Chapter 6 and 7Biomes

Biomes project selections:1. Tropical rain forest2. Temperate rain forest3. Deciduous forest4. Taiga5. Savanna6. Temperate grasslands7. Chaparral8. Deserts9. Tundra10.Lakes and ponds11.Freshwater wetlands12.Estuaries13.Coral reefs14.Oceans

Biome: large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plants and animals.- Biomes are mainly described by their vegetation, due to

their climate specificness.- They very in size, shape, and how they gather water based

on the environmentClimate: weather conditions that occur over long periods of time, temp. and precip. Are the two majors.Latitude and altitude are also playersLatitude: distance north or south of the equatorAltitude: height of an object above sea level.

Tropical Rain Forest- One of the most biodiverse of any biome- Always humid and warm- 200 to 450 cm’s of rain a year- Help regulate world climate- Huge variety of species per hectare (20 average, 250 TRF)- Located around equator- Very poor soil quality- Organic matter decays quickly/plants absorb nutrients

quickly- Water is processed so efficiently you can almost drink it

Layers of the rain forest4 basic areas1.Understory (lowest), very little light reaches, usually huge

leaves to capture what little light makes it2.Lower canopy: dominated by epiphytes, use the surface of

the trees to grow, lots of flowers/fruits3.Upper canopy: the primary layer, trees can be as tall as

30m (100ft), absorbs 95% of light, some animals never leave this zone their entire lives.

4.Emergent layer: very top, trees up to 70m (210 ft)

Threats to the Rain forest- TRF’s covered roughly 20% of the earths surface, now

it is down to 7%- It’s predicted that 150 acres are destroyed every

minute- Habitat destruction by humans is the number one

killer of TRF’s- Destroying TRF’s by burning, and human needs

Temperate Rain Forests- Just think twilight movie, where most was filmed was a Temp RF.- Large amounts of precipitation, high humidity, and moderate temps- Temps are typically regulated by ocean winds- Dominated by huge trees (90m’s) mosses, lichens, and ferns

Temperate Deciduous forests- Where we live- Trees drop their leaves each fall (not all of course)- Growing season between 4-6 months- Temperatures range from 35 to 0 degrees- More distinguishable seasons- Typically between 30 and 50 degrees north latitudes (most are in northern hemisphere).

Plants and animals of TDF- Typically have a migrations (especially birds)- Plants adapted to survival during winter months

Taiga- The northern coniferous forest.- Broad band just beneath the Arctic circle- Long winters (6 to 10 months)- Plants typically grow only during the short summer months- Trees have adapted leaves to shed snow. (needle like leaves)

- Most (year round) animals in the taiga hibernate in the winter.

Savanna- Tropical biome dominated by grasses, shrubs, and small trees.- Rain falls mainly in the “wet” season, which is only a few months long- Support a huge variety of herbivores- Plants typically have large horizontal root systems to take advantage of rain when it does

fall.- Shed leaves during long dry months- Most plants have thorns or sharp leaves to protect against herbivores.- Just think lion king for plants and animals

Temperate Grasslands- Moderate rainfall, but a lack of trees and shrubs either due to not enough rain or fires are

to frequent.- Go by many names; prairies in NA, Steppes in Asia, the Veldt in South Africa, Pampas in

South America.- Mountains play a crucial role, called rain shadow effect.

- Moister laden clouds move up a mountain side, drop their moisture, then the other side is dry.

- Can look almost desert like- Plants: grasses and wildflowers mainly, very few trees and shrubs, lots of fires (not like

chaparral though)- Highly productive for farmland due to the fertile soil (grasses dying back leave a lot of

nutrients)- Most fertile soil in the world- Animals: grazing animals, and burrowing animals dominate- Farming is the number 1 threat.

Chaparral- A temperate shrubland with moderately dry coastal

climates, little to no rain in the summer.- In middle latitudes (about 30 degrees north).- Mostly low lying evergreen shrubs and small trees- Plant leaves contain oils that promote burning- Fires are very common, and needed- Most animals are very adept at camouflage, both shape and

coloring- Human development biggest threat.

Deserts- Main characteristic of all deserts: widely scattered vegetation, very

little rain (sometimes almost zero) fluctuating temp (from 40 degrees in the day to near freezing at night) often located near mtn ranges.

- All plants are adapted to low rain amounts and conserving water (called succulents)

- Modified leaves (spiney), usually waxy coatings- Animals typically have thick scaly skins to prevent water loss, most

are nocturnal

Tundra- Located in northern hemisphere- Winter is to cold and dry to permit growth of trees- Permafrost: permanently frozen ground.- In the summer, top layer of soil becomes quite moist and soggy, which leads

to enormous numbers of swarming insects like mosquitoes.- Dominated by wild flowers, mosses and lichens (in summer months) grow

close to the ground as well.- A lot of migratory animals- Some live year round, will change colors for the different season- Biggest threat, again, humans- It is one of the most fragile biomes in the world because it is so slow to

recover after damage occurs- Global climate change is going to have the most effect on the tundra.

Some vocab needed for water biomes:Wetland: periodically underwaterPlankton: aquatic organism, can’t swim against current: “drifters”Phytoplankton: algae, main food base for most aquatic ecosystemsZooplankton: non-photosynthetic, drifting animals, microscopic to larger “jellyfish”Nekton: free swimmingBenthos: bottom dwellers

Lakes and ponds- Divided into horizontal and vertical zones

- Littoral zone: near the shore, nutrient rich, diverse aquatic life- Limnetic zone: open water, no rooted plants, phytoplankton more

abundant- Benthic zone: the bottom, dominated by decomposers

- Eutrophication: increase in the amount of nutrients, can be good and bad

Wetlands- Areas of land, with special soils and plants, that are covered with

fresh water for at least part of the year. Two main types marshes and swamps.- Marshes: contain non-woody plants- Swamps: dominated by woody plants

VERY IMPORTANT: Environmental functions of wetlands- Trapping and filtering sediments, nutrients, and pollutants- Reduces the likelihood of floods- Buffers shore lines against erosion- Spawning grounds for commercially important shellfish- Habitat for endangered species- Recreational areas for all sorts of stuff

Swamps- Flat poorly drained wooded land- Example Bogs: very acidic, filled with sphagnum (peat moss)- Ideal habitat for a variety of species

Human impacts- Were considered wastelands and breeding grounds for disease

carrying insects- We drained them and filled them- Developed farms and homes- Cutting off our noses to spite our face- Florida everglades is a great example of our destruction

Rivers- Typically cool, oxygen rich moving bodies of water (which can vary in speed

and volume)

Human impact- Damns are the number one issue dealing with river flows- Pollutions finds its way to a lot more places due to runoff

Marine EcosystemsEstuaries: an area in which fresh water mixes with salt water from the ocean- Support many organisms- Provide protected areas for everyone (even humans)- 10 largest urban areas in the world were built on esturaries

- Tokyo, new York, shanghai, Buenos aires, rio de janeiro, and mumbai

- Threats: used and landfills, development, pollutants for humans, general habitat destruction.

Salt marshes- Estuary where rivers deposit loads of nutrient rich mud- Support a huge number of species, major nursery for many ocean

species

Mangroves- A variety of small trees that are adapted to grow in salt water- Typically have above ground root systems- Protect coastlines- Provide shelter for “nursery”- Habitat for over 2000 animal species- Rapidly being destroyed

Rocky and Sandy shores- Barrier islands: run parallel to sandy shores, help protect the mainland for

storms and waves.- Rocky shores, mostly out west, and up north (east coast) large variety of life

found here- Sandy shores, where we live, dominated by burrowing animals

Coral reefs- Limestone ridges built by tiny coral animals called polyps.- They secrete skeletons of limestone, which is how reefs are formed- Great barrier reef is the largest in the world (1600 miles long)- Need warm, clear water, to photosynthesize (not actually the polyps, but

zooxanthellae)- Only the outer layer is alive- Typically share digestive system with entire colony

Coral reefs in danger- Very fragile- Greatly effected by sediment, temperature, human touch, and pollutants- Coral bleaching (turning white after dying)- Estimated 50% of the worlds reefs are in danger- Grows very slowly, so difficult to replace

Oceans- Sunlight and only penetrate about 300 ft.- Much of oceans life concentrated in shallow water or the top layer- Open ocean considered one of the least productive of all ecosystemsThreats:- Pollution- Overfishing