In the first part of this week we discussed how abiotic factors are important to life. These abiotic factors include sunlight, water and temperature. Next, you learned about biotic factors like plants and animals. The last part of this week will explain different "biomes."

Scientists have divided Earth's terrestrial ecosystems into 7 major biomes. Biomes are areas characterized by similar plants, animals, and climate. Climate (temperature and precipitation) is an important abiotic factor that influences biomes and determines the types of life that can live there. Biomes tend to form around areas that are geographically similar. As an example, the area towards the Great Salt Lake is desert. Within that area, you will find the same kinds of plants and animals, as well as a particular type of climate.

Biomes are different than ecosystems. Ecosystems can be small. A single lake and its surrounding land could be an ecosystem that is part of a forest biome.

The next page will go over the seven major terrestrial biomes that exist, as well as the marine biome. You will receive more information about what each biome looks like, an example of where that type of biome is located, as well as a graph depicting the average yearly temperature and precipitation patterns that characterizes each biome.