Biome Viewer at HHMI        

Go to http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/biomeviewer and click "Launch Interactive"

Access Google Doc Version of this activity

How to Use the App

-Use the mouse to click and spin the globe to view different parts of the world. 
- Use the PIN to mark an area that you want to see details about.
-When you click on an area, another window will open to provide details about the area  (description, climate, and wildlife)
-Click on “compare” to see details of two biomes side-by side
-Click on the globe to switch from a spherical view to a flat projection of Earth

Part 1:  Explore the Biomes

1. Examine tropical rain forests found in 2 locations on the earth.  Use the side by side comparison view to describe climate and wildlife at the two locations.  Complete the following chart.

Rainforest	Location	Similarities	Reptiles (sp)	Amphibians	Mammals
Tropical Rainforest - South America
Tropical Rain Forest -  Africa

2.  Click on the wildlife tab and explore some of the animals found in the rainforest at your locations. You can filter for “threat levels.”   Complete the chart below by providing three examples of species from each category.

	Endangered or Vulnerable Species	Least Concern Species (list 2 from each group)
Tropical Rainforest - South America
Tropical Rain Forest -  Africa

3.  Click on the climate tab.   What information can be learned from the climatograms shown?

Part 2:  Explore the Desert Biome

DESERT	Location	Similarities	Reptiles (sp)	Amphibians	Mammals
Desert - North America
Desert - Africa
Desert - Australia

Part 3:  Explore the Savanna Biome

Savanna	Location	Similarities	Reptiles (sp)	Amphibians	Mammals
Savanna - Africa
Savanna - Australia

	Endangered or Vulnerable Species	Least Concern Species (list 2 from each group)
Savanna - Africa
Savanna - Australia

Part 2:  Explore Your Home

Use the search function to find your zip code.   

Description	Temperature Range	Precipitation Range	Wildlife (Provide at least 2 examples from each category:  reptile, amphibian, mammal)

Go to the Anthrome Viewer and view how your zip code has changed since 1700. 
Summarize:  How did your location change in the last 300 years?  How have humans impacted this environment?