Chapter 1: Biomes & Ecosystems

1. Chapter 1: Biomes & Ecosystems 1.1 pages 8-29

2. Abiotic Vs. Biotic • Abiotic– non-living components of an environment Examples: soil, sunlight, moisture, wind and temperature etc. • Biotic – living parts of an environment that are living Examples: plants, animals, fungi and bacteria.

3. Factors that Influence the Characteristics and Distribution of Biomes • 1. Temperature and Precipitation • Includes rainfall, snow, mist, fog etc • These abiotic factors will influence the type of vegetation and organisms within a biome.

4. Annual Precipitation & Temp. Graph

5. Factors that Influence the Characteristics and Distribution of Biomes 2. Latitude • The distance measured in degrees north or south from the equator. • The equator divides the earth into northern and southern hemispheres. • At the equator the suns rays are most direct but as you move toward the poles temperature decreases because the suns rays become are less direct.

6. Factors that Influence the Characteristics and Distribution of Biomes 2. Elevation • Effects temperature and precipitation • It is the height of a landmass above sea level • As elevation increases temperature decreases because the atmosphere is thinner in higher elevations and so it retains less heat.

7. Factors that Influence the Characteristics and Distribution of Biomes How elevation effects precipitation: Windward Side of a Mountain: warm moist air (wind) hits the mountain rises, expands and cools and condenses into clouds producing rain or snow. • Cool wet climate Leeward Side: warm dry air sinks down and evaporates. • Warm dry climate

8. Factors that Influence the Characteristics and Distribution of Biomes 3. Ocean Currents • Warm or cold ocean currents either warm or cool above its surface effects the climate in a particular area.

9. Adaptations 3 Kinds of Adaptations • Structural Adaptations: a physical feature of an organisms body which allows it to better survive. Examples: cone shape of pine trees, arctic foxes thick white winter coat and a brown grey coat in summer, quills on a porcupine.

10. Adaptations 3 Kinds of Adaptations Cont’d 2. Physiological Adaptations: a physical or chemical event that occurs inside of the body to enable survival. Examples: maintaining a constant body temperature regardless of how cold it is (arctic fox), Cacti can photosynthesize with less water.

11. Adaptations 3 Kinds of Adaptations Cont’d 2. Behavioral Adaptations: what an organism does to survive in their environment. Which may include adaptations to how an organism feeds its young, hibernates, feeds, Example of the Burrowing Owl: Uses an old prairie dogs burrow to build its nest and lines it with grass to keep it cool during the day but warm at night. It lines the outside of its burrow. Uses cow dung to hide it’s scent and hisses like a rattle snake to snake to scare off predators.

12. Ecosystems Ecosystems: contain abiotic and biotic components that interact together. Biomes contain many different kinds of ecosystems such as a forest, marsh or pond. 3 Abiotic Components of an Ecosystem • 1. Habitats: place where an organism lives • 2. Nutrients: nitrogen and phosphorous required for plant and animal growth. • 3. Photosynthesis: process whereby plants derive their energy

13. Biotic Components of an Ecosystem 1. Species: group of closely related organisms that can reproduce with one another. 2. Population: all members of a species within an ecosystem 3. Community: refers to all populations of different species that exist in an ecosystem.

14. Symbiotic Relationships Symbiosis: refers to the interaction between members of of two different species that live together in close association. 3 Types of symbiotic relationships: 1. Commensalism: where one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

15. Mutualism 2. Mutualism: Symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

16. Parasitism 3. Parasitism: symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed!

17. Niches Niches: the special roles that an organisms fits into and contributes to its environment. • Eg: Great Blue Heron

18. Competition Competition: is the harmful interaction between two organisms when they compete for the same resource. Resources include, food, space, sunlight etc. Effects of Competition on Organisms: • Can reduce the size of a population • Egs: Coyotes and Spotted Knapweed

19. Predation • Predation: describes predator-prey relationships. Where the predator hunts and eats another organism “it’s prey”. Predatory adaption's: • Highly developed senses (i.e sense of smell), sharp teeth, excellent eyesight Prey Adaptations for protection: • Quills, hard shells, camouflage, mimicry

20. Mimicry • Mimicry: is an adaptation where an organism mimic’s another organism that either tastes bad or is dangerous. Eg: Viceroy butterfly, stick bugs, and Octopus