Janice VanCleave's Science Around the World

Fun facts and experiments about Earth's amazing and unique climaticregions! Janice VanCleave's Science Around the World presents interestingfacts and fun experiments that relate to the different geographicalregions of the world-also known as biomes. Each differentbiome-forest, grassland, desert, and tundra-has its own uniqueplant life, animal life, and climate. The experiments, activities,and facts in this book help explain how the different biomes workand show the importance biomes play in keeping life on Earth sofascinatingly diverse. You'll learn how the tilt of Earth affects the weather in differentparts of the world; how and why some animals migrate; why leaveschange color; and how cacti survive so long without rainfall. Fromthe South American rainforests to the African savannas to theChinese Takla Makan Desert, you'll find out how climate andgeography determine the way plants and animals look and behave-withsafe, inexpensive experiments for the home and classroom!

Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 FORESTS 3 Tropical Rain Forests 5 1. Rain Forest Humidity 7 2. Rain Forest Soil 10 3. Rain Forest Plants 13 4. Forest Canopy and Below 16 5. Rain Forest Animals 19 Deciduous Forests 22 6. Seasons 24 7. Broadleaf Trees 28 8. Deciduous Forest Animals 31 9. Leaf Colors 34 Coniferous Forests 37 10. Conifers 39 11. Adaptations of Coniferous Plants 41 12. Food Chains 43 GRASSLANDS 47 Temperate Grasslands 49 13. Grasses 51 14. Prairie Grasses 54 15. Prairie Animals 58 Tropical Grasslands 60 16. Savanna Plants and Animals 62 17. Savanna Animal Survivors 64 DESERTS 67 Hot Deserts 70 18. Sandy Deserts 72 19. Transpiration 74 20. Hot Desert Plants 76 21. Hot Desert Animals 78 22. Camels 81 Cold Deserts 84 23. Cold Desert Plants 86 24. Cold Desert Animals 88 TUNDRA 91 Lowland Tundra 93 25. Permafrost 95 26. Arctic Tundra Plants 98 27. Arctic Tundra Animals 100 28. Polar Bears 103 Highland Tundras 106 29. Snow 108 30. Winds 110 Glossary 112 Index 117