Biomes, Ecosystems, and HabitatsPDF

Biomas, Ecosistemas y HábitatsPDF

Biomes, Écosystèmes et HabitatsPDF

OVERVIEWVOCABULARY
Idea for Use in the Classroom

Share the infographic with students and ask: What is the relationship between a biome, an ecosystem,
and a habitat? Have students rank each according to their relative size. Ask students: Which habitat was
used in the infographic? How many other habitats do you think are within that ecosystem? Have
students name all the habitats they can see within the ecosystem depicted in the infographic. Then have
them name any other ecosystems they can see in the biome featured in the infographic. Ask students:
What do you notice about the taiga/boreal forest biome of the world? Students should note that
although it spans different countries and continents, it is spread over the same latitudes.

Pair students and ask each group to select an organism to research. Explain that they will need to find
out about the organism’s habitat, ecosystem, and biome. Remind them to use the infographic to guide
their research and to verify the biome they find aligns with the definition of a biome. Then have them
create a similar infographic using their organism and its ecosystem.

abiotic
Adjective
characterized by the absence of life or living organisms

biome
Noun
area of the planet which can be classified according to the plant and animal life in it.

biotic
Adjective
having to do with living or once-living organisms.

boreal forest
Noun
land covered by evergreen trees in cool, northern latitudes. Also called taiga.

deciduous
Adjective
type of plant that sheds its leaves once a year.

desert
Noun
area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year.

ecosystem
Noun
community and interactions of living and nonliving things in an area.
evergreen
Noun
tree that does not lose its leaves.

freshwater
Noun
water that is not salty.

habitat
Noun
environment where an organism lives throughout the year or for shorter periods of time.

migratory
Adjective
organisms that travel from one place to another at predictable times of the year.

organism
Noun
living or once-living thing.

rainforest
Noun
area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall.

savanna
Noun
type of tropical grassland with scattered trees.

spawn
Verb
to give birth to.

taiga
Noun
(continental climate) region that experiences long, cold winters with very little precipitation. Also called
a boreal or subarctic climate.

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RELATED RESOURCES
Habitats and Microhabitats
COLLECTION
Habitats and Microhabitats
A habitat is an environment where an organism lives throughout the year or for shorter periods of time
to find a mate. The habitat contains all an animal needs to survive such as food and shelter. A
microhabitat is a small area which differs somehow from the surrounding habitat. Its unique conditions
may be home to unique species that may not be found in the larger region. Unfortunately, some
habitats are threatened by pollution, extreme weather, or deforestation. This puts many of the species
that live there in danger and is causing many populations to decline. Explore different types of habitats
and microhabitats with this curated collection of classroom resources.

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Biomes
COLLECTION
Biomes
A biome is an area classified according to the species that live in that location. Temperature range, soil
type, and the amount of light and water are unique to a particular place and form the niches for specific
species allowing scientists to define the biome. However, scientists disagree on how many biomes exist.
Some count six (forest, grassland, freshwater, marine, desert, and tundra), others eight (separating two
types of forests and adding tropical savannah), and still others are more specific and count as many as
11 biomes.

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What Makes A Biome?
ARTICLE
What Makes A Biome?
Biomes are typically characterized by the resident biota within them. Currently, there is a disagreement
in the scientific community about what exactly makes a biome.

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