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Science-More Biomes
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Rain: 80 � 160 inches a year
Weather: Temperate rainforests rarely freeze in the winter or get over 80� F in the summer. In a temperate rainforest, there are wet and dry seasons. During the dry season it hardly rains, but fog from the ocean coast brings water and moisture to the forest.
Soil: The soil of the temperate rainforests is the most fertile soil with the most amounts of living things of all the biomes. The cooler temperatures help things decay slowly and keep the soil thick and full of organic material.
Layers:
1. Canopy: tallest trees � mostly conifers (trees that have needles and stay green � 130-290 feet high
2. Understory � shade loving trees and shrubs
3. Forest floor- low growing shade plants, lichens, mosses, decaying trees, pine needles
Examples of types of plants:
Trees: Sitka spruce, Western hemlock, Douglas fir, Western red cedar, dogwood, vine maple
Shrubs: huckleberry, wild currant, thimbleberry
Plants: sword fern, Oregon oxalis, moss, lichens, mushrooms
Examples of types of animals: mosquito, Golden beetle, Pacific tree frog, gray jay, Northern spotted owl, bobcat, black bear, elk, black-tailed deer, raccoon,
Rain: The tundra is a very dry area. The air is too cold to hold much moisture. The tundra gets less than 10 inches of water per year.
Weather: There are really only two seasons in the tundra. In the summer, the tilt of the earth means the Tundra has almost constant daylight. The temperature averages about 45�F but may get as high as 60�F. In the winter, the Arctic Tundra is tilted away from the sun and there is almost constant night or twilight. The temperature in the winter is about -30�F, but can get as low as -90�F!
Soil: Most of the soil in the tundra stays frozen all year round. This is called the permafrost. The permafrost layer can be from three inches to about 3 feet from the top of the soil, so most plants have to be able to grow with very shallow roots. Shrubs and small trees only grow about one foot high. Also, when the top snow and ice melt in the summer, the permafrost layer keeps the water from sinking into the ground. This makes the ground very soggy and there can be a lot of swampy areas in the tundra.
Examples of types of plants: cotton grass, cushion plants, lichen, dwarf willow,
Examples of types of animals: Arctic fox, caribou, Arctic hare, ermine, wolf, Artic tern, snow goose, salmon, trout, polar bear, moose, Arctic bumblebee
NASA is sending the robots to find out if there are any signs of dried up lakes or other water on Mars. They will probably be able to work for about 90 days. Some day, NASA hopes to send humans to Mars.
I asked my mom to pick any 3 consecutive numbers ( that means any 3 numbers in counting order, for example: 10, 11, 12). I told her not to tell me the numbers, but to add them together and give me the sum. Then I could tell her the three numbers she picked!
She told me her sum was 360 and I told her that her numbers were 119, 120, and 121. I was correct. How did I do it? You can pick three consecutive numbers. Send me the sum and I will be able to tell you which numbers you chose! You can put your sum on the guestbook or e-mail me.
