Transcript forest biomes - gozips.uakron.edu

FOREST BIOMES
7TH GRADE SCIENCE
Mrs. Weber
There are three different
forest biomes, today we will
discuss all three
Do you know what they are?
 Coniferous Forests
 Deciduous Forests
 Tropical Rain Forests
Look at the map on page 724. Where do coniferous forests grow? Closer
to the poles or to the equator?
Are there any tropical rain forests in North America? If so where?
What types of forests are found in Africa?
CONIFEROUS FORESTS
 The northernmost forest biome.
 Made up of trees called conifers.
 Conifers produce their seeds in cones.
 Also called the ‘great north woods’
 Have fewer types of trees than other
forests – why?
 Because the conifers can withstand the
cold climates of the north
 Needles have a thick waxy covering –
why?
 Because it protects the needles from
freezing.
 Soil is not very fertile
Reasons many types of trees
don’t grow in the coniferous
forests
 Many types of trees cannot withstand the
cold climate
 Soil is not fertile because dead animals,
trees and fallen needles don’t decay
quickly because of the cold
 The forest floor is very shady
Animals in the Coniferous
Forest
 Moose, beaver, lynx, red squirrels,
martins, wolves
 Birds include warblers, gray jays, cross
bills
Climate in the Coniferous
Forest
 Annual temperatures range from -60o C
to 20oC (-86o to 68oF)
 Short growing season
 40 – 100 cm of precipitation per year,
mainly in the form of snow.
Trees in the Coniferous
Forest
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Seeds grow in cones
Needles have waxy covering
Adapted to a short growing season
Capable of producing carbohydrates by
photosynthesis earlier than other trees
because they keep their needles
 Some have flexible branches to allow snow to
fall off before it breaks the branch
DECIDUOUS FORESTS
CLIMATE
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
75 – 200 cm of precipitation a year, fairly
evenly spaced throughout the year (29 – 78
inches)
Summers are warm
Winters are cold
Temperatures range from -30o to 30oC (-22 to
86o F) per year
Rich, fertile soil due to decay
Deciduous Forest
Plants
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
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Oaks, Maples, Aspens, Hemlocks, etc
Trees lose their leaves in the fall
Leaves grow back in the spring
Wildflowers and ferns abundant in early spring
The forest floor has lots of undergrowth
Deciduous Forests
Animals
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Lots of insects
Worms, salamanders
Squirrels, mice, deer, foxes, raccoons
Some migratory birds
Tropical Rainforest
Climate
•More than 200 cm (78 inches) of rain per year
•Summer all year long – plants grow all year
very muggy and humid
•Temperatures average 20-25o C (68-77o F)
per year
•There is little variation in temperature
•Soil is nutrient poor and acidic
Tropical Rain Forest
Plants
•Most plant life is in the trees (vines)
•More varied plant life than any other
land biome
•There are approximately 40,000
different types of plant life in the
rain forest
•Shallow roots
Tropical Rain Forest
Animals
Many animals live in the trees
•Snakes – boa constrictors
•Ocelots, jaguar
•Centipedes, spiders, ants, beetles
live on the rain forest floor
•Monkey
•Eagles
•
What forest biome
Do you think this
Is?
What biome
Is this?
(It isn’t a
forest biome!)
What forest
biome
is this?