World Biomes Resource Page

http://mbgnet.mobot.org/index.htm
 
 

Description: This web site is designed to provided information on the different biomes, fresh water ecosystems, and marine ecosystems found in our world.  It contains information on the rainforest, tundra, taiga, desert, temperate, and grassland biomes that cover our world’s land based surface.  Information regarding aquatic biomes such as rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands, shorelines, temperate oceans, and tropical oceans is presented in two separate groupings.  For each type of biome the site provides an interesting  introduction, and reveals the location(s) of each biome on a clear map.  Information regarding tree species, animals, and plants is presented using both text and visual pictures.  The site is also careful to fully address the different types of subcategories of biomes that exist.  For example, when looking at rainforests it clearly differentiates between the warm tropical rainforests found near the equator and the temperate ones found here in British Columbia. Links to other interesting and related sites are also provided.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Evaluation: This is a quality site that would be a beneficial resource to any classroom studying the world’s different biomes. It thoroughly covers all the major biomes in a clear and concise manner. The information is presented in different formats, using text and visual representations.  The pictures used in this site were excellent, giving the viewer a clear idea of what each type of biome would look like.  Furthermore, this site is applicable to almost any age level from grade three upward to high school.  The information is current as the web site was last updated in 2001.  One minor drawback is the links to members of the Evergreen Home Project on each page lacked relevance to the overall theme of biomes.  The site is sponsored by the Evergreen Home Project, a club for adults and children interested in the environment.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ laboratory/biome/
 
 

Description: The site provides scientific information about the world biomes (tundra, shrubland, rainforest, grassland, desert, coniferous forest and temperate deciduous forest).  The website is divided into individual links, one for each biome. Within each link is a fact sheet about the biome which includes a written description, maps, temperature, and precipitation graphs.  At the bottom of each biome page are links for the user to: gather more information about the biome, use a metric converter, look up an unfamiliar word from the vocabulary link, or a teachers resource link to incorporate the information from each biome into classroom lessons.  After the user has learned about the seven biomes, they are able to begin a “mission,”where they are able to apply the knowledge gained from each biome in a practical way.  There are two missions, the "Great Graph Match" and "To Plant or Not To Plant."  At the top of the homepage are additional links to the NASA Earth Observatory, such as Data and Images, News, References, Missions, and Experiments.

Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Evaluation:  The Earth Observatory website is extremely informative, well organized, and easy to navigate. The scientific information about world biomes is presented in a way which is easy for students in grades 4 – 8 to understand. The pictures are relevant, detailed, and interesting.  There are a lot of nice features which have been put into the website: the biome map on the homepage is color coded to match the individual biomes, the vocabulary link helps students learn new science words, and the teacher resource link is a useful planning and teaching tool.  There were two drawbacks to this site: first, the web site links that are listed under the biome information pages are written in a language suited for high school students. The students will need to know this prior to opening these links to alleviate any frustrations.  Second of all, some of the links did not work.  The Mission:Biomes website is a collaborative effort between NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, Washington teachers, college interns, and computer programmers.   The information on this site was last updated on June 24, 2002.

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
 
 

Description:  This website classifies the world biomes into tundra, taiga, grasslands, deciduous forest, chapparal, desert, savanna, rainforest, and alpine. Each biome is color coded to match the world map on the home page. At the bottom of the home page following a description of biomes, are links to general information about Our Planet (Facts), Plants (Importance Of), Animals (First Organisms), and Climate (Climate Classifications).  When the user clicks on the link for each biome, the page opens up with a picture of the biome and a map illustrating where it is located in the world.  Below this is a concise description of the biome and there are links on the left side of the page where the user can find information on the type of plants, animals, and climate found in each respective biome.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Evaluation: This website is definitely a valuable resource for anyone requiring information about the complex patterns of biomes, planets and animals living in various biomes, and how climate determines the biomes of Earth. The overall layout is well organized and the text is clear and easy to read.  The pictures and maps are colorful and related to the informational content on biomes.  The drawback to this website is it can only be used as a research tool for teachers or students to provide background information on world biomes – there are no lesson plan ideas for teachers or student activities in this site.  Despite this, this website is worth bookmarking for any teacher or student requiring world biomes information.  The site was developed by two teachers at West Tisbury School, located on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts in 2000 and last updated on January 26, 2002.

http://redbaron.bishops.ntc.nf.ca/ wells/biomes/index.htm
 
 

Description: This site explores the Earth’s terrestrial and aquatic biomes.  The terrestrial biomes are categorized as tropical forest, savanna, desert, extreme desert, chaparral, grassland, deciduous forest, taiga, and tundra. The aquatic biomes are categorized as rivers, lakes, estuaries, intertidal zones, coral reefs, oceanic pelagic, and abyssal zones.  It provides a brief summary of each biome, including climate, weather, plant and animal life.  It has a resource page that lists a number of links to other biome sites for educators.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Evaluation: This site is very easy to navigate, and each category helps the browser identify biomes on a more specific basis.  The site is well organized and has a limited amount of pictures that could distract the user from the information in the text.   The pictures that are provided are an excellent representation of the biome described.  It provides a link page that provides inappropriate promotion of environmental activist organizations.  The link about the web designer does not work, so it is difficult to know who funds the site and the purpose of the site.  Overall, the information on the site is useful for students of all ages, and teachers.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley. edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/index.html
 
 

Description:   This site introduces the Earth’s 5 major biomes as aquatic, deserts, forests, grasslands, and tundra.  Within each biome link, information is provided through definitions, characteristics, and examples of animals, flora and fauna.  When exploring each biome, the page will have biome sub-categories (example: tropical, temperate, and boreal forests) and links to the other four biomes on the site.  Each link will turn from blue to purple once it is explored, allowing the user to see the links they have visited.  At the bottom of the home page, the "importance" link describes the necessity of biome conservation.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Evaluation: Overall this site is decent for an introduction to biomes around the world.  It over simplifies the number of biomes that exist on Earth (only 5 biome categories), but it does a good job distinguishing the differences between each one.  Each page has a lot of text, which includes a number of different scientific terms (gymnosperms vs. angiosperms).  Scientific terms are not linked to definitions and this could be a drawback for students (and teachers) who lack the scientific background knowledge.  There are a limited number of pictures on each page with helps the browser stay focused to the information.   The background wallpaper gives each page some texture without taking away any focus from the text.  The user can contact the web designer with any question or comments about the site, but since the site was last updated on June 14, 2000…don’t be surprised if you do not receive a reply.  This site was created by the fall ‘96 biology 1b, section 115 class at UC Berkley.