Real World Reading
Comprehension Forests of the
WORLD
Genre
A Nonfiction Article in a
newspaper or magazine
presents facts and
information.
Text Structure How are geography and
Compare and Contrast
Authors compare two things
climate related to the kinds
by telling how they are alike of trees, plants, and animals
or different. They may use
signal words such as both, that inhabit different forests
alike, or different.
around the world?
Monteverde Cloud Forest
Preserve, Costa Rica
H
ave you visited any biomes
lately? A biome is a large
community of plants and
animals that is supported by a
certain type of climate. Biomes
like the Arctic tundra—where
cold winds buffet anything
that appears on the barren
landscape—are treeless. Many
other areas in the world
are covered with different
kinds of trees. Here are three
types of forest biomes.
Giant redwoods in California.
Redwoods are cone-bearing trees.
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Deciduous forest in autumn
Coniferous Forest Some animals that thrive in this
If you are on a quest to find a coniferous biome are ermine, moose, red fox,
forest biome, you will want to head snowshoe rabbits, and great horned owls.
south of the Arctic tundra. This type
of forest stretches from Alaska
Deciduous Forest
Do you want to visit a deciduous
southward across North America as
forest in person? This biome is in the
well as across Europe and Asia.
mild-temperate zone of the Northern
Coniferous forests consist mainly
Hemisphere. Major deciduous
of cone-bearing trees such as spruce,
forests are found in eastern North
hemlock, and fir. The soil is not very
America, Europe, and eastern Asia.
rich, because there are no leaves to
Deciduous trees lose their leaves
decompose and make the ground
in the fall. The natural decaying of
suitable for growth. This will reduce
the fallen leaves enriches the soil and
the growth of other kinds of plant life.
allows all kinds of plant life to grow.
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This Costa Rican rain forest has many layers of plant life.
Oak, beech, ash, and maple trees are typical of deciduous
forests, and many types of insect and animal life abound. In the
U.S., these forests are home to many animals, including deer,
American gray squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, and woodpeckers.
Rain Forest
Tropical rain forests are found in Asia, Africa, South America,
Central America, and on many of the Pacific islands. Almost
half the total area of the world’s rain forests is in Brazil.
Tropical rain forests receive at least 70 inches of rain each year
and have more species of plants and animals than any other biome.
The thick vegetation absorbs moisture, which then evaporates and
falls as rain.
A rain forest grows in three layers, like the levels in a stadium.
The canopy, or tallest level, has trees between 100 and 200 feet
tall. The second level, or understory, contains a mix of small trees,
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Biomes of the World
Orangutan
Tundra Deciduous forest Savanna
Coniferous forest Chaparral Rain Forest
Grasslands Desert Alpine
Desert-scrub Think and Compare
vines, and palms, as well as shrubs and ferns.
1. What three types of
The third and lowest level is the forest floor,
forest biomes does this
where herbs, mosses, and fungi grow. article describe?
The combination of heat and moisture
2. How is the soil in a
makes tropical rain forests the perfect settings coniferous forest
for more than 15 million types of plants and different from the soil
animals. Some of the animals of the tropical rain in a deciduous forest?
forest are the anteater, jaguar, lemur, orangutan, 3. Think of a forest you have
macaw, sloth, and toucan. Among the many visited or that grows near
plant species are bamboo, banana trees, and where you live. Describe
rubber trees. the plants and animals
that live there.
The floor of this rain forest is covered with ferns
and mosses. 4. The trees listed in the
“Top 5 Most Common
Trees in the U.S.” on page
81 can be classified into
a single category. Based
on “Forests of the World,”
what category do you
think that is?
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Answer Questions
Test Strategy
Right There
You can put your finger on
the answer. Look for key
words in the question. Then
find those key words in the
selection.
THE SCIENCE
The aftermath of a wildfire OF WILDFIRES
W
ildfires result from a combination the fresh air brings oxygen that fuels the
of fuel, dryness, and a trigger. Each flames. This convection system creates
factor determines how strong the powerful, hot winds that dry out and
blaze will be. Fuel means flammable preheat fuel ahead of the fire. This helps
solids that, with oxygen, feed the fire. the fire move forward and even jump
Dryness can be caused by short-term natural barriers, such as rivers.
periods with little rain or by lengthy A fire dies when it cannot get fuel,
drought. Triggers can be as natural as a heat, or oxygen. The main strategy
lightning strike, as innocent as a campfire, for fighting wildfires is containment:
or as careless as a stray match. surround the fire and starve it.
Weather is the primary force that Helicopters and tanker airplanes can drop
creates or ends wildfires. Once wildfires water or chemicals to slow the spread
start burning, they create their own of flames. Firefighters can also set up
weather. First, smoke and heat from fire lines—areas cleared of any fuel that
fires can rise thousands of feet in the air, would allow the fire to spread. Controlled
creating an empty space below them. fires are sometimes set to deny fuel to an
Cooler air rushes in to fill the space, but approaching blaze.
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Directions: Answer the questions.
1 . Which term means a strategy to fight a wildfire
by depriving it of fuel?
" triggering
#flame retardant
$containment
Tip
% convection system Look for key words.
2. What triggers wildfires?
" Matches, campfires, or lightning can trigger
a wildfire.
# Controlled fires provide fuel for the blaze.
$ Hot, dry winds preheat fuel to create a
convection system.
% Tanker airplanes spread the flames.
3. Why do firefighters set up fire lines?
" to create a fuel-free area
# to create a fire-resistant forest
$ to restore grassland
% to create safe zones for forest homes
4. How might dropping chemicals and creating fire lines be
more effective together than if used separately?
5. Describe the role weather can play in both creating and
ending wildfires. Use details from the article to support
your answer.
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STOP 87
Writing: Extended Response to Literature
Write to a Prompt
In the selection “The Science of Wildfires,” you read about
forest fires. Explain what strategies you would use to fight a wildfire
that was moving rapidly toward your community. Use examples
from the selection to support your answer. Include specific details to
support your main idea.
Let s Fight Fires!
The fire in our community is spreading too quickly
for firefighters to put out. Our tanker planes have
not improved the situation at all.
If we want to save our homes, we must fight fire
with fire. We need to cut all the trees and brush on the
edge of our community. This will steal the fire s fuel
and, we hope, stop the fire before it reaches our town.
There are no guarantees. The wind can carry
embers half a mile. We will have to do more. We will
I used details to need to set a backfire. This means setting fire to
make my point and
the forest between the wildfire and the fire line we
support my ideas.
create. The prevailing wind will spread the fire toward
us. I know it sounds crazy, but we really won t be
helping the wildfire. By setting this smaller, more
controllable fire, we hope to stop the wildfire more
easily at the fire line. The backfire will burn away all
the fuel between us and the wildfire. When the wildfire
reaches the burned out area, it will go out.
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Writing Prompt
In the selection “The Science of Wildfires,” you read different
ideas about the best way to deal with forest fires. Explain
which two of the approaches described in the article you think
will work the best. Write your response in two paragraphs, and
include specific details that support your main ideas.
Writer’s Checklist
Ask yourself, who is my audience?
Think about your purpose for writing.
Use details to support your main idea.
Plan your writing before beginning.
Be sure your ideas are clear and organized.
Use your best spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
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