COLEGIO SAN IGNACIO DE LOYOLA

SECOND TERM
Student: _______________________________________________ Grade 5°___
Areas: Natural Sciences and Environmental Education Date:
Subject: Science Worksheet Type: Informative
Teacher: Lina Marcela Meza Hernández Solving Time: 2 class units

BIOMES
(Worksheet N° 4)
Performance Standards
Standard 1. Compares the variables of inductive hypotheses using scientific sources, to
establish relationships between some components of ecosystems.
Standard 2. Solves problem situations related to some energy production processes in living
things, to explain the impact of science and technology on them.
Introduction
Biomes are regions of the world with similar climate (weather, temperature) animals and plants.
There are terrestrial biomes (land) and aquatic biomes, both freshwater and marine.

How many biomes are there?

There is really no completely right answer to this question. Some people say there are only 5
major types of biomes: aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and tundra. Others split biomes
further. Forests are separated into rainforest, temperate forest, chaparral, and taiga; grasslands
are divided into savanna and temperate grasslands; and the aquatic biome is split into freshwater
and marine.

AQUATIC BIOMES

1. FRESHWATER
LOCATION: Freshwater ecosystems include
lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. Lakes are
large bodies of freshwater surrounded by land,
while ponds are smaller bodies of water
surrounded by land. Rivers and streams are
moving bodies of freshwater, which usually
originate in mountains and come from melting ice
or ground water and eventually flow into the
ocean. For example, the Amazon River
originates in the Andes Mountains and ends in
the Atlantic Ocean.

PLANTS: Plants and algae are important to ANIMALS: There are a variety of fish, birds,
freshwater biomes because they provide oxygen insects, amphibians, and crustaceans that
through photosynthesis, and food for animals in make freshwater biomes their home.
this biome.
ADAPTATIONS: In fast streams and rivers many plants have special structures that keep them
from being carried away by the water. Some aquatic plants have strong roots that keep them
anchored securely, while others have stems that bend easily with the movement of the water.
Certain mosses are able to cling to rocks. Plants who live in still waters have different
adaptations. Water lilies, algae, and duckweed float on the surface. Cattails and reeds grow
along the shoreline of many freshwater ecosystems.

In fast moving waters animals that have to hold onto rocks and the bottom may have suction-cup
like structures on their bodies. Others thrive in still water environments, like lakes.

2. MARINE
LOCATION: The marine biome is the biggest biome
in the world! It covers about 70% of the Earth. It
includes five main oceans: The Pacific, Atlantic,
Indian, Arctic, and Southern, as well as many
smaller Gulfs and Bays. Marine regions are usually
very salty! There is about one cup of salt per gallon
of water in the ocean.

PLANTS: Over 1 million species of plants and ANIMALS: The Earth's oceans are home
animals have been discovered in the oceans, and to most of the planet’s biodiversity. Here
scientists say there may be as many as 9 million we can find mollusks, fish, whales,
species we haven't found yet. One reason the ocean crustaceans, bacteria, fungi, sea
is very important is because of all the algae. If it anemones and many other
weren't for marine algae we would not be able to animals. Animals have to deal with unique
breathe! living situations in all zones of the ocean.
The ocean is a salty place that is often
cold.

ADAPTATIONS: Most marine mammals have blubber to survive in the cold water, but sea otters
are unique because they don’t have blubber. Instead, they have fur denser than any other
mammal, with up to one million hairs per square inch.
 TERRESTRIAL BIOMES
3.THE TUNDRA
LOCATION: The tundra biome is the coldest of all
biomes. It is also quite big. The tundra covers about
one fifth of the land on Earth. The word tundra
comes from a Finnish word that means treeless
plain, which is a good description of the biome.
Tundra biome is located in the arctic circle, which is
a circle that surrounds the north pole, but this is not
the only place we can find freezing cold
temperatures and a few animals. In Antarctica, and
other cold environments, there are areas that can be
described as part of a tundra biome as well.

PLANTS: There is low diversity in organisms that ANIMALS: You might find lemmings,
live here, but many still flourish. Many lichens, caribou, and arctic hares in the tundra.
mosses, and small shrubs flourish in the arctic These animals seem pretty nice, but can
tundra. you guess
the largest and most dangerous animal that
lives in the tundra is the polar bear?

ADAPTATIONS: Tundra plants get their energy from the sun through photosynthesis like all other
plants, but have adapted to low temperatures and low light intensities. Compared to plants in other
biomes they use a minimal amount of energy.

Animals who live in the tundra have special adaptations to survive. Some animals in the tundra are
adapted to the climate by breeding and raising their young in the summer. Many animals hibernate,
or sleep during the worst part of winter to minimize energy loss. Because animals of the tundra are
generally migratory, this biome's population is constantly changing.

4.TROPICAL RAINFOREST
LOCATION: Tropical rainforests are generally found
between 30°N and 30°S latitudes, covering 6 - 7%
of the Earth’s land surface. Tropical rainforests can
be found around the world: In Central and South
America; in Western Africa, Eastern Madagascar,
and the Zaire basin; and in Indo-Malaysia along the
west coast of India, Assam, Southeast Asia, New
Guinea, and Queensland, Australia are lush and
warm all year long! Temperatures don’t even
change much between night and day. The average
temperature in tropical rainforests ranges from 70 to
85°F (21 to 30°C). The environment is pretty wet in
tropical rainforests, maintaining a high humidity of
77% to 88% year-round.
PLANTS: One type of plant often found in a ANIMALS: Tropical rainforests are home to
rainforest is an epiphyte. Epiphytes are plants that half the plant and animal species on Earth.
live on the surface of other plants, especially the about 27% of the bird species in the world
trunks and branches. They often grow on trees to live in tropical rainforests. Insects make up
take advantage of sunlight in the canopy. There are the largest single group of animals that live
more than 20,000 varieties of orchids found in the in tropical forests. They include bright
rainforest. beautiful butterflies, menacing mosquitoes,
camouflaged stick insects, and colossal
colonies of ants.

ADAPTATIONS: Many plants in the rainforests have adapted leaf shapes that help water drip off
the plant to avoid too much moisture, which might make bacteria and fungus grow.
Animals in the tropical rainforest are specially adapted to live in this unique environment. A
common characteristic found among mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, is an adaptation to
living in trees.

5.SAVANNA
LOCATION: Savannas are comprised mostly of
grasses and a few scattered trees. They cover half
the surface of Africa, large areas of Australia, South
America, and India. The climate is usually warm
and temperatures range from 68° to 86°F (20 to
30°C).

PLANTS: The savanna is dominated by grasses Animals native to African savannas include
such as Rhodes grass, red oats grass, star grass, African elephants, zebras, horses, and
lemon grass, and some shrubs. Occasionally, you’ll giraffes. Many animals in the savanna are
find individual trees or small groves of trees. These herbivores, which means they eat plants,
mostly live near streams and ponds. and there is plenty of grass in the savanna.
During the rainy months animals thrive in the
savanna, but the rainy season is only half
the year.

ADAPTATIONS: Baobab trees also live in the savanna. They deal with dry conditions by storing
water between the bark and meat of the tree.
The competition for water during the dry season is so intense that most birds and many of the large
mammals migrate elsewhere in search of water.
 6. TAIGA
LOCATION: Taiga, also known as coniferous or
boreal forest, is the largest terrestrial biome on
Earth. It extends in a broad band across North
America, Europe, and Asia to the southern border of
the Arctic tundra. It is also found at cool, high
elevations in the more temperate latitudes, for
example, in much of the mountainous western
region of North America. Long, cold winters, and
short, mild, wet summers are typical of this region

PLANTS: Compared to other biomes, the taiga has ANIMALS: populations are mainly seed-
less diversity in plant life. The most common type of eating squirrels and jays; small mammals like
tree found in the taiga is the conifer, or cone-bearing ermine and moles; and larger browsing
tree. Conifers, also known as evergreens, include animals such as deer, moose, elk, and
pines, spruces and firs. There may also occasionally snowshoe hare. The typical predators for this
be deciduous species present, such as oak, birch, area are grizzly bears, wolves, lynxes and
willow, or alder. wolverines.

ADAPTATIONS: Although the taiga has moderately high precipitation, the frozen winter ground
makes it difficult for trees to get water. Having thin needles with a waxy coating limits water loss of
the conifer through transpiration.

The cold climate of the taiga makes it a difficult place for many animals to live. Many have thick
coats of fur to insulate against the cold, and some hibernate. Others migrate to warmer areas in the
chilly winters.
Some animals hide from predators by changing color to blend into the different summer and winter
habitats. For example, the ermine is dark brown in the summer, but in the winter it turns white. What
excellent camouflage!

7. GRASSLANDS
LOCATION: Major grasslands in North America are
the Great Plains of the Midwest, The Palouse Prairie
of eastern Washington State, and other grasslands
in the southwest. In Eurasia temperate grasslands
are known as steppes and they are found between
the Ukraine and Russia. In South America they are
called pampas, and are located in Argentina and
Uruguay. In South Africa temperate grasslands are
known as veldts.

PLANTS: Grasses dominate temperate grasslands. ANIMALS The dominant vertebrates in

Trees and large shrubs are rarely found in grassland grasslands are herbivorous or plant-eating
areas. There are many species of grasses that live grazers called ungulates. The temperate
in this biome, Popular flowers that you might find grassland does not have much animal
growing on grasslands are asters, blazing stars, diversity, especially compared to
goldenrods, sunflowers, clovers, and wild indigos. the Savannah. Some animals that inhabit
temperate grasslands in North America are
bison, antelope, birds, gophers, prairie dogs,
coyotes, and insects.

ADAPTATIONS. Ungulates are mammals with hoofs, like horses and deer. Their long legs help
them run fast to escape grassland predators.

8. DESERT
LOCATION: The desert is important because it
covers about a fifth of the Earth's surface! There
are both hot and cold deserts. Antarctica is the
largest desert in the world, while the Sahara in
Africa is the largest of the hot deserts. Weather is
not the same in all deserts. The seasons in hot
and dry deserts are usually very hot during the
summer and warm during the rest of the year.
During winter these deserts get little rainfall.

PLANTS: In hot deserts, you'll often find Cacti. ANIMALS: Some animals that live in the hot
Cacti are great at storing water. With their waxy desert are cold-blooded, like snakes, insects,
coating, water can't escape and their spines and lizards. Mammals that live in the desert
protect them from being desert dinner. The plants are usually small, such as the kangaroo rat
that live in coastal deserts include salt bush, rice and kit fox.
grass, black sage and Chrysothamnus.

ADAPTATIONS: Deserts plants have many adaptations to survive in such a dry environment.
They are good at storing and finding water. Some plants have seeds that can stay dormant in the
sand for a long time, until there is enough rain for them to grow.
Cacti are great at storing water. With their waxy coating, water can't escape and their spines
protect them from being desert dinner. Their roots are shallow, and widely spread so that any rain
can be absorbed immediately!
Taken from: https://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/

We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and
come to understand what it means to humanity.

E. O. Wilson