Hunt for Earth's Biomes
A Treasure Hunt on The Earth's Biomes

created by sandy figoten
Sage Park Middle School

Introduction | The Questions | Internet Resources

Introduction
Surf's up! Grab your brain and head for the far reaches of earth. There's a lot to learn in this information age. Using the Web allows you to discover tons more than you may have ever known possible. Below is a list of questions about your planet's biomes and the food chains within them. Surf the Internet links on this page to find answers to the questions. While you are browsing, think about which biome interests you the most... and be sure to stay on the look out for snakes, poisonous plants, huge carnivores, and the intrusion of humans.

Questions
  1. What is a food chain?



  2. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?



  3. a) What is an energy pyramid? b) What happens to the energy in producers as it moves up to secondary consumers?



  4. What is Campbell's definition of a biome?



  5. a) Which biome(s) has the largest secondary/tertiary consumers (carnivores)? b) Which biome has the most producers? c) Compare our deciduous forest biome with the desert and tundra in terms of producers- which has the most and how do you think this affects the consumer population?



  6. Of the land vs. water biomes, which contains the greatest number of species of living organisms?



  7. a) What is a marshland? b) Name one animal and one plant that can be found in a marshland.



  8. Name the four layers of the rain forest along with one animal living in each.



  9. Name two animals of the desert and explain what they use for shelter from the sun and what they eat to survive.



  10. a) What is the difference between the permafrost and active layer of the ground in the tundra? b) How tall do plants in the tundra grow?



  11. a) What is a deciduous tree? b) How many frost-free days does a decidous tree need in a growing season?



  12. a) How have most of the deciduous forests in the modern world been eliminated from existence? b) Where have many of the large animals that had lived in deciduous forests been driven to?



  13. What is a coniferous tree?



  14. a) What does taiga mean in Russian? b) The taiga (coniferous forest) is sandwiched between what two biomes? c) What U.S. state represents a major coniferous biome?



  15. Which is the largest land biome on earth?



  16. Why does the grassland biome not contain forests?



  17. a) What is the difference between a savanna and a temperate grassland? b) Savannas cover more than half the surface of what continent?



  18. What is the primary producer in a temperate grassland biome and how does this affect the diet of the animals that live in this biome?



  19. a) What is a 'watershed'? b) How is the pattern of water in a watershed similar the branches of a tree reaching for sunlight or the passage of air through our lungs?



  20. What is 'succession' and what are the stages of succession for a pond as it slowly becomes a forest or grassland?



  21. What are wetlands and why are they in danger?



  22. a) Name the 3 zones in the open ocean. b) To what depth does sunlight penetrate and how does this affect the animals of the ocean?a) What are the four tidepool zones? b) Name one creature living in each zone.



  23. a)What is the difference between a temperate ocean and a tropical ocean? b) Temperate oceans are home to the largest creature and smallest creature on earth- what are they?



  24. a) How long does it take an inch of coral to grow? b) About how many species live on a coral reef? c) Name two major threats to coral reefs.



  25. What kind of pollution most threatens our oceans?



  26. a) What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton in a marine ecosystem? b) Which is a producer in the food chain?



  27. a) What is an estuary? b) Why are estuaries important?





The Internet Resources

The Big Question
Use the graphic organizer provided to gather detailed information about your one chosen biome. You will then need to create either a diorama or a poster of this biome as your final project.




created by Filamentality Content by Sandy Figoten, sfigoten@windsorct.org
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/hunttheeartsa.html
Last revised Mon Feb 5 7:17:16 US/Pacific 2007