ECOSYSTEMS - BIOMES Biomes Biomes are groups of smaller ecosystems with: Similar climates (temperature and precipitation) Inhabitants with similar adaptions Tundra Found at latitudes around the North Pole Less than 25 cm precipitation yearly Very cold year round (-40ºC in winter) Cold, dry, treeless region Winter lasts 6 to 9 months with no daylight Summer is short and cold with 24 hours of sunlight a day Soil is poor Permafrost Layer of permanently frozen soil : Tundra plants are resistant to drought and cold Examples: Lichens, True mosses, Grasses, Small shrubs and flowers Many animals of the tundra migrate there during the short summer Examples: Biting insects, Snowy owls, Arctic hares, Caribou, Musk oxen, Lemmings Taiga Warmer and wetter than the Tundra Winters are long and cold 35 to 40 cm of precipitation yearly (mostly snow) Warmer and wetter than the Tundra Winters are long and cold 35 to 40 cm of precipitation yearly (mostly snow) There is no permafrost, so trees can grow. Mosses and lichens grow on the forest floor. Examples: Cone-bearing Evergreen trees (Firs, Spruces, Pines, Hemlocks, Cedars)
Many animals live in the Taiga. Examples: Moose, Black Bear, Lynx, Wolves, Badgers, Wolverines, Ermines, Deer Temperate Forest Found below 50ºN latitude 75 to 150 cm precipitation yearly Wide range of temperatures with 4 seasons Below freezing in winter to 30ºC in summer Soil is rich in nutrients from layers of decomposing leaves Layers of vegetation Canopy Understory Forest floor The mild climate and rich soil of the temperate deciduous forest supports a wide variety of plant and animal life. Plant life is abundant. Examples: Oak trees, Hickory trees, Maple trees, Shrubs, Wildflowers, Ferns Animal life is diverse. Examples: Deer, Foxes, Snakes, Bears, Birds, Raccoons, Amphibians, Small mammals Temperate Grassland Grasslands are known by many names. U.S.A. Prairie or Plains Asia Steppe South America Pampas Africa Veldt or Savanna Australia - Savanna Wet seasons followed by a season of drought 25 to 75 cm precipitation yearly The soil is rich and fertile. The grass has extensive root systems, called sod. Grassland regions of the world are important farming areas. Cereal and grains grow here. Examples: Wheat, Rye, Barley, Corn The most noticeable animals in grassland ecosystems are usually grazing mammals. Examples: Bison, prairie dog, pronghorn, coyote Savanna Tropical, rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees Not enough rainfall to support forests Long dry winter with 4 rainfall and rainy summer with 15 50 inches of rainfall annually 90oF in dry season; 70oF in summer Clay and sand mixed soils
Plants: Tall, wild grasses Acacia trees Small shrubs Animals: Large herbivores such as antelope, gazelles, giraffes, elephants, zebras, wildebeests Large carnivores such as lions, hyenas, and leopards Chaparral Cross between a grassland and a forest May contain mountain slopes and plains Hot, dry summers and mild winters Average winter temperature ~ 46 o F Average summer temperature ~ 72 o F Annual rainfall 15-40 inches Nutrient poor soil with low moisture Plants: Trees such as oak Shrubs with thick waxy coverings to conserve water Animals Aardvark Coyotes Lynx Chipmunks Tropical Forest Found near the equator in Africa, South America, Australia, and the Pacific Islands Found near the equator 200 to 225 cm precipitation yearly Hot and humid all year Temperatures are fairly constant around 25ºC Soil is nutrient poor and acidic Most plants have shallow roots A rain forest may contain more than 700 species of trees and over 1000 species of flowering plants. Examples: Mahogany trees. Bromeliads and orchids. Giant ferns, Many flowering plants The rain forest is home to a huge number of animals. Examples: Monkeys, Exotic birds, Snakes, Sloths, Bats, Insects, Large cats, Exotic mammals
Desert Found on every continent. The driest biome on Earth Extreme temperatures- Very hot during the day and cool at night Very little rainfall Less than 25 cm precipitation yearly The soil ranges from gravel to sand. Soil is nutrient poor. Desert plants have evolved adaptations to help them survive in the extreme temperatures and dryness of this biome. Examples: Cactus, Mesquite, Joshua trees, Wildflowers, Creosote The animals of the desert are adapted to the hot temperatures. Examples: Lizards, Camels, Snakes, Scorpions, Kangaroo rat, Gila Monster, Predatory birds, Tarantula AQUATIC BIOMES Ocean Zones Ocean covers approximately 70% of the earth s surface and is nearly 7 miles deep at its deepest. Factors that affect life: Salinity of the water - 3% NaCl Availability of light (photic and aphotic zones) Distance from the coastline Intertidal zone Neritic Zone Oceanic Zone The Intertidal Zone Area of the shoreline between low and high tides. The high tide repeatedly brings in coastal water with its rich load of dissolved nutrients. Plenty of sunlight for photosynthesis. Organisms living in this zone must be able to: Avoid being swept away or crushed by waves. Deal with being immersed during high tides and left high, dry and hotter at low tides. Survive changing levels of salinity.
The Neritic Zone Neritic biomes occur in ocean water over the continental shelf. The water here is shallow, so there is enough sunlight for photosynthesis. The water is rich in nutrients. These favorable conditions allow large populations of phytoplankton live in neritic biomes. They produce enough food to support many other organisms, including both zooplankton and nekton. Neritic biomes have relatively great biomass and biodiversity. They are occupied by many species of invertebrates and fish. Most of the world s major saltwater fishing areas are in neritic biomes. The Oceanic Zone Oceanic biomes occur in the open ocean beyond the continental shelf. There are lower concentrations of dissolved nutrients away from shore, so the oceanic zone has a lower density of organisms than the neritic zone. The oceanic zone is divided into additional zones based on water depth due to light availability. In the photic zone there are both producers (protists and bacteria) and consumers (fish and large mammals). In the aphotic zone animals feed mainly on dead organisms and must have adaptations to deal with high pressures. Estuaries An estuary is a bay where a river empties into the ocean. It is usually semi-enclosed, making it a protected environment. The water is rich in dissolved nutrients from the river and shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate for photosynthesis. As a result, estuaries are full of marine life. Examples of estuary communities include bays, mudflats mangrove swamps and salt marshes. Freshwater Lakes and Ponds Standing freshwater biomes include ponds and lakes. Divided into two categories: Eutrophic rich in organic matter and vegetation, plants, algae and bacteria cloudy Oligotrophic little organic matter, water clear, sandy and rocky at the bottom Different Zones: The littoral zone is the water closest to shore The limnetic zone top layer away from shore The profundal zone deep-water, no sunlight
The benthic bottom of the lake Rivers and Streams Compared with standing water, running water is better able to dissolve oxygen needed by producers and other aquatic organisms. Flowing water also provides a continuous supply of nutrients, providing a greater degree of biodiversity. Algae are an important producer. Consumers in running water include both invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Wetlands A wetland is an area that is saturated or covered by water for at least one season of the year. Freshwater wetlands are also called swamps, marshes, or bogs. Wetland vegetation must be adapted to water-logged soil, which contains little oxygen. Wetlands are extremely important biomes for several reasons. They store excess water from floods and runoff. They absorb some of the energy of running water and help prevent erosion. They remove excess nutrients from runoff before it empties into rivers or lakes. They provide a unique habitat that certain communities of plants need to survive. They provide a safe, lush habitat for many species of animals.