Ecological Levels of Organization

1. Ecological Levels of Organization

2. Foldable (outside): Map of Biomes Earth’s Biomes

4. To complete the inside of your foldable… • Use Ch. 20 of your Holt textbook • Pgs. 526-543 • See the next slide for the format to use inside the foldable.

5. Land (Terrestrial) Biomes – Inside the foldable… Distinguishing characteristics: Illustration of biome. (distinguishes it from other biomes) Fold • Temperature • Precipitation • Examples • Adaptations • Examples • Adaptations

6. Earth’s Biomes • Areas with similar abiotic factors (soil, water & climate) usually have similar biotic factors (plants & animals). • Climate – average weather pattern in an area over a long period of time. • Precipitation & temperature • Biome – a group of ecosystems with similar climates & organisms • Contain related ecosystems

7. Terrestrial or Land Biomes • Tundra • Taiga / Coniferous (Boreal) Forest • Temperate Deciduous Forest • Grasslands (Savanna, Steppe, Prairie) • Deserts • Tropical Rain Forest • Temperate Rain Forest

8. Forest Biomes • Often found in areas that have mild temperatures and plenty of rain. • 3 types (depends on climate): • Temperate deciduous forests • Coniferous forests (Taiga) • Tropical rain forests

10. Temperate Deciduous Forests • Deciduous – “to fall off” – trees that shed their leaves to save water during the winter or during the dry season • Have 4 distinct seasons in a year (fall, winter, spring, summer) • Climate: • Precipitation – 75 – 125 cm of rain/yr. • Average temperature – summer 28˚ C, winter 6 ˚ C • Plants: deciduous trees (oaks, maples); ferns; mosses • Animals: deer, bears, snakes, woodpeckers, chipmunks, opossums, mice, skunks

11. Temperate Deciduous Forest

12. Coniferous Forests • aka: Taiga • Conifers – trees that produce seeds in cones; needles; aka: evergreen trees • Climate: • Precipitation - 35 – 75 cm of rain or snow/yr. • Average temperature – summer 14˚ C, winter -10˚ C • Plants: coniferous trees (Douglas fir, spruce); few large plants • Adaptations: Conifers with thick, waxy coverings on leaves = keep them from drying out and protect them from cold winter • Animals: squirrels; insects; birds (finches, chickadees, jays); herbivores (porcupines, elk, moose, ); bears; foxes; lynx • Migration & hibernation

13. Taiga/Coniferous Forest

15. Tropical Rain Forests • Have more biological diversity that any other place on Earth • Climate: • Precipitation – 200 – 600 cm of rain/yr. • Average temperature – daytime 34˚ C; nighttime 20˚ C • Warmer than temperate rain forests due to location near the equator • Plants: ferns, orchids, tall trees • Adaptation: low growing plants that don’t need much light • Animals: birds (parrots); insects; snakes; frogs; monkeys; lizards • canopy – tree tops

16. Tropical Rain Forests

17. Temperate Rain Forests • Found in New Zealand, southern Chile, & the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. • Climate: • Precipitation – 200 cm – 400 cm of rainfall/yr. • Avg. temperature – 9˚C – 12˚C • Plants: trees with needlelike leaves (Douglas fir, cedar, spruce) • Animals: black bear; cougar; bobcat; northern spotted owl; amphibians

18. Temperate Rain Forests

20. Grasslands • Also know as: • Steppes (Asia) • Prairies (N. America) • Savannas (Africa) • Pampas (S. America) • Found on every continent except Antarctica • 2 Types: • Temperate Grasslands • Savannas

21. Temperate Grasslands • Climate: • Precipitation – 25 – 75 cm of rain/yr. • Average temperature – summer 30˚C; winter 0˚C • Plants: grasses; flowering plants; few trees; crops – wheat, rye, barley, corn • Animals: small, seed-eating animals (prairie dogs & mice); large grass-eaters (bison); kangaroos; cattle & sheep

22. Savannas • Climate: • Precipitation – 50 - 130 cm rain/yr. • Average temperature – dry season 34˚C; wet season 16˚C • Plants: scattered clumps of trees; grasses • Animals: large herbivores (elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests)

23. Savanna

24. Grasslands

25. Deserts • Driest biome on Earth • Climate: • Precipitation – less than 25 cm of rain/yr. • Avg. temperature – summer 38˚C; winter 7˚C • Temperature shifts from day to night • Ex: Gobi desert in Asia – freezing temperatures in the winter • Plants: cacti • Adaptations – grow far apart; shallow roots; store water; waxy-coated leaves • Animals: toads, tortoises, kangaroo rat, scorpions, few large animals; reptiles • Adaptations – nocturnal (active at night); dormant during dry season; store water; big ears

26. Deserts

27. Deserts

29. Tundra • Cold, dry region; cold desert • Climate: • Precipitation – 30 – 50 cm of rain/yr. • Avg. temperature – summer 12˚C; winter -26˚C • Slow decomposition due to cold temperatures. • 2 Types: • Polar tundra • Alpine tundra

30. Polar Tundras • Found near the North Pole • permafrost – layer of soil that stays frozen all the time; only the surface thaws • Plants: shallow-rooted plants (grasses & small shrubs); mosses; lichens; no trees • Animals: insects, migratory birds (ducks, geese, shorebirds & songbirds); hawks; owls; arctic hares; musk oxen; wolves; caribou; reindeer

31. Polar Tundra

32. Alpine Tundra • Top of tall mountains • Also has permafrost • Found above the “tree line” • Gets plenty of sunlight & precipitation

33. Mountains & Ice • Mountains can contain many different biomes. • Temperature & precipitation change with elevation • Ice • Usually fits in with the tundra biome

34. Mountains

35. Water Biomes – Inside the foldable… Illustration of Marine Biome (Ocean) Illustration of Freshwater Biome (Pond Water) Illustration of Estuary

36. Marine Biomes • Oceans cover almost ¾ of the Earth’s surface. • Abiotic factors that affect marine ecosystems: • Water temperature • Water depth • Amount of sunlight that passes into the water

37. Marine Biomes • Water temperature • Decreases as the depth of the water increases • Temperatures at the surface zone vary • Latitude • Time of year

38. Marine Biomes • Water temperature • Affects the animals that life in marine ecosystems • Adaptations to warm or cold water • Migration to warmer areas • Impacts whether some animals can eat

39. Marine Biomes • Water depth and sunlight

40. Estuaries • Areas where fresh water from streams and rivers spill into the ocean • Fresh water + Salt water • Plants and animals must be able to adapt to the changing concentrations of salt. • Rich in nutrients • Rivers and streams carry silt and nutrient-rich soil

41. Freshwater Biomes • An important abiotic factor that affects freshwater biomes is how quickly water moves. • Streams & Rivers • Plants line the edges of streams & rivers • Fish live in open waters • Clams & snails live in mud at the bottom • Adaptations to fast moving water • Algae & moss are attached to rocks • Tadpoles & frogs use suction disks to hold onto rocks • Insects live under rocks

42. Rivers & Streams

43. Freshwater Biomes • Ponds & Lakes • Water depth and sunlight are important abiotic factors

44. Ponds & Lakes • Littoral zone • Sunlight reaches the bottom • Plants and algae can grow here • Small animals – frogs, salamanders, turtles, fish, snakes, snails, insects, clams & worms • Open-water zone • Top “layer” of water • As deep as sunlight can reach • Bass, lake trout, other fishes • Photosynthetic plankton • Deep-water zone • No sunlight • Catfish, carp, worms, crustaceans, fungi & bacteria • Feed on dead organisms that sink from above

45. Freshwater Biomes • Wetlands • An area of land that is sometimes underwater or whose soil contains a great deal of moisture • Benefits • Support many different plants & animals • Flood control • Replenishing underground water supplies • 2 types • Marshes • Swamps

46. Marshes • Treeless wetland ecosystems where plants grow • Often found in shallow areas along the shores of lakes, ponds, rivers & streams • Plants • Grasses, reeds & wild rice • Animals • Muskrats, turtles, frogs, birds

47. Marshes

48. Swamps • Wetland ecosystems in which trees and vines grow • Found in low-lying areas and beside slow-moving rivers • Plants • Willows, bald cypresses, oaks, vines, orchids, water lilies • Animals • Fishes, snakes, birds

49. Swamps