- Where would you expect to find more biodiversity, in an equatorial rainforest, or in a
southwestern desert? Explain why. - Which classification scheme is used to define ecoregions as priorities for conservation?
- As you climb a mountain, you will see the vegetation a d habitat type change as you
gainelevation. Howcouldyouseeasimilarchangeofhabitattypesifyouweretraveling
geographically? - Name the aquatic biomes classified according to depth.
- Water is exchanged between the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere
in regular cycles. What role do the oceans play in the biosphere?
Further Reading / Supplemental Links
- Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition. Random House, New York, 1998.
- http://www.kidsconnect.com/content/view/62/27
- http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm
- http://lsb.syr.edu/projects/cyberzoo/biome.html
- http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Laboratory/Biome
- http://www.worldbiomes.com/biomes_map.htm
- http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/index.htm
- http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/index.htm
- http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/index.htm
- http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0153-biosphere.php
- http://www.geography4kids.com/files/land_intro.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Vocabulary
aquatic biomes Biomes divided into freshwater and marine biomes and defined according
to different physical and ecological factors.
biome A climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar communities
of plants and animals.
biosphere The part of the Earth within which life occurs.
GAIA hypothesis The concept that the biosphere is itself a living organism.
terrestrial biomes Biomes defined based on plant and climatic factors.