Biology - Biomes of North America POGIL

According to Model 1, which two biomes have the same amount of rainfall? - ANSWER Tundra and Desert Which biome in Model 1 has the most rainfall? - ANSWER Tropical rainforest Which biome has the highest average temperature? - ANSWER Desert Which two biomes have nearly the same average temperature? - ANSWER Tundra and grasslands Refer to Model 1 - Name the three different types of forests shown in Model 1 - ANSWER Coniferous forest/taiga, temperature deciduous forest, tropical rainforest What is another name for the coniferous forest? - ANSWER Taiga Refer to Model 1 - What characteristic differentiates the tundra and the desert? - ANSWER The average temperature Why might the tundra also be known as the "frozen desert"? - ANSWER Because there's very little precipitation and the average temperature is -10 Consider the biomes in Model 1 with moderate temperatures. What characteristic differentiates the grasslands and temperature deciduous forest? - ANSWER The average precipitation What would be the most likely reason for the grasslands having grasses rather than trees as their dominant plant species? - ANSWER There is not enough rain to support trees Describe the relationship between temperature, rainfall and the type of forest - ANSWER The more rainfall, the bigger the tree, so that creates a rainfall The six bars in Model 2 represent the six North American biomes introduced in Model 1, and include a list of some plants and animals typically found in each biome. What information is represented by the x-axis in Model 2? - ANSWER Trend in number of space What information is represented by the y-axis in Model 2? - ANSWER Distance from the equator (latitudinal region) How might the y-axis information in Model 2 be related to one of the data axes in Model 1? - ANSWER The distance from the equator depends on the temperature Identify each of the six biomes found in North America on the map below.Average rainfall data is given to help you choose between biomes in the same latitudinal region. - ANSWER 1) Tundra; 2) Taiga; 3) Desert; 4) Grasslands; 5) Temperature deciduous forest; 6) Tropical rainforest Refer to Model 2. Which latitudinal region contains the fewest number of species? - ANSWER Arctic List the biome(s) found in this latitudinal region - ANSWER Found across northern Alaska, Canada and Siberia Which latitudinal region contains the largest number of species? - ANSWER Tropical rainforest List the biome(s) found in this latitudinal region - ANSWER Central and south America, southeast Asia, Africa and Australia Biodiversity is a term used to describe the variety of plant and animal species in a given biome. An ecosystem or biome that supports a large variety of species is very biodiverse. What biome in North America has the highest biodiversity? - ANSWER Tropical rainforest What characteristics of this biome enable it to support such a high level of biodiversity? - ANSWER Lots of rainfall and plant life What biome in North America has the lowest biodiversity? - ANSWER Tundra What characteristics of this biome make it difficult for a high level of biodiversity to develop? - ANSWER Not much rainfall or plant life, and everything is super cold What is the general trend of the biodiversity in biomes as the latitude moves from the arctic region towards the equator? - ANSWER Biodiversity gets greater! Extension Questions: The grasslands biome is considered to be the "bread basket" of our country because it is a hub of agricultural activities particularly grain farming (wheat, corn, rye, oats, etc.). Much of the U.S. animal farming and meat production also occurs here, since the animals are often grain-fed. Recent climate change models suggest that as the planet warms, rainfall in this region will drop and temperatures will rise. Use the information from this activity to answer the following questions. What characteristics of the grasslands biome make it a critical source of food for the U.S. and other countries? - ANSWER Grain farming and animal farming occur in grasslands If rainfall in the grasslands biome does decrease as the climate change model suggests, to what type of biome would the grasslands biome convert? - ANSWER Desert Assume that the climate change model accurately predicts the change to this biome over the next 50 years. What results would this have on our country's ability to support its people? - ANSWER Food production would have to go down far, and farming would be harder to do One of today's most serious environmental problems is the dramatic loss of the tropical rainforest through deforestation. Explain, using the information from this activity and outside sources, how deforestation is resulting in devastating consequences for our environment. - ANSWER Rainforests have the most biodiversity, so if they are cut down we will lose many species