Terrestrial Biome Puzzle Introduction: The biome concept organizes large-scale ecological variation. Terrestrial biomes are distinguished primarily by their predominant vegetation, and are mainly determined by temperature and rainfall. The terrestrial biomes include Tundra, Taiga, Temperate Deciduous forest, Temperate grassland, Chaparrals, Tropical Savannas, Tropical Rain forests, and Deserts. Objective: In this activity, you will complete a puzzle for terrestrial biomes by cutting and gluing the correct features onto the biome puzzle sheet.
TERRESTRIAL BIOME PUZZLE TUNDRA TAIGA DECIDUOUS GRASSLAND Average Temperature Annual Precipitation Soil Description Producers Herbivores Carnivores
Average Temperature Annual Precipitation CHAPARRAL DESERT TROPICAL SAVANNA TROPICAL RAIN Soil Description Producers Herbivores Carnivores
7 o C to 38 o C May be very cold or very hot Located near the equator; called jungles or tropics X Mild, rainy s & hot, dry summers; Called plains; western movies <25 cm dry 16 o C to 34 o C Always warm Rocky, thin topsoil, low in nutrients Very dry year round Moist thin topsoil that is low in nutrients -10 o C to 14 o C Cool year round Pines, cedars, spruce, fir Thin, nutrient poor soil over frozen Permafrost Squirrels, rabbits, white-tailed deer, songbirds Parrots, monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, large insects & spiders 6 o C to 28 o C Dry, often sandy soil, low in nutrients PUZZLE CLUES TO CUT & PASTE X 4 seasons (spring, summer,, fall) Lush, perennial grasses, few scattered Cacti, succulents, Creosote bushes, vegetation that stores water with waxy cuticles 10 o C to 18 o C Hot summer & cool warm to hot summers and cool to cold s Strong, very cold winds with little precipitation, short & soggy summers Wolves, coyotes, badgers, grizzly bears, armadillo 0 o C to 25 o C Grasses, sedges, moss, lichens X Canopy layer of vegetation, vines, epiphytes like orchids & bromeliads, tropical ferns 25 75 cm Wet season and dry season Bears, wolves, lynx 75-125 cm Coniferous forest with long s but mild summers when ground thaws 35-75 cm Oaks, pecan, maples, hickories, willows 20 o C to 34 o C Always warm and humid Moist with moderately thick topsoil, Rich in nutrients (humus) Lizards, tortoises, mule deer, camels Deer, prairie dogs, buffalo -26 o C to 12 o C cold year round dry summer & rainy
X Tall grasses, acacia 75-150cm 6 month rainy season (monsoon) Dry, thin layer of topsoil; porous; low in nutrients Alternating wet and dry seasons with large number of herbivores & lots of migratory animals Low in nutrients and Acidic Low precipitation with extreme temperature changes ( hot in day & cold at night) Deep layer of nutrient rich topsoil; Good for farming Dense, spiny shrubs like scrub oaks, scattered clumps of conifers 200-400cm Rains almost daily; long, wet season wild hogs, fox, raccoon, coyotes, bears Snowy owls, Arctic foxes, Migratory birds Lemmings, Caribou, & musk oxen Mountain lions, cougars, bobcats, coyotes Roadrunners, peccary, rattlesnakes, kit fox Moose, hares, Geese and Migratory waterfowl Lions, hyenas, vultures, meerkats Anaconda, emerald tree boa, jaguars, giant anteaters Giraffe, elephant, zebra, wildebeest Black-tailed deer, jackrabbits, mountain goats, ground squirrels
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE TERRESTRIAL BIOME PUZZLE KEY TUNDRA -26 o C to 12 o C cold year round TAIGA (Boreal Forest) -10 o C to 14 o C Cool year round DECIDUOUS 6 o C to 28 o C GRASSLAND 0 o C to 25 o C ANNUAL PRECIPITATION <25 cm dry 35-75 cm 75-125 cm 25 75 cm Wet season and dry season SOIL Thin, nutrient poor soil over frozen Permafrost Low in nutrients and Acidic Moist with moderately thick topsoil, Rich in nutrients (humus) Deep layer of nutrient rich topsoil; Good for farming DESCRIPTION Strong, very cold winds with little precipitation, short & soggy summers Coniferous forest with long s but mild summers when ground thaws 4 seasons (spring, summer,, fall) warm to hot summers and cool to cold s PRODUCERS Grasses, sedges, moss, lichens Pines, cedars, spruce, fir Oaks, pecan, maples, hickories, willows Lush, perennial grasses, few scattered HERBIVORES Lemmings, Caribou, & musk oxen Moose, hares, Geese and Migratory waterfowl Squirrels, rabbits, white-tailed deer, songbirds Deer, prairie dogs, buffalo CARNIVORES Snowy owls, Arctic foxes, Migratory birds Bears, wolves, lynx wild hogs, fox, raccoon, coyotes, bears Wolves, coyotes, badgers, grizzly bears, armadillo
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION SOIL DESCRIPTION PRODUCERS HERBIVORES CARNIVORES TERRESTRIAL BIOME PUZZLE KEY CHAPARRAL 10 o C to 18 o C Hot summer & cool dry summer & rainy Rocky, thin topsoil, low in nutrients Mild, rainy s & hot, dry summers; Called plains; western movies Dense, spiny shrubs like scrub oaks, scattered clumps of conifers Black-tailed deer, jackrabbits, mountain goats, ground squirrels Mountain lions, cougars, bobcats, coyotes DESERT 7 o C to 38 o C May be very cold or very hot Very dry year round Dry, often sandy soil, low in nutrients Low precipitation with extreme temperature changes ( hot in day & cold at night) Cacti, succulents, Creosote bushes, vegetation that stores water with waxy cuticles Lizards, tortoises, mule deer, camels Roadrunners, peccary, rattlesnakes, kit fox TROPICAL SAVANNA 16 o C to 34 o C Always warm 75-150cm 6 month rainy season (monsoon) Dry, thin layer of topsoil; porous; low in nutrients Alternating wet and dry seasons with large number of herbivores & lots of migratory animals Tall grasses, acacia Giraffe, elephant, zebra, wildebeest Lions, hyenas, vultures, meerkats TROPICAL RAIN 20 o C to 34 o C Always warm and humid 200-400cm Rains almost daily; long, wet season Moist thin topsoil that is low in nutrients Located near the equator; called jungles or tropics Canopy layer of vegetation, vines, epiphytes like orchids & bromeliads, tropical ferns Parrots, monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, large insects & spiders Anaconda, emerald tree boa, jaguars, giant anteaters