Principles of Biology

Principles of Biology : Laboratory

Lab 2 : Ecological Communities and Biomes

Instructions for writing lab reports.
Blank Lab Report
Biome Map
Outline of Biome Map (to be colored in for the following: tropical rain forests, deserts, grassland (tropical and temperate), temperate deciduous forest, taiga
Blank Climatographs
Categorization of Biomes by temperature and precipitation
Climatographs from around the world

Themes of this lab: To explore one ecological community and to observe and explain the distribution of biomes on a global scale.

Questions to be addressed in the analysis and conclusion section:

1. What constitues an "ecological community?" What was the community type we investigated on the Bear Trail? (Hint: communities are usually named after their dominant plant species).
2. What is a "food web?" Diagram a reasonable food web for the Bear Trail community using data shared in class.
3. How does the global circulation of air contribute to the distribution of the major biome types?
4. How are the Tundra and the Desert the same? How are they different?
5. How is the Tropical Rainforest and the Temperature Decidous Forest the same? how are they different?
6. Which biome has the greatest annual rainfall? the least?
7. Which biome has the most consistent temperature year around?
8. Which biome has the most variable year around temperature?

Tuesday, Sept. 2, 11:00 pm