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7.10A The World's Biomes Assignment

Last updated over 2 years ago
26 questions

This assignment is for a daily grade. Whatever you do not finish in class must be completed as homework.

Follow the link to The World's Biomes page.

Answer the questions by exploring The World's Biomes.

https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/index.php
3
What is a biome?

Biomes are defined as "_______ , classified according to the _______ and characterized by _______ to that particular environment"
1

How many major types of biomes are classified?

1

Select all the types of freshwater biomes listed here.

1
The salt content in freshwater biomes is defined as having__________.
5

In the littoral zone of ponds and lakes, which organisms belong to which energy level?

  • algae
  • snails
  • clams
  • aquatic plants
  • insects
  • turtles
  • crustaceans
  • snakes
  • ducks
  • fish
  • amphibians
  • Producers
  • Primary Consumers
  • Secondary Consumers
1
In ponds and lakes, the zone that is well lighted and dominated by plankton is the _______ zone.
1
In ponds and lakes, the zone that is deep, cold, and dense is the _______ zone.
1
As streams or rivers __________ they __________ in species diversity.
1

In rivers and streams, as water becomes murky light can more easily penetrate the water column causing species diversity to increase.

1
_______ have the highest species diversity of all ecosystems.
1

Wetlands are not considered freshwater ecosystems as there are some, such as salt marshes, that have high salt concentrations.

1

Select all the types of marine biomes listed below.

1

How much of the Earth's surface do marine biomes cover?

1

Select all the zones of ocean biomes listed below.

3

Select the text describing the variety of organisms in the intertidal zone of the ocean.

The intertidal zone is where the ocean meets the land — sometimes it is submerged and at other times exposed, as waves and tides come in and out. Because of this, the communities are constantly changing. On rocky coasts, the zone is stratified vertically. Where only the highest tides reach, there are only a few species of algae and mollusks. In those areas usually submerged during high tide, there is a more diverse array of algae and small animals, such as herbivorous snails, crabs, sea stars, and small fishes. At the bottom of the intertidal zone, which is only exposed during the lowest tides, many invertebrates, fishes, and seaweed can be found. The intertidal zone on sandier shores is not as stratified as in the rocky areas. Waves keep mud and sand constantly moving, thus very few algae and plants can establish themselves — the fauna include worms, clams, predatory crustaceans, crabs, and shorebirds.
2

Select the text describing the variety of organisms in the pelagic zone of the ocean.

The pelagic zone includes those waters further from the land, basically the open ocean. The pelagic zone is generally cold though it is hard to give a general temperature range since, just like ponds and lakes, there is thermal stratification with a constant mixing of warm and cold ocean currents. The flora in the pelagic zone include surface seaweeds. The fauna include many species of fish and some mammals, such as whales and dolphins. Many feed on the abundant plankton.
2

Select the text describing the variety of organisms in the benthic zone of the ocean.

The benthic zone is the area below the pelagic zone, but does not include the very deepest parts of the ocean (see abyssal zone below). The bottom of the zone consists of sand, slit, and/or dead organisms. Here temperature decreases as depth increases toward the abyssal zone, since light cannot penetrate through the deeper water. Flora are represented primarily by seaweed while the fauna, since it is very nutrient-rich, include all sorts of bacteria, fungi, sponges, sea anemones, worms, sea stars, and fishes.
3

Select the text describing the variety of organisms in the abyssal zone of the ocean.

The deep ocean is the abyssal zone. The water in this region is very cold (around 3° C), highly pressured, high in oxygen content, but low in nutritional content. The abyssal zone supports many species of invertebrates and fishes. Mid-ocean ridges (spreading zones between tectonic plates), often with hydrothermal vents, are found in the abyssal zones along the ocean floors. Chemosynthetic bacteria thrive near these vents because of the large amounts of hydrogen sulfide and other minerals they emit. These bacteria are thus the start of the food web as they are eaten by invertebrates and fishes.
1
Coral reefs are host to some of the most thriving biomes on the planet, however since reef waters tend to be nutritionally poor, corals obtain nutrients through the algae via_______ and also by extending tentacles to obtain_______ from the water.
1

The answers to question 19 suggests that corals are both primary and secondary consumers.

1

Why are there relatively few large mammals in desert biomes?

2

Match the desert biome with the correct description.

Draggable itemCorresponding Item
Semiarid
Canopy in most deserts is very rare. Plants are mainly ground-hugging shrubs and short woody trees. Leaves are "replete" (fully supported with nutrients) with water-conserving characteristics. They tend to be small, thick and covered with a thick cuticle (outer layer). In the cacti, the leaves are much-reduced (to spines) and photosynthetic activity is restricted to the stems.
Cold
The spiny nature of many plants in semiarid deserts provides protection in a hazardous environment. The large numbers of spines shade the surface enough to significantly reduce transpiration. The same may be true of the hairs on the woolly desert plants. Many plants have silvery or glossy leaves, allowing them to reflect more radiant energy.
Coastal
Some plants have extensive root systems close to the surface where they can take advantage of any rain showers. All of the plants with thick and fleshy leaves or stems can take in large quantities of water when it is available and store it for future use. In some plants, the surfaces are corrugated with longitudinal ridges and grooves.
Hot and Dry
The plants are widely scattered. In areas of shadscale, about 10 percent of the ground is covered, but in some areas of sagebush it approaches 85 percent. Plant heights vary between 15 cm and 122 cm. The main plants are deciduous, most having spiny leaves.
1

How many years ago did forest biomes begin to populate the Earth?

3
Forests also know as taiga, occurring in the coldest parts of the world, and only have a growing season of 130 days are __________. Forests that occur near the equator, have rainy and dry seasons, and can be subdivided into groups based on seasonal distribution of rainfall are __________. Forests that are most likely found in the U.S., have well defined seasons, and are subdivided into groups focused on conifers are __________
5

Two types of grassland biomes are savannas and temperate grasslands. Match the correct features to the subcategories.

  • soil is deep and dark, with fertile upper layers
  • vary more from summer to winter
  • grassland with scattered individual trees
  • can be subdivided into prairies and steppes
  • support different grasses due to disparities in rainfall and soil conditions
  • soil is porous, with rapid drainage of water
  • has both a dry and a rainy season
  • always found in warm or hot climates
  • characterized as having grasses as the dominant vegetation
  • Savanna
  • Temperate Grassland
7
The tundra biome is the _______ of all biomes.

The arctic tundra is located in the _______ hemisphere and has cold, _______ like conditions. It has a layer of permanently frozen subsoil called_______ . Although life is scarce there are about _______ kinds of plants in the arctic and subarctic tundra.

The alpine tundra is located on _______ and at nighttime the temperature is usually below _______ .