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BIOMES

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Knowledge Organiser • Biomes • Year 5

VocabularyA large area of land with a particular climate, type of plants and animals.

A community of living and non-living things that work together.

The general weather conditions and patterns in an area.

A tree that sheds its leaves in the autumn.

When a plant or animal is in a deep, long sleep.

The imaginary line that runs around the middle of the earth

The animals that normally live in a particular biome.

The plants that normally grow in a particular biome.

Imaginary lines goes around the earth horizontally.

Mild weather, further away from the equator.

Any place on earth near the equator.

Cutting down trees.

Biome

Ecosystem

Climate

Deciduous

Dormant

Equator

Fauna

Flora

Latitude

Temperate

Tropics

Deforestation

The Six Major BiomesTropical Rainforest

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Coniferous forest (Taiga)

Tundra

Grasslands (Savanna)

Desert

• Very steady temperature between 20°C and 25°C.

• Rains all year long.

• The trees are very tall and varied.

• Most of the plants are evergreen, not deciduous.

• Temperature ranges from -30°C to 30°C.

• Goes through all four seasons.

• Range of trees, most lose their leaves in the autumn.

• Even rainfall throughout most of the year.

• Temperature ranges from -54°C to 30°C.

• Low average temperature.

• Most of the trees are evergreen.

• Largest land biome.

• Temperature ranges from -34°C to 6°C.

• Coldest of all the biomes.

• Little rain, lots of frost.

• No trees grow, and only a few small plants.

• Dry season and a rainy season.

• Temperature ranges from -40°C to 40°C+.

• Mostly grass grows, occasional individual trees.

• Temperatures over 50°C in the day, below freezing at night.

• Very few clouds and very little rain.

• Very few plants or animals.

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Lesson Question You will learn Learning Review

What are the Earth’s biomes?

What affects an ecosystem?

What is the tundra?

What is the taiga?

What is the savanna?

How are biomes being damaged?

• The world has many different biomes

• Biomes are large ecosystems

• Biomes have distinct climatic conditions, flora and fauna

• Temperature and precipitation affect the distribution of biomes.

• Ocean currents affect the distribution of biomes.

• Human activity can negatively impact biomes

• What the tundra is like

• Where the tundra is found

• What plants and animals live in the tundra

• What the taiga is like

• Where the taiga is found

• What plants and animals live in the taiga

• What the savanna is like

• Where the savanna is found

• What plants and animals live in the savanna

• How biomes are threatened by climate change

• How biomes are threatened by human activity

• What the future might hold for Earth`s biomes

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Lesson

01 What are the Earth’s biomes?

• Lesson 1

Map: World Biomes

1. Use your knowledge organiser to write the definition of a biome.

2. Use the map to complete the table and write down the biome found in each place.

A biome is _______________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Place

Northern Russia

Egypt

Central Australia

Eastern USA

UK

India

Along the equator

Biome

5Lesson 1 •

3. Which biome do you think each picture is of?

_______________

_______________

_______________

_______________

6 • Lesson 1

4. Which biomes are these descriptions referring to?

This biome has 4 distinct seasons. This means that most of the plants and trees shed their leaves for winter and grow their leaves again in the Spring. The temperature range can be very high, but this biome needs a lot of rainfall. The UK has this biome.

This biome does not have 4 distinct seasons; it exists where there is heavy rainfall all year round and where the temperatures are consistently high. This biome covers about 6% of the Earth’s land surface. This biome has the world’s highest biodiversity. Some trees can reach up to 85m tall. This biome is found near the equator.

Biodiversity = the number of different species of plants and animals.

This biome has distinct wet and dry seasons. The wet seasons received a huge amount of rain, but the dry season brings very hot temperatures and water is scarce. This biome has wildlife and plants that have adapted to these extremes, but animals often have to migrate long distances each year in pursuit of water and food. This biome can be found in southern and eastern Africa.

This biome is found in colder areas and the trees often have needles instead of leaves. The temperature range can be very high and this biome is able to make the most of the limited sunshine by not shedding the needles. This is the world’s biggest biome. This biome is found in northern Canada and most of Russia. It is also found in some mountainous regions, where temperatures are cooler.

This biome has very extreme daily variations in temperature. Temperatures soar (rise high) during the day but plummet (fall quickly) at night as there are usually no clouds to trap the heat. The lack of clouds also means that there is very little rain, and so few plants and animals are able to survive here. This biome covers about 20% of the world’s land surface.

5. Read the information about climate.

The global pattern of biomes is controlled by climate. Around the world, climate varies. For example, in some places it is hot and dry but in other places it can be hot with lots of rain. This variation in climate produces all the different biomes around the world. The diagram below shows how some of the climate regions are created. For example, at the equator, it says that moist air rises to create lots of rain, and near the north pole it says that cold, dry air falls, which creates dry conditions.

7Lesson 1 •

Diagram: Global Climates and Biomes

6. Use the diagram to answer the questions

a. Why is tropical rainforest usually located near the equator?

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b. Why are hot deserts usually located at 30o North and 30o South?

i. Dry air falls at this point creating lots of rain.

ii. Dry air falls at this point meaning that there is very little rain created.

iii. There is lots of moist air here and so this creates dry conditions.

8 • Lesson 2

1. What is a biome?

2. Where would you find a desert biome?

a. Europe

b. North Africa

c. Japan

3. Northern Russia is a tundra.

True / False

4. Why is tropical rainforest located near the equator?

5. Which biome has extreme daily variations in temperature?

Retrieval Practice

Lesson

02 What affects an ecosystem?

9Lesson 2 •

1. Read the information about some of the factors that affect biomes.

Temperature and PrecipitationTemperature (how hot or cold) and precipitation (rain, snow, hail, sleet) affect biomes and where they are located (their distribution). This is because temperature and precipitation control the plants that can survive in an area and then this controls the animals that can survive there. For example, in an area that is very hot and receives little rain, few plants can survive. This means that few animals can survive because there is little water and not much food. So, a desert biome is created.

Ocean CurrentsOcean currents are channels of warmer or colder water in the oceans. These currents move warmer or colder water around the oceans and they are so powerful that they can affect climate on land and therefore the biomes. For example, the UK has a warm current that flows along its western coast. This keeps the UK warmer than it would be without the warm current. Therefore, the UK has much milder winters compared to places in Canada along the same line of latitude, which is affected by a cold current.

10 • Lesson 2

3. Read the information about how humans affect biomes.

Humans rely on biomes for survival as food and water come from biomes. Humans use the soil to grow crops (plants used for food) and to farm animals. However, humans also negatively affect the biomes they rely on. For example, humans produce a lot of waste and pollution and these damage biomes. Humans also take lots of resources from the land, for example by cutting down trees or mining materials from underground. These activities cause lots of problems for biomes when not carried out carefully. When humans damage the biomes, the plants and animals that rely on the biomes also suffer. Humans are causing lots of problems for themselves by not protecting the biomes enough.

4. Use the information to answer the questions.

a. Why do humans need biomes?

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________________________________________

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b. Why is it a problem when humans damage the biomes?

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2. Use the information on previous page to answer the questions.

a. What is precipitation?

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b. How do temperature and precipitation affect where biomes are located?

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c. Why does the UK have milder winters than parts of Canada along the same line of latitude?

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11Lesson 2 •

5. How does this image show why it is important for humans to take care of the biomes?

Photo: turtle with a plastic bag in its mouth (plastic bags look like jellyfish, which turtles eat)

6. Using the images above, describe what impact throwing plastic away might have on an ecosystem.

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12 • Lesson 3

1. What is the name of the line that marks the middle of the Earth?

2. How are humans negatively affecting biomes?

3. What is precipitation?

4. What type of biome would you in the UK?

a. Deciduous forest

b. Desert

c. Tropical Rainforest

5. Why is Northern Europe warmer than other northern regions?

Retrieval Practice

Lesson

03 What is the tundra?

13Lesson 3 •

1. Using these images and the words below, describe what the tundra is like.

Words:

• Snow and ice

• Low temperatures

• Plants and trees

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14 • Lesson 3

2. Read the passage about the characteristics of the tundra.

4. Read the passage about the flora and fauna found in the tundra.

The tundra biome is mostly located in the Arctic Circle, which is the area of land that surrounds the North Pole, and at the top of tall mountains where conditions are similar to in the Arctic Circle. The tundra is cold, windy and quite dry. This means that trees can’t grow. However, when the snow melts in the summer, lots of small plants and flowers are able to survive. Winter temperatures can drop to -35ºC. The winter season is long and the summer season is very short. During the middle of winter it is dark for 24 hours per day and during the middle of summer it is light for 24 hours per day.

There aren’t many species of plants and animals that can survive in the tundra, meaning it has a low level of biodiversity. Life is very difficult in the tundra and so the plants and animals that survive there have evolved specifically to suit this specific environment. For example, plants in the tundra have adapted to be able to cope with low temperatures and less sunlight. However, if the tundra conditions change even slightly, these plants and animals have an even more difficult time surviving. An example that has been in the news a lot is the case of the polar bear, which is found in the tundra areas around the Arctic Circle. The tundra is becoming warmer and as the ice melts, it becomes much harder for the polar bears to hunt for food. This is causing a reduction in the number of polar bears.

3. Use the information to answer the questions.

a. Where is the tundra located?

________________________________________

b. What climate does the tundra have?

________________________________________

c. Why can’t trees grow?

________________________________________

15Lesson 3 •

5. Use the information to answer the questions.

6. What is the tundra?

a. Why is there a low level of biodiversity in the tundra?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

b. How have plants adapted to survive in the tundra?

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c. Why is change to the climate of the tundra a serious problem?

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Tips:

• Where is the tundra found?

• What is the climate like in the tundra?

• What plants and animals live in the tundra?

• Why is the tundra very fragile?

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16 • Lesson 4

1. Where can the tundra be found?

2. In winter, what is it like in the tundra?

3. Tundra is found in the UK.

True / false

4. What controls where a biome is located?

5. Why are biomes really important to humans?

a. Biomes provide nice places to visit.

b. Biomes provide food and water for humans.

c. Biomes allow humans to live however they want without consequences.

Retrieval Practice

Lesson

04 What is the taiga?

17Lesson 4 •

1. Analyse the graph by answering the questions below. Make sure you include the units.

a. How much rainfall does the deciduous forest receive per year? _________________________

b. How much rainfall does the taiga receive per year? ____________________________________

c. Which biome receives approximately 225cm of rain each year? ________________________

d. Which biome receives the least rain per year? _________________________________________

Graph: Annual rainfall in climate regions (averages)

18 • Lesson 4

2. Read the information about the taiga.

Taiga is also known as coniferous forest and boreal forest. Taiga is the largest land-based biome and is largely found across northern North America, northern Europe and Northern Asia. It is usually found just below the tundra biome, where temperatures have risen and rainfall increased enough to allow trees to grow. Taiga is also found in mountainous areas that are not as far north, as similar conditions are found up in the mountains. The winters are long and cold, and the summers are quite short and mild, with lots of rain.

3. Use the information to answer the questions and unjumble the sentences.

a. What is the taiga also known as?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

b. quite a lot of The taiga receives precipitation.

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c. Where is the taiga found?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

d. the largest is The taiga land-based biome.

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19Lesson 4 •

5. Use the passage above to answer the questions.

The Flora (plants) and Fauna (animals) of the Taiga

Compared to other biomes, the taiga has less _________________________________, meaning there are fewer different species of plants and animals . The most common type of _________________________________ found in the taiga is the conifer, which is also called an evergreen because they don’t lose their needles in the winter. The taiga is quite a difficult place to survive because of the _________________________________ temperatures during the winter. This means that animals that live in the taiga have to be especially adapted to _________________________________ in these conditions. For example, animals have to have _________________________________ coats and be able to eat the limited selection of foods available in the taiga. Some animals migrate to warmer places for the ______________________________. In the taiga, predators such as _________________________________, eagles and wolves hunt mammals such as moose, deer and _________________________________.

a. Why are conifer trees also called everygreen trees?

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b. Describe one way in which some animals survive in the taiga.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

c. What is the name of one predator found in the taiga?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

d. Which of the following animals would you not find in the taiga?

• tree

• bears

• winter

• squirrels

• biodiversity

• survive

• warm

• low

4. Complete the passage below by adding in the missing words from the word bank below.

20 • Lesson 5

1. Name two animals found in the taiga.

2. Name two animals found in the tundra.

3. What controls the distribution of biomes around the world?

4. There is low biodiversity in the tundra.

True / False

5. Complete this sentence.

One way in which animals adapt to survive in the taiga is by ________________________.

Retrieval Practice

Lesson

05 What is the savanna?

21Lesson 5 •

1. Label the images with the name of the biome they are showing.

_________________

_________________

_________________

_________________

_________________

22 • Lesson 5

2.Using the map below, name two places where savanna is found.

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23Lesson 5 •

3. Using the images below and your knowledge organiser, write a description of what the savanna is like.

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a. Which animals are you likely to find in the savanna? ____________________________________

b. Does the savanna receive a lot of rain? ________________________________________________

c. What sort of plants grow in the savanna? ______________________________________________

d. Why do animals such as wildebeest have to migrate? __________________________________

e. Which famous movie is set in the savanna? ____________________________________________

Giraffes near Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya

Sunrise in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Wildebeest migrating across Tanzania and Kenya, in pursuit of food

4. Answer these questions about the savanna.

24 • Lesson 6

1. A grizzly bear is an example of an animal you would find in the taiga biome.

True / False

2. Name one continent where the savanna biome can be found.

3. Circle the correct statement.

a. Conifers drop their leaves in winter and grow new ones in summer.

b. Conifers are green all year round and never drop their leaves.

c. Conifers don’t drop their leaves but they turn brown in winter.

d. Conifers have brown leaves in summer and drop them in winter.

4. Which is the coldest of all the biomes?

5. Write down two characteristics of the savannah biome.

Retrieval Practice

Lesson

06 How are biomes being damaged?

25Lesson 6 •

1. Read the passage about how biomes are threatened by climate change.

Climate change is presenting biomes all over the world with serious challenges and in many places, biomes are already being destroyed by climate change. When temperatures and rain patterns change even a small amount, this can have dramatic impacts on the biomes and the species that live in them. Plants and animals are often not able to survive in other places because they don’t have the time they need to learn how to survive in other places. Furthermore, climate change is causing warmer temperatures around the world and this is causing ice to melt which is causing sea levels to rise. As coastal areas flood, human communities are having to move into new areas and this is putting more pressure on different biomes.

2. Answer the questions using the information from the passage.

a. What does climate change involve?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

b. Why is climate change threatening biomes around the world?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

c. Why are people moving away from some coastal areas?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

26 • Lesson 6

3. Match the biome to one of the human activities that is threatening it.

Tundra

Savanna

Taiga

Rainforest

Cutting down trees and grazing cattle on the land damages the soil and turns it into a desert.

Tourists driving off road cars kills the vegetation that the animals need to survive.

Cutting down trees destroys the fragile habitat that animals need to survive the cold conditions.

Climate change means that global temperatures are rising, which is melting the ice in this biome.

4. Read the passage about the future for the Earth’s biomes.

Climate change is causing serious problems for the planet, the plants and animals that live on the planet and for us. It is really important that humans change their behaviours soon so that the biomes will not be permanently damaged and destroyed. Climate change is causing sea levels to rise and flooding large areas of land. Climate change is turning healthy land into desert, which reduced biodiversity and also affects our ability to produce the food we need. Climate change is altering (changing) the precipitation patterns, leading to water shortages. Climate change is causing many problems for the planet. Activitists like Greta Thunberg have been working to try to get governments to make the changes that are needed in order to protect the planet.

Photograph: Greta Thunberg, climate activitist

27Lesson 6 •

5. Why should we protect the planet?

Picture: a drawing of one of the protests that Greta Thunberg was at, calling governments to make changes to protect the planet.

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