1. Resources Main skills Links to the spec
Text book page 92-93
Main skills
Creating a climate graph & interpretation
Links to the spec
4.1 Understand the concept of an ecosystem being the interdependence of climate, soil, water, plants and animals
4.1 The feature of polar & tundra ecosystems

2. Understanding the features of the world’s cold biomes.
Learning Objectives:
To be able to describe the distribution and characteristics of the world’s cold ecosystems
To be able to explain why polar & tundra ecosystems have different features

3. Review: With your neighbour answer the following -
Define ecosystem:
What are the key words for the living and non-living environments?
What word describes the relationships and connections between components of an ecosystem?
Name 4 different biomes.
What is the main influence that affects the global distribution of biomes.
Students to mind-map or similar everything they can remember about ecosystems in 3 mins.
Ask the class for any information they can provide on:
the 4 aspects of ecosystems (atmosphere, plants, soil, and animals)
Food chains
Naming any types of ecosystems

4. An ecosystem is a community of living things – the biotic e
An ecosystem is a community of living things – the biotic e.g flora = plants & fauna = animals) and their interdependence with one another and the abiotic (non-living) environment e.g. soil; water; rock; climate.
Biotic
Abiotic
The living and non-living components in every ecosystem are all interdependent.

5. Word Ecosystem
Tropical rainforests
Tropical grasslands
Hot deserts
Mediterranean
Temperate deciduous forests
Temperate grasslands
Coniferous forests
Tundra

6. The most important single factor that determines where each type of biome is found is climate.
Climate. The temperature and rainfall of any location will influence the plant growth, (flora) which in turn affects the number and types of animals (fauna).
This question. Think, then share but all discussion – no writing needed

7. Task: Identify biomes 1, 4 and 7.
Challenge: Identify all the biomes.

8. Tropical Rainforest – This is a very hot and wet biome located on or around the equator. Known for its Biodiversity
Tropical Savannah - A dry and hot area composed of mainly grassland and scattered shrubs and isolated trees, which can be found between a tropical rainforest and desert biome in Africa, Arabia and even Australia
Desert - This biome is very hot and also very, very dry. Found around 30°N and S of the Equator
Chaparral (Mediterranean – evergreen trees and shrubs in Atlas) – found around the Mediterranean Sea
Grassland - rolling terrain of grasses, flowers and herbs. Found mainly in the interior of Europe/Asia and North America
Temperate Deciduous Forest - few extremes of climate and can be found in the eastern half of North America, and the west of Europe. It can also be found in Asia. The forest has four distinct seasons.
Temperate Boreal Forest - Also known as the taiga, this biome is a northern coniferous (evergreen) forest. Found north of temperate deciduous forests in Canada, Europe, Asia, and the United States
Arctic and Alpine Tundra - covers one-fifth of the land on earth. It is below freezing at night year round and the meaning of its name comes from Lappish language (Lapland) which means “land with no trees”. 7 5 4 8 6 1 2 3

9. COPY: Biomes are large-scale ecosystems defined by abiotic factors, especially the climate (temperature and precipitation) and also relief (steepness of the land), geology (type of rocks) and soil fertility.
How many different ecosystems or biomes do you notice?

10. In pairs describe the DISTRIBUTION of the 3 biomes coloured.10

11. Example for tropical rainforests
Review: Did you use any of these geographical words? -
latitude, equator, tropic of Cancer, tropic of Capricorn, named continents, named countries, compass points - e.g. north, south, east,
Example for tropical rainforests
Tropical rainforests can be found around the equator and within the tropics of
They are located in the continents of.....
Countries that have tropical rainforests include , whilst there are no tropical rainforests located in .....
The reason why they are found in these locations is.....
EUROPE
NORTH AMERICA
ASIA
SOUTH AMERICA
AFRICA

12. Sub-title: The two Polar region biomes (Arctic & Antarctic)
Text book page 92.
Task: Copy out these key words & use the text book to write definitions
Arctic
Antarctic
Tundra
Permafrost

13. Made up of: Polar Arctic Greenland Antarctica Cold all year
Found on inland areas - far from the warming influence of the sea.
The Arctic Circle is 66.50N, the Antarctic Circle is 66.50S.
Arctic
Greenland
Antarctica
Receives strong katabatic wind (descending wind)
Cold
all
year
DRY. PRECIPICTATION VERY LOW less than 50mm annually
Made up of:
glaciers
There is cold sinking air
ice sheets
(SNOW BUILDS UP)
Winter temps can fall below 50°c
Barren icy land; few animals can survive
Most polar regions are partly or completely covered with ice caps - soil is always frozen!

14. Around the edges of the Arctic/Antarctica
TUNDRA
Not permanently covered in ice and snow unlike polar regions
Mosses
Shrubs
grasses
Covers around 1/7th of the Earths surface
Around the edges of the Arctic/Antarctica
Permafrost =
Sparse vegetation
Summers warmer, with more precipitation than polar regions
Permanently frozen ground
Short growing season when upper part of soil thaws out.
Water cannot drain away, therefore bogs form. Few nutrients left in soil as they are drained away.
Climate less extreme than polar regions
Adapted to long cold winters & short breeding season
Arctic fox
Polar bear
Caribou

15. Antarctica False True False True True False True
What do you know already?
The statements I think that are true are:
False
Polar bears eat penguins
Most of the world’s fresh water is frozen in the ice of Antarctica
If you visited Antarctica in December you would have 24 hours of darkness
The largest permanent land inhabitant at Antarctica is 12mm long
Antarctica is the coldest, highest, driest and windiest continent on earth.
Antarctica is ice floating on the sea
The only direction you can travel from the South Pole is North
True
False
True
True
False
True

16. Task: 1: copy the exam tips
2: Complete the climate graph for a Barrow in Alaska – a Tundra environment
Understanding a climate graph.
The bars = rainfall.
The line = temperature.
Describing temperature. Refer to –
Maximum – how hot? extreme or moderate?
Minimum – how cold? moderate?
Range (difference between max and min) = temperate? extreme? .
Describing rainfall. Refer to –
– how much or how little?
– seasonal pattern? - even? seasonal?
Important: Make sure you read from the relevant scale.
Beware of using terms such as ‘summer’ and ‘winter’. Remember places in the southern hemisphere will have opposite summers & winters

17. Describe the climate in Barrow. Use months and data.
Task: Complete the climate graph for a Barrow in Alaska – a Tundra environment
Describe the climate in Barrow. Use months and data.
Challenge: Compare the climate graph for Barrow (tundra) to the McMurdo (polar) environment graph.
Challenge 2: Suggest why plants grow in tundra and not in polar using evidence from the climate graphs
Polar
Which environment receives more rain?
Which environment is colder?
Use figures/months

18. Location: where in the world? Named countries?
Arctic
Antarctica
Location: where in the world? Named countries?
Climate features
What are the max & min temps? How much precipitation?
Reasons for the climate features
Flora & fauna – explain the plant & animal adaptions.
To complete on their own

19. How well can you answer these questions now?
Location?
Climate?
Soils?
Plants?
Animals?
WHY?
Use these pictures to describe what the cold environments are like.
Can you explain why they are like this?