What is a biome?
LEARNING INTENTION:
You will understand the distribution and characteristics of biomes as major world ecosystems with distinctive climates, soils and vegetation, and how we depend on them for food and a wide range of products __________________________________________________________ Biomes are regions of the planet that share a similar climate, terrain and life forms. There are 5 main biomes in the world:
___________________________________________________________ National Geographic defines biomes as: "...an area of the planet that can be classified according to the plants and animals that live in it. Temperature, soil, and the amount of light and water help determine what life exists in a biome. ...A biome can be made up of many ecosystems. For example, an aquatic biome can contain ecosystems such as coral reefs and kelp forests.’ Ecosystems Each of the biomes may be comprised of a variety of interconnected ecosystems in which living (and non-living) things live and interact with each other. Tree canopies, rivers and caves are all examples of ecosystems that could exist within Forest biomes. Coral reefs or Seagrass meadows are good examples of different ecosystems within Aquatic biomes. Ecosystems are made up of living and non-living things: Living (biotic) things can include: Animals, insects, flowers, trees, etc. Non-Living (abiotic) things can include: Weather (rain, wind etc.,) rocks, soil, water. It is this interaction between biotic and abiotic elements that creates an ecosystem. Activity 1 Work in groups of 2 or 3 to detail the 5 main biomes. Use the textbook pages 18-20 to help you fill in the table provided. Then stick the table in your workbook. |
Observe:
Watch the following clip. How many of the 5 major biomes can you identify? |
year_9_biomes_information_table.docx | |
File Size: | 197 kb |
File Type: | docx |
What are Australia's major biomes?
Australia's 5 main biomes are:
As the map shows, these 5 biomes are located in different climatic regions. Questions:
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Activity:
Investigate one of the Australian biomes.
Report to the class what you learned from your conversation with your partner.
Investigate one of the Australian biomes.
- Find and print 3 pictures of this biome in Australia.
- Find and print 3 pictures of this biome in another country.
- Research how plants and animals have adapted to this biome.
- Find and print 4 pictures that show how plants and animals have adapted.
- Find and print 2 pictures that show how this biome has been altered/damaged/destroyed by humans.
Report to the class what you learned from your conversation with your partner.
How have we used biomes in the past?
Biomes are used in may ways today, but how were they used in the past?
In general the main uses are still the same. Traditional land owners used biomes for food, shelter, medicine and recreation. However, the way that they used the biomes differed greatly to today societies. The types of food, shelter and the methods of protection have also changed. A lot of this has to do with the scale of usage. When traditional land owners interacted with biomes it was to support small local communities only. Now we mass produce items and ship them around the world, we build large houses and use technology to provide for more than 7 billion people.
Activity
Read through the Geography textbook pages 40-46
Record full sentence answers for questions 4-10 on page 42 and questions 6-8 on page 46.
Question:
Why is it important that we understand how civilizations in the past used biomes to produce food?
In general the main uses are still the same. Traditional land owners used biomes for food, shelter, medicine and recreation. However, the way that they used the biomes differed greatly to today societies. The types of food, shelter and the methods of protection have also changed. A lot of this has to do with the scale of usage. When traditional land owners interacted with biomes it was to support small local communities only. Now we mass produce items and ship them around the world, we build large houses and use technology to provide for more than 7 billion people.
Activity
Read through the Geography textbook pages 40-46
Record full sentence answers for questions 4-10 on page 42 and questions 6-8 on page 46.
Question:
Why is it important that we understand how civilizations in the past used biomes to produce food?
Watch the documentary about the Australian Aboriginal people and think about how they used different biomes and the landscape. Are there any key differences to the way that we use the land today? |
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