Starter quiz
- Global biomes are large-scale ecosystems defined by their main ______ type.
- 'vegetation' ✓
- On which of these continents are tropical rainforests not found?
- Africa
- Antarctica ✓
- Asia
- Europe ✓
- South America
-
- Which of these terms is used by geographers to refer to the spread of something?
- location
- diversity
- distribution ✓
- migration
- latitude
-
- The pattern of biomes is broadly latitudinal, with tropical rainforests near the ______ and tundra nearer the poles.
- 'Equator' ✓
- Determine the biome from the following description of a biome's climate characteristics: high daytime but low night-time temperatures, plus extremely low rainfall across the year.
- Mediterranean
- tropical grassland (savanna)
- desert ✓
- temperate grassland
- tropical rainforest
-
Which global biome would be most likely to have the climate characteristics shown in this climate graph?- 'desert' ✓
Exit quiz
- Climate is the average weather conditions over a period of a minimum of ______ years.
- '30' ✓
- Why is it hotter at the Equator than at the poles?
- the Equator is closer to the Earth's core than the poles
- at the Equator, solar energy hits the Earth directly ✓
- the Equator has more oceans, which trap heat more effectively
- at the poles, solar energy is dispersed by the curvature of the Earth ✓
- the Equator is higher in elevation than the poles, leading to higher temperature
-
- Which key climatic factors influence the distribution of biomes?
- the availability of water ✓
- the average temperature ✓
- the Earth's magnetic field
- the number of sunshine hours ✓
- ocean salinity
-
- Match these global climate zones to the biomes most likely to be found in them.
- tropical wet⇔tropical rainforest ✓
- tropical wet and dry⇔tropical grassland (savanna) ✓
- arid⇔desert ✓
- humid continental⇔temperate deciduous forest ✓
- subarctic⇔coniferous forest ✓
- Put these biomes in the order they are most likely to be found in the Northern Hemisphere, going from the Arctic Circle to the Equator.
- 1⇔tundra
- 2⇔coniferous forest
- 3⇔temperate deciduous forest
- 4⇔Mediterranean
- 5⇔desert
- 6⇔tropical grassland
- 7⇔tropical rainforest
- What local factors affect biome distribution?
- altitude ✓
- drainage ✓
- Earth's orbit
- latitude
- rock type ✓
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- On a large-scale, climate is the main factor affecting the distribution of biomes.
- Local factors (altitude, rock and soil type and drainage) can affect local biome distribution.
- Biotic and abiotic components interact within biomes, reflecting these large-scale and small-scale factors.
Common misconception
Within a given biome, the plants and animals are the same everywhere.
Small-scale variation occurs within global biomes due to local factors.
Keywords
Climate - the average weather conditions (such as rainfall and temperature) recorded over a 30-year period
Altitude - the height above sea level
Drainage - the distribution, storage and movement of water in the environment
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