The world is made up of many different biomes. Biomes are large regions of the world with similar plants, animals, and other living things that are adapted to the climate and other conditions.1 There are many different classifications of biomes, but we will focus on six major terrestrial (land) ones:
1) Tundra
2) Taiga
3) Rain Forest - tropical and temperate
4) Desert
5) Grasslands - tropical and temperate
6) Temperate Deciduous Forest
A biome is made of many similar ecosystems. Ecosystems are the interactions between the living things and the nonliving things in a place. In an ecosystem, the plants, animals, and other organisms rely on each other and on the physical environment – the soil, water, and nutrients all play a part in creating an animal's habitat in the ecosystem. An ecosystem is often much smaller than a biome, although the size varies.2 At any given time, ecosystems may get out of balance and animal and plant life will adapt/change.
Within each biome, the living organisms have adaptations to help them survive in these sometimes extreme environments. For example, a rabbit in the tundra may have larger feet to hop on the snow and white fur to hide from its enemies.
The unique climate and living conditions of each biome create wide variety on our wonderful planet. Let's imagine you are an ecologist who is researching the biomes of the world and the adaptations of the plants and animals that inhabit the different biomes. What does each biome look like? How does the climate in a particular biome affect the lives of the living things that live there? How have plants and animals adapted to survive in each unique biome? It is your challenge to find out!
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