Biome

Question 1

What is a biome?

Answer 1

A biome is a large area characterized by its flora and Fauna (vegetation, soil, climate, and wildlife).

Question 2

What are the five major types of biomes?

Answer 2

There are five major types of biomes: aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra.

Question 3

Describe aquatic biomes

Answer 3

Aquatic biomes include both freshwater and marine biomes. Freshwater biomes are bodies of water surrounded by land—such as ponds, rivers, and lakes—that have a salt content of less than one percent.

Question 4

Describe grasslands

Answer 4

Grasslands are open regions that are dominated by grass and have a warm, dry climate. There are two types of grasslands: tropical grasslands (sometimes called savannas) and temperate grasslands.

Question 5

Describe forest biomes

Answer 5

Forests are dominated by trees, and cover about one-third of the Earth. Forests contain much of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, including insects, birds, and mammals.

Question 6

What are the three major forest biomes?

Answer 6

The three major forest biomes are temperate forests, tropical forests, and boreal forests (also known as the taiga).

Question 7

Describe desert biomes

Answer 7

Deserts are dry areas where rainfall is less than 50 centimeters (20 inches) per year.

Question 8

Describe tundra biomes

Answer 8

A tundra has extremely inhospitable conditions, with the lowest measured temperatures of any of the five major biomes with average yearly temperatures ranging from -34 to 12 degrees Celsius (-29 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit). They also have a low amount of precipitation, just 15–25 centimeters (six to ten inches) per year, as well as poor quality soil nutrients and short summers.

Question 9

What are the two types of tundra?

Answer 9

There are two types of tundra: arctic and alpine.