MOUNTAIN BIOME

1. MOUNTAIN BIOME By Sam Martin

2. Where are Mountain Biomes? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Mountain biomes all over the world are shown in BLUE on the map.

3. Concerns of a Mountain Biome… Mountain biomes have one major ecological issue and concern. The problem is deforestation in the small forests that occur within the valleys and slopes of the mountains. It is a problem that people are cutting down trees because it leaves a shorter oxygen supply. Trees use photosynthesis to produce oxygen and release it to the world around them for other organisms to breathe. The chemical equation for photosynthesis is 6 CO2 + 6 H2O SUNLIGHT C6H12O6 + 6 O2. Plants also use respiration, a process that forms an endless circle with photosynthesis. The cycle keeps the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide fairly constant in the atmosphere. The chemical equation for respiration is C6H12O6 + 6 O2 6 H2O + 6 CO2 + ENERGY. There are no other ecological problems in mountain biomes because they are not very common or frequently visited.

4. What is a Mountain Biome? A mountain biome is an area where there are many mountains, and it is very similar to a mountain range. There are many organisms that live in mountain biomes, such as bobcats, ringtails, and many other animals and plants. Some biotic factors in a mountain biome are trees, grass, and many animals. There are also abiotic biotic factors in a mountain biome such as rocks, dirt, and air. This habitat is unique because it has high elevations and low valleys. Also because it contains many different organisms. The climate in a mountain biome varies greatly, depending on the location. In mountain biomes, the main landforms are mountains and valleys, and sometimes there are rivers and/or small lakes or ponds. Mountain biomes can be found throughout the world, and there are many famous ones, too. Some of which are: The Rocky Mountains, the Alps, and the Himalayas. There also is a food chain with many different organisms within it.

5. FOOD CHAIN  Tertiary Consumers  Secondary Consumers  Primary Consumers • Producers and Decomposers • (decomposers are bacteria and fungi)

6. Decomposer: Jelly Fungi Jelly fungi grow on logs and rocks and they serve as a food source for small animals. It also is a decomposer, which means that they recycle dead organisms into the soil. Kingdom: Fungi Phylum:Basidiomycota Subdivision: Agaricomycotina

7. Tertiary Consumer: Mountain Lion One of the tertiary consumers in mountain biomes is a mountain lion. Mountain lions are fierce predators who stalk their prey and then pounce. One of the adaptations that is major in their survival is their fur color. It helps them blend with tall grasses and rocks. Another adaptation is their long, slender, muscular legs that help when they are in high-speed chases or when they pounce on their prey. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Subfamily:Felinae Genus:Puma Species:Puma concolor

8. Secondary Consumer: Pine Marten Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae Genus: Martes Species:  Martes americana The pine marten, also known as “the American marten” is a secondary consumer in the mountain biome food chain. One of their useful adaptations is their feet, which have sharp claws and toe-pads on each of the five toes. With that, they can easily scale trees for food or shelter. Their coat is usually a golden-brown color, which is useful for camouflage in the autumn. Pine martens are also very fast and agile, which is useful for hunting small prey or escaping fierce predators.

9. Primary Consumer: Pika Pikas are in the primary consumers group in the food chain of a mountain biome. They are a small species, and have good camouflage in rocky areas, courtesy of it’s grey-brown fur. They scavenge for food and look out for predators in the day, and they rest at night. They mainly eat plants, which are very easy to find in the mountains. They communicate with each other by singing or just peeping short notes. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Lagomorpha Family: Ochotonidae Genus: Ochotona Species: Ochotona princeps

10. Producer: White Willow Tree White willow trees are one of the many producers in the food chain of the mountain biome. One adaptation that the White willows have evolved are fine white hairs on their leaves to increase their surface area, to catch more light to use for photosynthesis. Kingdom: Plantae Order:Malpighiales Family: Salicaceae Genus: Salix Species: Salix alba

11. Pine Marten Punnett Square G g KEY: G - golden brown fur g - brown fur GENOTYPE: GG – 25% homozygous dominant Gg – 50% heterozygous dominant gg – 25% homozygous recessive PHENOTYPE: 75% golden brown fur 25% brown fur Gg GG G gg g Gg

12. White Willow Tree Punnett Square W W KEY: W – white leaves w – light green leaves GENOTYPE: Ww – 100% heterozygous dominant PHENOTYPE: 100% white leaves w Ww Ww w Ww Ww

13. Genetic Diversity… and why it is Important Genetic diversity is important and necessary for different organisms’ survival in the wilderness. This process is known as natural selection. Natural selection happens when an organism does not adapt to its environment quick enough. Another reason that it happens is because of overproduction. If there are too many newborn organisms, some of them can’t defend themselves against predators. Also, diseases and such can spread like wildfire within large populations, killing many organisms. Genetic diversity is important for animals’ survival. If all animals were the same, there would be much more competition, which is another cause of natural selection. Competition is when organisms struggle over limited resources. For plants, genetic diversity is also important. It is important because different plants do different things to help the environment. Some plants decompose and help the soil, while other plants use photosynthesis to release clean oxygen into the atmosphere.

14. WORK CITED • http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/alpine.htm • http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/mountain.htm • http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall%2003%20project/Biogeography%20of%20American%20Marten.htm • http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/americanpika.htm • http://www.wikipedia.org/ • My binder

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