Ecology Lab Exercise 1.2: Biome Assessment

Transcription

1 Name Period Ecology Lab Exercise 1.2: Biome Assessment You will be doing a walk-about through Del Mar, quietly observing the features of the area, and being careful not to interact with the different species native to the area or to disrupt their natural behaviour patterns (in other words, do so quietly and without bothering any residents!). As you observe the area, you will be classifying it as one of several biome types, and recording your data to construct a biome map. Purpose: To develop a better understanding of different biomes, to learn how to distinguish between biomes first hand, and to practice techniques used by field biologists. Materials: Map Coloured pencils or markers Methods: 1) As you walk through the area, observe the vegetation present along the streets and in people s yards, and determine which of the biome types given below most closely matches. Ignore small buildings like houses or garages, treating them as their surrounding biome! 2) Using your working map or note paper, keep track of the different biome types and their locations. Make sure you re familiar with the biome types you will be using, as some are approximations of natural biomes. 3) Use your notes to complete a final map, using coloured pencils or markers to distinguish between different biome types. Attach any notes to your final map.

2 Biomes Encountered 1) Neritic - The area from high water mark to the edge of the continental shelf, the Neritic Zone includes rocky, cobble, muddy and sandy areas which are alternately covered by water or exposed to air as the tides go in and out. It includes many animals and plants that are sessile (don t move) and attach to the bottom substrate. Seashores are subject to wave action. 2) Chaparral/Mediterranean: Semiarid regions that are characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters during which most growth occurs. At least 2/3 of precipitation will fall during the winters, which are short, but have at least one month in which the temperatures fall below 15 C (60 F). Locally, the plants are mostly shrubs (sage, chemise, laurel sumac, etc.), but may also include small oak trees, yuccas, and aloes 3) Temperate Grassland: Areas sharing high rates of evaporation, periodic severe droughts, rolling-to-flat terrain, predominately bunchgrass and sodgrass vegetation, and animal life that is dominated by grazing and burrowing species. Fires are common for maintenance and renewal, and to keep down growth of woody plants. For the lab, any mainly grassy area will be classified as Temperate Grassland. 4) Temperate Dry Forest: An area with definite winter/summer seasonality, with most growth occurring during spring and summer. Trees may be deciduous, coniferous, or a mix, but succession leads toward mostly deciduous climax communities. For the lab, this will be any area that is predominantly trees. 5) Unvegetated: Any area of bare earth, cement, or pavement where there is no plant growth. Roads, parking lots, and large buildings will fit here.

3 6) Desert: For the lab, any area of cactus 7) Open Sea: For this lab, any ocean biome deeper than 10. Conclusions: 1) Do you think it would have been better to try to do a real biome assessment for the entire area?. Why or why not? 2) What difficulties did you have in making your biome assessment? 3) Can you think of any methods you could use other than walk-about to do a biome assessment? What are they? 4) What might your map be used for?

4 Sample Biome Map

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6 Notes

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