An ecosystem is an environment where plants and animals interact with each other and with non-living things such as the geography, climate, and weather. Biomes are specialized ecosystems with climate, plant life, soil, and animals that make them unique. Some biomes have a great diversity of plants and animals where others have limited numbers of different species that can survive there. The different adaptations you learned about earlier are just a few of the ways that animals are built to survive in a particular biome.
All mammals are well adapted for the biome they call home.
Look for specific examples as you learn more about the biomes. The arctic and the tundra biomes are found in the upper part of North America. They are best known for their cold temperatures, icy landscapes, and specially adapted wildlife. Sometimes ice floes, or chunks of ice, will break off the arctic landscape and float out to sea. You might even see a polar bear catching a ride on one of these floes.