Forest Biomes

1. What are the three main types of forest biomes?

• Tropical Rain Forest• Temperate Forest– Temperate Rain Forest– Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Taiga

2. The precipitation in a forest biome needs to be __________.• The precipitation in a forest biome needs to

be high.

Tropical Rain Forest

3. How much rainfall do tropical rain forests receive in a year?

• 200 to 450 cm of rain a year

4. Tropical rain forests are located near the ______________.

• Tropical rain forests are located near the equator.

5. What is the climate like in a tropical rain forest?

• Very Hot and Wet

6. What types of organisms are responsible for the nutrients in the soil of a tropical

rain forest?• There is a very little amount of nutrients in the soil.

Most plants get their nutrients by keeping their roots close to the surface of the soil. When decomposing material touches the roots they get the nutrients directly from this material.

7. Look at the map on page 157. Which two months had the least

amount of precipitation?• August and September

8. What was the temperature of those two months?

• About 25° C

9. Which two months had the highest temperature?

• May and June

10. What was the precipitation during those months?

• About 27 cm

11. List the four layers found within a tropical rain forest.

• 1. Understory-Area below the canopy, very little light reaches here

• 2. Lower Canopy- Part of the Primary Layer, Receives less light than the upper canopy

• 3. Upper Canopy- Part of the Primary Layer, Receives more light than the lower canopy

• 4. Emergent Layer- The top layer of the rain forest.

12. What kinds of plants would you expect to see in the emergent layer?• Very tall trees that require direct sunlight• tall as skyscrapers. The tops of the trees are

shaped like umbrellas and they grow on long, thin trunks.

13. Which layer is the primary layer?

• Canopy• The trees form a green roof over the forest

below. This roof is like an umbrella or canopy. The canopy is the busiest part of the rainforest. The leaves, flowers and fruit that grow there provide food for monkeys, birds, insects and other animals.

14. What kind of plants would be found in the lower canopy?

• Shorter trees that can survive with little light.

15. What kind of plants would be found in the understory?

• Trees or shrubs adapted to shade

16. Which layer is most of the animal life found?

• Canopy because most of the flowers and fruits grow there.

17. What two medicines can we make from the plant Rosy periwinkle, found in the

tropical rain forest?

• vinblastine and vincristine

18. What are these two medications used to treat?

• Cancer -Vinblastine to treat Hodgkin’s disease–Vincristine to treat Childhood Leukemia

19. What percentage of the earth is currently covered by tropical rain forests?• Less than 7 percent

20. What did that percentage used to be?

• 20 percent

21. What is the biggest threat to tropical rain forests?

• Humans

22. What are three reasons that humans destroy tropical rain forests?• Food• Building Materials• Trading of animals or

plants only found in the rain forest

Temperate Rain Forest

23. What three areas can temperate rain forests be found?

• North America• Australia• New Zealand

24. What is the climate like in a temperate rain forest?

• High precipitation, High Humidity, and Moderate Temperatures

25. Where is the only temperate rain forests in North America located?

• Pacific Northwest

Temperate Deciduous Forest

26. Name four trees that can be found in a temperate deciduous forest?

• Tall trees• Small trees

• Shrubs• Herbs

27. What happens to the leaves in a temperate deciduous forest?

• In the fall they are shed from the trees.

28. What latitudes can deciduous forests be found?

• Between 30° and 50° N

29. Name three types of trees that can be found in a deciduous forest.

• Maple• Oak• Birch

30. Why do more plants grow on the floor of a deciduous forest than in a tropical rain

forest?• The floor of a decidous forest gets more light

than the floor of a rain forest does.

31. How long is the growing season in a deciduous forest?

• Four to six months

32. Look at the map on page 162, what months have the highest temperature

and precipitation?• June, July, and August

33. What happens to the birds in a deciduous forest?

• They are migratory. They cannot survive harsh winters and fly south for the winter where food is available.

Taiga

34. Where would a taiga biome be found?

• Broad band across the Northern Hemisphere just below the Arctic Circle

35. How long are winters in the taiga?

• 6 to 10 months

36. What types of trees are found in a taiga? (deciduous/confierous)

• Coniferous

37. What are two reasons that plant growth is most abundant in the summer months on the taiga?

• Nearly constant daylight and larger amounts of precipitation

38. What is a conifer?

• A tree with needle-like leaves and seeds that develop in cones.

39. How is this tree different than the trees in a deciduous forest?

• Deciduous forest trees have normal broad leaves.

40. How does the shape of a conifer benefit it for its surroundings?

• It is shaped like a cone to prevent snow from building up on the branches which would break the branches from weight.

41. What do conifer needles do to the soil in the taiga?

• They make the soil acidic which prevents other plants from growing.