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Ecology

This article explores the impact of climate on ecosystems, focusing on biomes and the factors that affect climate such as latitude, solar energy, precipitation, elevation, and winds. Learn about the greenhouse effect and the role of solar energy in driving weather patterns. Discover the different types of biomes, including terrestrial biomes like tropical rainforests and deserts, as well as aquatic biomes like wetlands and marine environments.

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Ecology

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  1. Ecology Climate Biomes

  2. The Role of Climate in an Ecosystem • Climate: The average year-after-year conditions in an area • Factors That Affect Climate: • Latitude • Solar Energy • Precipitation • Elevation • Winds and Currents

  3. Solar Energy • Solar energy drives the weather which determines climate • Greenhouse Effect: The natural situation in which heat is retained by a layer of gases in the atmosphere. This effect keeps the earth warm enough to live on! • Greenhouse gases are • Carbon Dioxide, water vapor, methane • An excess of greenhouse gases can cause warming of the earth.

  4. Latitude • The tilt of the earth is fixed at all times. As the earth revolves around the sun, different amounts of light intensity strike various parts of the earth (angle of heating) setting up the 3 Climatic Zones! • Tropical: 0-30 degree latitude • Temperate: 30-60 • Polar: 60-90

  5. BiomesDefinition - A large geographical region whose climate produces a characteristic climax community of plants and animals. Be sure to know specific adaptations organisms have for survival in each biome!!

  6. Terrestrial Tropical Rain Forest Desert Temperate Grassland Temperate Forest Coniferous Forest/Taiga Tundra Aquatic Flowing Water Standing Water Wetlands Bogs, Marshes, Swamps Estuary Marine Types of biomes

  7. Tundra • Abiotic factors: strong winds, low precip, short and soggy summers; long, cold, dark winters; poorly developed soils, permafrost • Dominant Plants (flora): mosses, lichens, sedges, short grasses (ground-hugging) • Dominant wildlife (fauna): birds and mammals that can withstand harshness; migratory waterfowl, shore birds, musk ox, Arctic fox, caribou; small rodents • Geographic distribution: northern N.A., Asia and Europe

  8. Taiga/Coniferous Forests • Abiotic factors: long, cold winters; short, mild summers; moderate precip; high humidity; acidic, nutrient-poor soil • Dominant Plants: needle-leaf coniferous trees, small, berry-bearing shrubs • Dominant Wildlife: predators like lynx and wolves; weasel family; herbivorous mammals (large and small); beavers; migratory songbirds • Geographic distribution: North America, Asia, Northern Europe

  9. Deserts • Abiotic factors: low precipitation, variable temps, soil rich in minerals BUT poor in organic material • Dominant plants: cacti and succulents, creosote bush, plants with short life cycles • Dominant wildlife: predators (mtn lions, fox, bobcats, coyotes); herbivores (deer, antelope, sheep, rats); bats, birds, insects, reptiles…many nocturnal • Geographic distribution: Africa, Asia, Middle East, U.S., Mexico, S.A., Australia

  10. Grasslands • Abiotic factors: Warm to hot summers, cold winters, moderate, seasonal precipitation, fertile soils, fires • Dominant plants: lush, perennial grasses and herbs, resistant to drought and fire • Dominant wildlife: Predators (coyotes, badgers, wolves, grizzly bear); herbivores (deer, antelope, rabbits, prairie dogs, bison); birds (hawks, owls, bobwhite), insects (ants and grasshoppers) • Geographic distribution: Central Asia, North America, Australia, central Europe, upland plateaus of S.A.

  11. Temperate-Deciduous forest • Abiotic factors: cold to moderate winters, warm summers, year-round precip, fertile soil • Dominant plants: broadleaf deciduous trees, some conifers, flowering shrubs, herbs, mosses and ferns • Dominant wildlife: deer, black bears, bobcats, nut and acorn feeders, omnivores (raccoons and skunks), songbirds, turkeys Geographic distribution: eastern U.S., southeastern Canada, most of Europe, parts of Japan, China, and Australia

  12. Tropical Rain Forests • Abiotic factors: hot and wet year-round, thin, nutrient-poor soil • Dominant plants: broad-leaved evergreen trees, ferns, large woody vines, climbing plants, orchids and bromeliads • Dominant wildlife: herbivores (sloths, tapirs), predators (jaguars), monkeys, birds (parrots, toucans), insects (butterflies, ants, beetles), piranhas and other freshwater fishes, reptiles (snakes0 • Geographic distribution: parts of South and Central America, Southeast Asia, parts of Africa, southern India, northeastern Australia

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