1. Biomes

2. Tundra Why don’t people who live in the tundra biome have basements?
What is permafrost?
Why is the tundra called the “treeless plain”? What factors cause this?

3. Boreal Coniferous forest (Taiga)
Why do only small ferns and mosses grow on the forest floor?
Fifty percent of Canad’s land mass is classified as boreal forest. What are the two dominant trees?
Why are trees in the coniferous forest referred to as evergreens?
What survival adaptations do coniferous trees possess

4. Deciduous Forest
Why does photosynthesis decrease rapidly in this biome?
Why are decomposers so important to this biome?
Why are plants and animals so much more abundant in this biome than in other biomes?

5. Grasslands Why can’t large trees grow in this biome
If there were no predators or scavengers on the prairies would herbivores survive for a long time? Explain.

6. Desert
What do animals do to keep themselves cool during the day in the desert?
How have plants adapted for survival here?
What is a xerophyte?

7. Rainforest
Why is it important to stop the destruction of the rainforests?
Why are the leaves of the plants in this biome so large?
Why is the soil not fertile in the rainforest?

8. Why is radiant energy (aka sunlight) important to a biome?

9. Ecotones
Not a specific biome – it Is an area of transition between two biomes.
Transition is not sharp or sudden; it is an area of gradual change from one type of biome to the next.
For example, Saskatoon is located in the Aspen Parkland ecotone – mixture of prairie grassland and deciduous forest