonal changes between summer and winter are very large. temperature changes during a day can also be large

Front 38

temperate deciduous forest - physical features

Back 38

this biome has four distinct seasons and a long, warm growing season

Front 39

temperate deciduous forest - physical features

Back 39

the soil is enriched by fallen leaves that break down and provide nutrients

Front 40

temperate deciduous forest - plant adaptations

Back 40

plants grown in four or five layers, with tall maple, oak, and birch trees in a canopy layer

Front 41

temperate deciduous forest - plant adaptations

Back 41

light penetrates the layers, resulting in an understory that has great biodiversity

Front 42

temperate deciduous forest - plant adaptations

Back 42

shorter trees occupy the second layer, with shrubs in the third layer, berries in the fourth layer, and ferns, herbs, and mosses on the forest floor.

Front 43

temperate deciduous forest - plant adaptations

Back 43

these trees shed their large, broad leaves in winter, which prevents water loss and reduces breakage of limbs with heavy snow. thick bark limits moisture loss from the trees

Front 44

temperate deciduous forest - animal adaptations

Back 44

the many layers in forest provide many habitats for squirrels, rabbits, skunks,cougars, deer, wolves, bears and amphibians

Front 45

temperate deciduous forest - animal adaptations

Back 45

squirrels, chipmunks, and blue jays store nuts and seeds in tree hollows. some mammals hibernate. many birds migrate to warmer areas in winter

Front 46

temperate deciduous forest -climatograph

Back 46

Front 47

temperate rainforest -climate

Back 47

rainfall exceeds 200cm a year with average temperature ranging from 5 C to 25 C

Front 48

temperate rainforest -climate

Back 48

coastal fog supplies additional moisture

Front 49

temperate rainforest -physical feature

Back 49

this biome occur in narrow strips along coastlines that are backed up by mountains, where the ocean winds drop large amount of moisture on the windward said of the mountain

Front 50

temperate rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 50

trees can grow very tall because of high precipitation and include large evergreens such as the sitka spruce (up to 48m tall) and the douglas fir (up to 60 m tall)

Front 51

temperate rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 51

mosses are draped on trees, and lichens cling on tree trunks, where they receive more light than on the forest floor.

Front 52

temperate rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 52

ferns, mosses, and fungi that survive in the shade blanket the forest floor

Front 53

temperate rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 53

most animals live on or near the forest floor, where they are protected from the wind and rain

Front 54

temperate rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 54

many birds and small mammals, such as chipmunks, eat seeds that fall on the forest floor

Front 55

temperate rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 55

many insects live in the tree bark and decomposing plant matters

Front 56

temperate rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 56

birds with long beaks and amphibians with sticky tongues eat these insects

Front 57

temperate rainforest -climatograph

Back 57

Front 58

temperate grassland -climate

Back 58

precipitation is 25cm - 100cm annually

Front 59

temperate grassland -climate

Back 59

hot summers of 30 C and cold winters below -10 C

Front 60

tropical grassland -climate

Back 60

precipitation is 50 cm - 130 cm annually

Front 61

topical grassland -climate

Back 61

daily temperatures ranging from 20 C - 30 C

Front 62

grassland -physical features

Back 62

the land is mainly flat

Front 63

temperate grassland -physical features

Back 63

the soil is very rich and fertile created by the growth and decay of deep grass roots

Front 64

tropical grassland -physical features

Back 64

the soil isn't as rich because nutrients are removed by occasional heavy rain

Front 65

grassland -physical features

Back 65

strong winds may cause soil erosion

Front 66

grassland -physical features

Back 66

precipitation usually occurs in late spring or early summer and is followed by an extended dry period

Front 67

tropical grassland -physical features

Back 67

grass fires are common

Front 68

temperate grassland -physical features

Back 68

grass fires are not as common

Front 69

grassland -plant adaptations

Back 69

trees are scare because of limited rainfall

Front 70

grassland -plant adaptations

Back 70

fire and grazing animals kill seedlings

Front 71

temperate grassland -plant adaptations

Back 71

grassed such as blue drama and buffalo grass are well adapted for drought as their roots are deep and form dense mats that collect water when it is available

Front 72

temperate grassland -plant adaptations

Back 72

because of their well-developed root systems, plants can regrow after a fire

Front 73

temperate grassland -plant adaptations

Back 73

flexible stalks enable these grasses to bend without breaking in the wind

Front 74

temperate grassland -plant adaptations

Back 74

many wind and insect -pollinated wildflowers, such as asters, goldenrod, and clover, grow between the grasses

Front 75

tropical grassland -plant adaptations

Back 75

grasses have deep roots

Front 76

tropical grassland -plant adaptations

Back 76

some trees, such as acacia, have thorns that deter animals from eating them.

Front 77

tropical grassland -plant adaptations

Back 77

some grasses have sharp edges or are too bitter for grazing

Front 78

grassland -animal adaptation

Back 78

many large grazing animals are present in large numbers because there is plentiful grass

Front 79

grassland -animal adaptations

Back 79

animals such as antelope are found here and have flat teeth that grind plant materials

Front 80

tropical grassland -animal adaptations

Back 80

herds of antelope giraffes and zebras are found with predators such as lions, cheetahs, and leopards

Front 81

temperate grassland -animal adaptations

Back 81

large mammals include antelope, wild horses, kangaroos, and predators such as wolves and coyotes.

Front 82

grassland -animal adaptations

Back 82

animals such as mice, rabbits, gophers, and snakes are common to this biome. they burrow to escape fire, predators, and extreme weather

Front 83

grassland -climatograph

Back 83

Front 84

topical rainforest -climate

Back 84

rainfall is about 250 cm per year

Front 85

topical rainforest -climate

Back 85

temperature is 20 C to 25 C year round

Front 86

topical rainforest -physical feature

Back 86

the soil is poor as nutrients are quickly recycled and not retained

Front 87

topical rainforest -physical feature

Back 87

the soil is poor because heavy rain washes minerals away

Front 88

topical rainforest -physical feature

Back 88

the forest floor is very dark, which limits plant growth

Front 89

topical rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 89

the biome has the largest number of different plant species

Front 90

topical rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 90

plants grow in many layers

Front 91

topical rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 91

tall trees form a dense canopy where there is more light

Front 92

topical rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 92

only shrubs adapted to shade thrive in the understorey

Front 93

topical rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 93

vines climb tree trunks into the canopy where there is more light.

Front 94

topical rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 94

many plants, such as orchids, reach sunlight by growing on tall trees.

Front 95

topical rainforest -plant adaptations

Back 95

leaves have narrow tips that allow rain to run off quickly, which reduced weight on the branches

Front 96

topical rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 96

this biome has the greatest diversity of animals on earth but has few large mammals

Front 97

topical rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 97

most animals are adapted to live in trees since there is little vegetation on the forest floor

Front 98

topical rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 98

many animals are specialists, adapted to a particular food or habitat, which reduces competition

Front 99

topical rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 99

nut eaters like parrots and toucans have big strong beaks that cur nuts from the trees and crack open the tough shells

Front 100

topical rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 100

some rainforest animals secrete poisons that protect them from predators

Front 101

topical rainforest -animal adaptations

Back 101

the slow movement of the south america three-toes sloth, an adaptation to its low calorie diet of leaves, also makes it less noticeable to predators such as jaguars

Front 102

topical rainforest -climatograph

Back 102

Front 103

desert -climate

Back 103

the rainfall is less than 25 cm annually

Front 104

hot desert -climate

Back 104

hot days averaging 38 C and cold nights averaging 7 C

Front 105

cold desert -climate

Back 105

summer days averaging 21 C to 26 C and winter days averaging -2 C to 4 C

Front 106

hot desert -physical features

Back 106

there is wither very little rainfall or there is a lot of rain in a very short period

Front 107

hot desert -physical features

Back 107

the soils are salty because minerals do not get washed away

Front 108

cold desert -physical features

Back 108

most precipitation falls as snow, but there is rain in the spring

Front 109

cold desert -physical features

Back 109

the soil is often salty and little water erosion occurs

Front 110

hot desert -plant adaptations

Back 110

there are few plant species

Front 111

hot desert -plant adaptations

Back 111

spiny cacti that have thick, fleshy stems that conserve water are common.

Front 112

hot desert -plant adaptations

Back 112

the plants' roots extend metres away from the plant to absorb water

Front 113

hot desert -plant adaptations

Back 113

plants have small, thick, waxy leaves that store water

Front 114

hot desert -plant adaptations

Back 114

many plants have spines or produce chemicals that protect them from being eaten

Front 115

cold desert -plant adaptations

Back 115

there are few plant species and most are less than 1 m tall

Front 116

cold desert -plant adaptations

Back 116

many plants, such as sagebrush, are deciduous and have spiny leaves, their roots can extend 30 m and absorb water when available

Front 117

hot desert -animal adaptations

Back 117

reptiles are common and have thick skin and scales that prevent water loss

Front 118

hot desert -animal adaptations

Back 118

animals such as desert spadefoot toads and scorpions bury themselves in the ground and sleep during times of heat and drought

Front 119

hot desert -animal adaptations

Back 119

animals are active mainly at night when temperatures are lower

Front 120

cold desert -animal adaptations

Back 120

fan-throated lizards, small mammals, such as foxes, coyotes, jackrabbits, and pocket mice burrow to escape the cold

Front 121

desert -climatograph

Back 121

Front 122

permanent ice -climate

Back 122

annual precipitation is less than 50 cm, mostly falling as snow

Front 123

antarctica permanent ice -climate

Back 123

summer temperature range from 9 C on the coast to -30 inland

Front 124

arctic permanent ice -climate

Back 124

winter temperatures are -30 C

Front 125

arctic permanent ice -climate

Back 125

average summer temperature ranges from 3 C to 14 C

Front 126

permanent ice -physical features

Back 126

this biome has very strong winds and little soil

Front 127

permanent ice -physical features

Back 127

little fresh water is available because of freezing conditions

Front 128

antarctica permanent ice -physical features

Back 128

very cold almost all year-round

Front 129

permanent ice -plant adaptations

Back 129

lichens can tolerate drought and cold, and are dark coloured, thus absorbing more sunlight

Front 130

arctic permanent ice -plant adaptations

Back 130

more than 100 species of flowering plants because of its brief growing season

Front 131

arctic permanent ice -animal adaptations

Back 131

has polar bears, walruses, seals, arctic foxes, and some insects

Front 132

antarctica permanent ice -animal adaptations

Back 132

mostly penguins and marine animals, such as leopard seals

Front 133

antarctica permanent ice -animal adaptations

Back 133

penguins have fat layers and tightly packed feathers that retain heat.

Front 134

arctic permanent ice -animal adaptations

Back 134

polar bears, seals, and walruses have thick coats and fat layers for warmth

Front 135

arctic permanent ice -animal adaptations

Back 135

walruses have no external ear, which reduces heat loss, and they lie close together in herds of over a thousand animals, thus retaining heat

Front 136

permanent ice -climatograph

Back 136