ECOLOGY II: BIOMES

1. ECOLOGY II: BIOMES 07SCI AKS12 Kathryn Johnson PPT adapted from: http://www.azgfd.gov/i_e/ee/focus/lessons_biomes.shtml Georgia GPS Standard S7L4e: Describe the characteristics of Earth’s major terrestrial biomes (i.e. tropical rain forest, savannah, temperate, desert, taiga, tundra, and mountain) and aquatic communities (i.e. freshwater, estuaries, and marine).

2. Activities: • World Biomes Mapping (before PPT) • Biomes World Tour Project • Biome comparison worksheet

3. Biome- large area with same types of communities (large geographic area of similar climate and life forms) • Terrestrial Biomes – on land • Aquatic Biomes – water or mostly water

4. Global Distribution of Seven Land Biomes

5. Tundra (Arctic or Alpine) Taiga (Temperate Boreal Forest) Temperate Deciduous Forest Chaparral (Temperate Scrubland) Temperate Grassland (Prairie, Steppe, or Pampas) Savannah (Tropical Grassland and Dry Forest) Tropical Rainforest Desert Terrestrial Biomes Although there is some disagreement among scientists on how to divide up the Earth’s biomes, most can agree on the following eight: 8

6. Land Biomes

7. Tundra • Location: High latitudes or elevation • Temperature: Cold winters, short, cool summers • Precipitation: Low, between 15–25 cm per year • Low evaporation and inability for water to penetrate permafrost keeps ground “wet” • Limited sunlight • Permafrost - permanently frozen ground - below surface

8. Tundra Biodiversity Animals: • Includes muskox, Arctic wolf, and brown bear • Most migratory – leave during cold season • Hibernation during cold season • Multiple fur layers Plants: • Includes mosses, lichens, low-shrubs & grasses--but no trees • Small leaves to retain moisture • Live close together, near ground and have shallow roots • Ability to grow under snow

9. Taiga (Temperate Conifer or Boreal Forest) • Location: Northern hemisphere, between 45o and 60o lat. – close to polar region • Temperature: Wide ranges; summers short & hot, winters long & cold • Precipitation – high - summer rains & winter snow, between 40 – 100 cm annually • Rolling hills with rocky, acidic soil • Previously glacier-covered, carved lakes & gouges

10. Taiga Biodiversity Animals: • Includes moose, deer, bobcats, squirrels, chipmunks, and moles • Migration to warmer climates in winter • Hibernation during cold season • Insulating feathers or fur • Seasonal changes in fur or feather color Plants: • Conifer (cones) trees most common, few broadleaf (birch & aspen) • Evergreens keep needles yearlong • Dark “needles” absorb sunlight better • Needles contain toxins to keep animals from eating • Tree shape prevents snow piling up

11. Temperate Deciduous Forest • Location: Mid-latitudes • Temperature: Moderate, range between –30oC and 30oC • Polar & tropical air masses affect climate • Seasonal variations • Precipitation: Between 75 to 150 cm, evenly distributed through year • Soils fertile • Numerous deciduous trees • "Deciduous" means to fall off, or shed, seasonally

12. Deciduous Biodiversity Animals: • Includes bears, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, wood mice • Migration & hibernation • Food collection & storage Plants: • Includes maple, oak, hickory, and beech trees, some evergreens, shrubs, ferns • Broad leaves, shed in winter

13. Chaparral • Location: Between 32o and 40o latitude on the west coast of continents • Temperature: Varies • Winter is mild, about 10 °C • Summer is hot and dry at 40 °C • Precipitation: Between 35 and 70 cm of rain, usually in the winter • Varied terrain: flat plains, rocky hills and mountain slopes

14. Chaparral Biodiversity Animals: • Includes coyotes, rabbits, mule deer, lizards, horned toads • Some nocturnal - burrow underground in day the heat in the day • Some mice and lizards, secrete semi-solid urine to reduce water loss Plants: • Include poison oak, scrub oak, Yucca • Small, hard leaves that hold moisture

15. Temperate Grassland • Location: Near deserts • Temperature: Varies • Hot summer temperatures up to 38oC • Cold winter temperatures fall to –40oC • Precipitation: Dry, between 50 and 90 cm • Less than savannahs • Soil is deep, fertile with organic humis, and rich with nutrients • Prairie/Plains in North America, Steppes in Europe and Asia, Pampas in South America

16. Grassland Biodiversity Animals: • Include horses, wolves, prairie dogs, rabbits, coyotes, skunks, quails and hawks • Fly or run fast to escape predators & seasonal fires Plants: • Mostly grasses, includes few trees, such as cottonwoods and willows; non-woody plants and flowers • Trees grow near streams due to little rainfall • Grasses grow from roots, not tips • Extensive root systems able to survive grazing animals & fire • Bend in wind, use for pollination

17. Tropical Savanna • Location: Africa, Brazil, Australia, India • Temperature: Warm - hot • Precipitation: Varies, between 50 and 127 cm • Experiences a 6-8 month wet season and dry winter season • Soils porous, more nutrient rich than tropical forest soils • Grasslands, some growing 6 – 9 feet tall

18. Savannah Biodiversity Animals: • Includes zebras, rhinos, gazelles, hyenas, cheetahs, lions, ostrich • Small, burrowing animals dormant during droughts • Fly or run fast to escape seasonal fires • Birds & many mammals migratory in dry season to search for water Plants: • Mostly tall grasses • Few drought resistant trees, lose leaves in dry season • Baobab trees store water in large trunks

19. Tropical Rainforest • Location: Usually found near the equator • Precipitation: Rainfall > 200 cm annually • Temperature: Range between 20oC - 25oC • Soils acidic & poor – fast decomposition of organic matter • Large trees closely spaced together form thick canopy 25+ meters tall • 30-50% of world’s animals species found here

20. Tropical Rainforest Biodiversity Animals: • Includes monkeys, birds, snakes, frogs, lizards • Adapted to life in the canopy • Specialization of food • Camouflage to avoid predators Plants: • Includes orchids, ferns & vines • Allow shedding water efficiently – leaf shape for dripping excess water • Buttress and stilt roots provide extra support for growing in spongy, wet soils. • Plants on floor have large leaves to increase the amount of sunlight captured • Flowers have structures to facilitate attracting insects for pollination

21. Desert • Location: Between 25o and 40o latitude • 1/5 Earth’s surface • Temperature: Typically between 20oC and 25oC • Large daily variations; high temps during day; cool nights • Hot (Sahara) or cold (Gobi) • Extremes range from higher than 38oC to lower than –15oC • Precipitation: Dry – annual rainfall less than 25 cm • Soil – varied and dry

22. Desert Biodiversity Animals: • Includes reptiles, insects, birds, and small mammals • Nocturnal or burrowing to avoid heat • Some have salt glands (not sweat glands) • Humps or tails to store heat-intensifying fat Plants: • Includes short grasses, sagebrush, creosote bushes, and cacti • Taproots for water capture & retention • Wide root systems • Funnel shaped leaves

23. Alternative Biomes Some sources also recognize the following as independent biomes: • Mountains/Alpine • Polar Ice Caps • Tropical Dry Forests • Northwestern Coniferous Forest • Temperate Rain Forest

24. Aquatic Biomes Physical factors important to both include depth of sunlight penetration, water temperature, and the concentration of dissolved nutrients. There are three main types: • Freshwater • Estuary • Marine

25. Freshwater Freshwater has a low salt concentration — usually less than 1%. The three different types of freshwater regions include: Ponds and Lakes, Streams and Rivers, & Wetlands

26. Estuaries Estuaries are areas where freshwater mixes with the ocean and creates a unique ecosystem. Microflora like algae, and macroflora, such as seaweeds, marsh grasses, and mangrove trees are found here. Estuaries support a diverse fauna, including a variety of worms, oysters, crabs, and waterfowl. Types include: River deltas, Salt Marshes, and Mangrove Swamps

27. Oceans The largest of all the ecosystems, oceans are very large bodies of water with high salinity (+/-35 ppt) covering > 2/3 of the Earth's surface. The ocean regions are separated into separate zones which are: intertidal, pelagic, abyssal and benthic