Transcript Section 6.4 - CPO Science

Organisms and the
Environment
Chapter Six: Biomes
• 6.1 Climates and Biomes
• 6.2 Deserts and Grasslands
• 6.3 Temperate Forests and Rainforests
• 6.4 Taigas and Tundras
6.4 Taiga
• The taiga, also known coniferous forest, is
the largest land biome.
• The average temperature is below
freezing for at least 6 months of the year.
6.4 Taiga
• Freezing temperatures
make it difficult for
animals to survive
year-round.
• Some animals
hibernate, and others
migrate.
Which animal
probably migrates?
6.4 Taiga
Taiga is the Russian
word for “forest”.
• Evergreen trees with
needle-like leaves are
common because
these thin leaves resist
freezing.
• Pine, fir, and spruce
trees are cone-shaped
so snow sheds without
breaking branches.
6.4 Taiga
• Snow is a great insulator.
• In the taiga biome, a thick layer of snow falls
before the coldest part of the winter.
• The air spaces between snow crystals prevent
the ground underneath from losing more heat.
6.4 Tundra
• Tundra is the coldest
biome on Earth.
• Arctic tundra has a
growing season of only
50 to 60 days.
The word tundra is from a Finnish word for “treeless land.”
6.4 Tundra
• There are two types of tundra— Arctic
tundra, and alpine tundra.
6.4 Tundra
• The ground here is
permanently frozen up
to 100 centimeters
below the surface.
• This frozen ground is
called permafrost.
6.4 Permafrost and CO2
• Permafrost has a very
important function on our
planet: it stores carbon
dioxide.
• When an Arctic tundra plant
dies, the cold temperatures
prevent it from rapidly
decaying into soil.
• The carbon that would have
been released through decay
as carbon dioxide stays in
the ground.
Investigation 6B
Environments Around School
• What causes different microclimates within
an ecosystem?
Ecology Connection
Ecological Impact of Forest Fires
• Unwanted and
uncontrollable fires are
called wildfires.
• Some natural fires are
healthy for a forest’s
plants, trees, and
animals.
Activity
Biome Expedition
• Could you survive for
three days with one
suitcase of equipment
and no shelter?