• Know the global distribution pattern of eight major biomes.
• Know the structural characteristics of the vegetation of each biome.
• Be able to correlate major soil orders with biomes.
• Understand how various morphological, physiological, and/or behavioral characteristics of plant and animal species are adaptive in particular environments.
• Know the global distribution pattern of taxonomic diversity.
• Understand the difference between ecological and biogeographical distribution.
• Understand the difference between structure and species composition of biological communtiies.
• Be able to compare structure and species composition in different biomes and in different expressions of the same biome and provide some explanations for differences and similarities.
• Be able to predict the types of vegetation, animals, and taxonomic diversity to be found at randomly selected points on the earth.

Key Geographical Concepts addressed by the Module:

• Spatial patterns of life on earth
• Spatial interactions of living and non-living systems
• Spatial consequences of earth history (time, plate tectonics, and climate change) on life on earth

Materials Requirements:

• Outline maps of world
• Instructor-prepared or student-generated worksheets
• Physical map of world
• (Optional, but recommended) Physical Geography Textbook

Activities:

• Students will complete a worksheet for each biome on which they draw a vegetation profile, soil profile, climograph, and world distribution map. They will also record data on faunal types and adaptations and on the distribution patterns of taxa (at different levels in the taxonomic hierarchy) among the various expressions of the biome.
• (Optional) Students may take review quizzes.
• (Optional) Students may answer critical thinking questions.

Time Requirements:

• Variable, but at least one hour per biome.

Difficulty:

• May be adapted for use by high school through upper division university students.