Cycles of Life & Biomes

Science, Grade 5

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A rainforest is a warm ecosystem made up of many different varieties of plant & animal life and receives large amounts of rain. A deciduous forest is a forest with a cooler climate and not a lot of rain. Grasslands have tall grasses but no trees. This ecosystem receives very little rain which is why trees do not grow here. A desert is an area of land that receives less than 25 cm of rain each year. There are hot and cold deserts. Some deserts are hot during the day and cold at night. Tundra is a very cold ecosystem that receives little rain; its soil is frozen most of the year. Taiga is a cold and dry climate. Animals need to have thick fur or feathers to keep warm in this ecosystem. Biomes of the World A biome is a large ecosystem with similar organisms and climate. The Nitrogen Cycle oxygen 21% nitrogen 78% Ea rth ’s Atmosphe re other 1% Nitrogen is the main component of proteins, the building blocks of cells. It is a common element in Earth’s air and essential for all life on Earth. Like water, nitrogen is cycled through the environment. Fire takes in oxygen (which makes it burn) and releases carbon dioxide into the air. The Carbon Cycle Carbon is the most common element in all living things. Carbon is recycled during photosynthesis, cellular respiration (process in which animals take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide), by the burning of fossil fuels, and by decomposition of dead matter. Decomposition Living things that break down waste or dead matter are called decomposers. This break down or decay adds nutrients such as nitrogen to the soil which is needed for plant growth. Nitrogen Cycle nitrogen returned to soil through decomposition nitrogen compounds reach the Earth through precipitation nitrogen is taken in by plants nitrogen fixing bacteria add nitrogen to soil animals eat plants; nitrogen is passed through food chain nitrogen compounds form in the atmosphere When animals and plants die and decompose, carbon dioxide is released into the air. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4504 www.newpathlearning.com Photos courtesy of NASA, NOAA, USFWS, USNPS. Cycles of Life & Biomes
___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Biomes of the World Describe the following biomes: The Nitrogen Cycle oxygen 21% nitrogen 78% Ea rth ’s Atmosph ere other 1% What is nitrogen? _______________________________________ ________________________________________________________ How is nitrogen recycled? __________________________________ ________________________________________________________ The Carbon Cycle What is carbon? ____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ How is carbon recycled? _____________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Decomposition Nitrogen Cycle What is decomposition? _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ © Copyright N ewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4504 www.newpathlearning.com Photos courtesy of NASA, NOAA, USFWS, USNPS. Cycles of Life & Biom es Key Vocabulary Terms biome nitrogen carbon oxygen carbon dioxide photosynthesis deciduous rainforest decomposer respiration decomposition taiga desert tundra grassland \|xiBAHBDy01713kzU