1Year 8 Jaguars Geography

Plants and animals in different Plants and animals in different biomesbiomes

And the difficulties they face

2Year 8 Jaguars Geography

TundraTundra

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Tundra PlantsTundra Plants

• Adam says:• There are no trees in the Tundra

because it’s very dry. The plants are mostly plants and herbs, lichen and moss. The plants are dark to absorb the sunlight.

• Nic says:• In the Tundra there are no trees

and very few flowers that survive because of being short as not to get wrenched of by the wind. The red colour pigmentation on several plant species here helps them in absorbing more sunlight than their conventional green counterparts

• Mohammed says:• What plants grow in the

polar and how are they adapted to live there – what is special about them that they can do so well? The arctic willow grows near rocks in the arctic it comes in various shapes and sizes. It doesn't need much water.

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Tundra Plants by GuilhemTundra Plants by Guilhem

• There is very little biodiversity in the tundra biome, in fact, just under 1500 types. Most of them are grasses, mosses, lichen and herbs. There are hardly any trees except in some parts where there are birches and willows. Plants are dark so that they can absorb the sunlight and they are hairy to trap the heat. Some plants grow in groups to protect each other from the cold winds.

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Tundra AnimalsTundra Animals

• Adam says: There aren’t many animals in the Tundra due to the climate. There are some arctic animals however: Wolves, Hairs, Bears and Penguins. They have a thick layer of body fat and long hair.

• Nic says: As for the Tundra, there are many animals because of their fluffy fur and it is perfect for fishing because a lot of the animals like fish. Just like me! There are lots of animals like polar bears, penguins and the arctic fox. Both the polar bears and the arctic fox like eating penguins

• Mohammed says:• What animals grow in the

polar and how are they adapted to live there – what is special about them that they can do so well?

• The polar bear lives in the polar it has thick fur so it doesn’t get cold. it knows how to swim so it can go diving for fish.

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Tundra Animals by GuilhemTundra Animals by Guilhem

• There are not many animals either as the climate is so harsh. Arctic hare, arctic owl, Emperor Penguin, musk ox are some of the very few species in the Tundra biome. The animals usually have thick fur to keep in the heat. They all have a thick layer of fat to keep warm. They can prevent their bodily fluids from freezing.

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Threats to the tundraThreats to the tundra

• Adam says: The threats to Tundra are mainly are gas and oil production. They spill on the plants and that kills the plants. The gas poisons the plants which the animals eat which then poisons them.

• Nic says: Their land is slowly melting. Soon they will have no place to live because their habitat is slowly melting. Most of the animals there are in danger of

becoming extinct. • Guilhem says: Gas and oil production is the main threat to

tundra. When the oil spills it kills the plants. The gas poisons

the air and affects the lichen which is what animals eat.

8Year 8 Jaguars Geography

Deciduous ForestDeciduous Forest

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Deciduous Forest Plants by AnaDeciduous Forest Plants by Ana

• Here is some of what Ana says: The Deciduous forest is made up of five layers: the canopy, the understory, the shrubs layer, the herb layer, and the ground layer. The canopy is the highest layer of trees: beech, birch, oak, ash, hickories, aspen, larch. There are also small numbers of evergreen trees such as pines and fir.

• The trees protect the soil, keep the water clean, provide habitats for other organisms. The amount of trees in a forest can also alter the temperature, humidity, and wind speed of that certain habitat. The understory is made up of the smaller trees.

• Next is the shrub layer. Under the shrubs is the herb layer of the forest. This area includes ferns, grasses, lichens, and wildflowers.

• Lastly, there is the ground layer which consists of mosses, lichens, and liverworts.

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Deciduous Forest PlantsDeciduous Forest Plantsby Morwennaby Morwenna

• A lot of rain means that the forest is full of trees and Plants.

• In the spring it has bluebells and In the winter all• The leaves fall of the branches. The weather effects the

trees cold winters and warm summers. The trees change through the year:

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Deciduous forest by Deciduous forest by SaskiaSaskia

A1) The types of plants that grow in the deciduous forests are Oak Trees, Birch trees and sugar maple trees. They are adapted to live in this habitat because they adjust their growth and what they do according to the time of year.

Oak tree Birch tree Sugar Maple

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Deciduous Forest AnimalsDeciduous Forest Animals

• Ana says: • The deciduous forest

is home to a wide variety of trees and plants and so can support a large variety of animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

• Morwenna says:• These forests have animal

such as badgers, Foxes and Squirrels.

• Red squirrels were wiped out by the grey squirrels that inhabited the UK from Europe.

• The animals hibernate during winter to escape the cold winters and during the Summer collect food for themselves.

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Deciduous forest by Saskia Deciduous forest by Saskia A2) Grey squirrels are one of the animals that live in the deciduous forest. They are perfectly adapted because they eat the nuts from the oak trees that grow there.

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Threats to the Deciduous Forest Threats to the Deciduous Forest

• Ana says: acid rain caused by industrial and vehicular emissions poses the biggest threat to temperate deciduous forests. Over time, acid rain damages tree leaves, causes trees to produce fewer and smaller seeds and reduces resistance to disease. Other threats include unsustainable forestry, strip mining and the spread of invasive, non-native species that compete for space and food. Climate change is also a threat.

15Year 8 Jaguars Geography

ChaparralChaparral

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Chaparral PlantsChaparral Plants

• Ben says:• Most of the plants have

small, hard leaves which hold moisture. Some of these plants are poison oak, scrub oak, Yucca Wiple and other shrubs, trees and cacti.

• Courtney• The blue oak is native to

the state of California on the western coast of North America. In its natural habitat it grows in the valleys and lower slopes of the Coast Ranges, the lower western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and the north slope of the San Gabriel Mountains. Blue oak covers about 3 million acres and is one of the largest ancient forest type in California.

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Chaparral PlantsChaparral Plants

• Courtney: • The King protea was originally

from the Cape Town area of South Africa. It is actually the national flower of South Africa. Now King proteas can be found all over the world where the atmosphere is dry and the soil has good drainage. It can even be found on Maui.

• Courtney• The blue oak is native to the

state of California on the western coast of North America. In its natural habitat it grows in the valleys and lower slopes of the Coast Ranges, the lower western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and the north slope of the San Gabriel Mountains. Blue oak covers about 3 million acres and is one of the largest ancient forest type in California.

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Chaparral Plants By NadiaChaparral Plants By Nadia

• The plants in chaparral areas tend to be evergreen. A few examples are:

• Bush poppy – needs lots of sunlight but doesn’t need a lot of water. This is useful because there is not must water available anyway

• Chamise – hardly needs nutrients and can grow in almost any ground, which is useful because the ground is very hard in chaparral areas.

• Century plant – hardly needs any water at all which makes surviving

droughts easy

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Chaparral PlantsChaparral Plants

• Scarlet says:• The chamise is a low shrub

common to most chaparral with clusters of tiny needle like leaves. It is very drought tolerant and adaptable. Chaparral habitats are known for their fierce wildfires, and like other chaparral flora, chamise dries out, burns, and recovers quickly to thrive once again.

• X says:• aaaa

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Chaparral AnimalsChaparral Animals

• Ben says:• Many animals live here,

including invertebrates, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.

• The animals in the chaparral have adapted to long dry spells and frequent fires. The animals are all mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry weather.

• A few examples: coyotes, jack rabbits, mule deer, alligator lizards, horned toads, praying mantis, honey bee and ladybugs

• One from Courtney (more over!• Although it is called a rabbit, the black-

tailed jackrabbit is really a hare. Hares are different from rabbits because their babies, called leverets, are born with all their fur, and their eyes open. Jackrabbits live in the extreme environments of the desert and chaparral, where temperatures are hot during the day and cold at night, and there isn't a lot of rain.

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Chaparral Animals by CourtneyChaparral Animals by Courtney

• The aardwolf is a furry hyena that looks like a dog, but has long front legs and short hind legs. Aardwolf means "earth wolf" in Afrikaans. Afrikaans is a language spoken in southern Africa. The aardwolf was named like that because they live in underground burrows. The aardwolf can be found from Angola to Zambia and in the Fynbos of South Africa. It also lives in southern Egypt down to Tanzania.

• The western spotted skunk is an animal that lives in the chaparral biome of south western California and in areas in between Costa Rica and British Colombia, Canada. It prefers the desert, woods, brush land, and rocky terrain. It avoids the dense forests and wetlands. This animal can live in a variety of temperatures. The western spotted skunk builds a den out of a hole in the ground and lines it with leaves. Occasionally a spotted skunk will live in a hollow tree

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Chaparral Animals by NadiaChaparral Animals by Nadia

• There are many animals in the desert chaparral biome – they either feed on each other or on the plants. They can’t be too reliant on water because there isn’t much of it! Some of the animals found in chaparral areas include:

• Coyotes – the canine predator eats mammals like deer.

• Mule deer – eats grass and a few of the plants. It is hunted by coyotes and cougars a lot! It does not need a lot of water to keep it going.

• Mountain lion – eats just about anything that moves! It has little trouble finding food and is not all too reliant on water.

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Chaparral Animals Chaparral Animals

• Scarlet says:• The coyote. Part of the

coyote’s success as a species is its dietary adaptability which helps enormously in the desert chaparral. It’s diet consists of things such as small voles, birds, snakes and lizards which are all found on the desert chaparral.

• X says:• aaaa

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Threats to the ChaparralThreats to the Chaparral

• Courtney says: Human development is the biggest threat to the chaparral biome.

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DesertDesert

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Desert Plants by AnaDesert Plants by Ana

• Perennials (plants which live for years) and annuals (plants which live one season) also have behavioural adaptations.

• The perennials survive by remaining dormant during the dry periods and come to life when water is available. Annuals germinate after heavy rain and complete their reproductive cycle quickly. They bloom for a few weeks in spring. Their seeds remain dormant in the soil until the next year’s rain.

• The plants of the Desert habitat area have adapted to its dry, hot extremes by using both physical and behavioural mechanisms. Plants that have adapted by altering their physical structure are called xerophytes. Xerophytes, such as cacti, usually have special ways of storing and conserving water. They often have few or no leaves, which reduces water loss.

• Phraetophytes are plants that have adapted to living in the desert by growing very long roots, allowing them to get their moisture deep within the earth, at or near the water table.

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Short grasses can be found in nearly all deserts. Desert plants include sagebrush, creosote bushes and cacti or cactus

Some of these plants have adapted in ways of capturing water in order to survive.

• The Australian mulga tree has a unique way of collecting water. Its tiny leaves grow upward, forming a series of funnels that send rain water along the branches and down the trunk to the ground, where the roots are concentrated close to the base of the tree. Desert plants limit water loss through their leaf surface by the size, sheen, or texture of their leaves. Leaves reflect the sun's rays, and waxy leaves prevent moisture from escaping. Some plants can even open their leaf pores at night when it is cool and water loss from leaves is low.

Desert Plants by BenDesert Plants by Ben

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Desert Plants Desert Plants

• Morwenna says:• Cactus’s have deep roots

that burrow deep down into the Sand and carry allot of water.

• They also have the pricks for When big animals try to eat them for food and the pricks (modified leaves) also can catch water when it rains.

• The stem of the cacti is thick and waxy so that water cannot escape (evaporate) from it.

• By Mohammed• What plants grow in the desert

and how are they adapted to live there – what is special about them that they can do so well? The date palm grows in the desert near urban arias. It grows dates and needs to grow in a very hot aria. It gets about 5 meters high and needs about 150lbs of water a week to survive.

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Desert AnimalsDesert Animals

• Ana says: Different animals live in the different types of deserts. Animals that live in the desert have adaptations to cope with the lack of water, the extreme temperatures, and the shortage of food. To avoid daytime heat, many desert animals are nocturnal; they burrow beneath the surface or hide in the shade during the day, emerging at night to eat. Many desert animals do not have to drink at all; they get all the water they need from their food. Most desert animals are small.

• Many desert animals are nocturnal and come out to forage only at night, or are crepuscular and feed at dawn and dusk.

• (Ana cont): During the heat of the day, they stay out of the heat in burrows or rock crevices.

• Even desert lizards that are active during the heat of the day seek out shade whenever they can. Many species migrate away from deserts during the hot, dry seasons.

• Mohammed says: What animals live in the desert and how are they adapted to live there – what is special about them that they can do so well? Camels are the ships of the deserts they have humps stored with water so the don’t get dehydrated. The camels feet are made so they are able to walk on the sand easily and there fees don’t sink. The camels milk is very good for you because it gives you a lot of protein.

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Desert Animals by BenDesert Animals by Ben

• Deserts are home to many reptiles, insects, birds, and small mammals. Though there are few large animals that have adapted to desert life .

• In order to survive animals stay in the shade of plants or rocks or by burrowing underground in the heat of the day another way is by sleeping in the day and coming out at night they can also get there water from their food.

• Fat increases body heat, so some desert animals have concentrated the body's fat in one place, such as a hump or tail, rather than having it all through the body.

• Camels are one of the few large mammals to survive in the desert, and have many special adaptations to help them.

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Desert AnimalsDesert Animals

• Morwenna says:• The aren’t many animals in the

Desert but quite a few Insects like Scorpions and snakes. They survive by eating dead corpuses and insects.

• The Animals have to fill their bellies when possible because they don’t know when they Are going to eat next

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Threats to the DesertThreats to the Desert

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SavannaSavanna

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Savanna Plants by CourtneySavanna Plants by Courtney

• Elephant grass is a tall grass that originally came from Africa in 1913. It grows in dense clumps of up to 10 feet tall. In the savannahs of Africa it grows along lake beds and rivers where the soil is rich. Local farmers cut the grass for their animals, carrying it home in huge piles on their backs or on carts.

• The biennial red and green kangaroo paw is the floral emblem of Western Australia. What really catches the eye is the plants green unscented flowers that can grow up to 10 centimetres long. The green furry flowers are attached to the sturdy red stem. The sturdy stem makes a perfect perch for many birds, and can grow to a meter high. Honey eaters or wattle birds, the pollinators of the plant, are often seen perched drinking the plant's nectar. The stem is attached to the green flattened basal leaves. The leaves of the plant are usually about 30 to 60 centimetres long. The kangaroo paw was given it's name because of the plants bright red ovary and its paw shaped flowers.

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Savanna plants by SaskiaSavanna plants by Saskia

A1) One of the plants that live the Savanna are the Senegal Gum Acacia. This particular plant is adapted by being able to live through long periods of drought. They tend to grow in sandy places where there is only between 12 to 15 inches of rain a year. This is perfectly suited to the savanna.

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Savanna Animals Savanna Animals by Courtneyby Courtney

• Felis caracal can be found in the Veld Grassland in South Africa, and in central Africa and India from 30° North to 35° South latitude and from 20° East to 25° West longitude. This environment is generally dry and hot. The cat's habitat can also be savannah, scrub and acacia woodlands, or mountains and hilly areas.

• On the savannahs of Kenya, Africa, there grows a tree that is exclusively inhabited by four species of stinging ants, some of which live nowhere else; Crematogaster nigriceps, Crematogaster mimosae, Crematogaster sjostedti, and Tetraponera penzigi. At the slightest movement of a branch these ants will swarm out and deliver painful stings to grazing giraffes and other browsers. Of the four species Crematogaster nigriceps, or the nigriceps ant, is the least war-like.

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SavannaSavanna animals by Saskia animals by Saskia

A2) The Black Mamba is an animal which lives in the Savanna. They like open, low habitats such as Savannas. They often sleep in hollow trees, burrows, rock crevices, or empty termite mounds, and will come back to the same place every night.

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Savanna Animals Savanna Animals

• Nic says:

• In the savannah there are animals like elephants and zebras and animals like that. They are adapted to live there because there is a lot of grass and water in the biome and there they are warm.

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Threats to the SavannaThreats to the Savanna

• Courtney says: Pollution and degradation of vegetable and soil are threats to the savannah biome

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Equatorial rainforestEquatorial rainforest

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Equatorial rainforest PlantsEquatorial rainforest Plants• Lauryn says:• Trees, bushes and plants live

in the equatorial biome because they like hot weather and like rain, which happens in the rainforest.

• They adapt by having sunlight in the morning then having their food in the afternoon which is rain. The special thing about the plants , trees, bushes and flowers are that they can live in the hot climate. They also do so well when they get the right weather and the right temperature to live and to grow.

• Guilhem says:• Some sorts of plants in the

rainforest are lianas, carnivorous plants, strangler fig, epiphytes and of course, trees. The trees are very tall so that they can get as much sunlight as possible. The roots are very wide so that they can support the tall trees. The leaves are shiny and pointy to help get rid of heavy rainfall. Bark on trees is thin because it never gets cold in the rainforest.

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Equatorial rainforest AnimalsEquatorial rainforest Animals• Lauryn says:• In the equatorial rainforest, Jaguars,

leopards, different species of birds live there, and so many wonderful animals that I can't say all the names of.

• They adapt because they way that trees and bushes cover them so that they can hunt and live wherever they are adapted too.

• The special thing about the animals that lives there is that they have camouflage area to spot their pray. These animals can also climb to get

their food.

• Guilhem says:• There are millions of animal species and

here are some very common ones: Three toed sloth, parrots, ants and the poison dart frog. The three toed sloth has green algae that grows on its fur to help hide from predators. Ants’ saliva makes fungus grow which is their only food. Poison dart frogs have bright colours which show to their predators that they are deadly if they are eaten.

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Threats to the Equatorial rainforestThreats to the Equatorial rainforest

• Lauryn says:• The threats to the equatorial rainforest is that, people are cutting down

the trees and ruining the rainforest plus the animals. • The other threats are that people are killing the animals by living there

and not being able to get food so they poach the rare species. • Also , in the hot climate there are droughts and then forest fires due to

the weather.

• Guilhem says:• Did you know that 90% of the world’s known plants and species can be

found in the rainforest• Trees are being cut down to make furniture and paper, large areas are

lost by flooding because of some dams. The trees being harmed will harm the animals as well.