Transcript Ecosystems III

Ecosystems III
Terrestrial (Land) Biomes
Mrs. Tamasy
FYI : Remember Land Biomes are Characterized by these
traits. However you can find species native to these
regions that don’t fit the following descriptions….
Special Thanks to Former Ecology Students 2009 – 2011
and Google Images
Tropical Rain Forest-Locations
Belt around equator
 25˚ N and 25˚ S
 Amazon, Congo

TRF - Climate
Warm
 Humid
 Strong Sunlight Year-round
 Wet Season – Short Dry Season
 Poor Soil ****
 >100 in rain per year

TRF - Plants
Most plant species here
 Thin, Smooth Bark
 Quickly pull nutrients from soil
 Buttress roots for support
 Large, flat leaves
 Drip Tips
 Epiphytes (ex. Lianas)
 Seedlings grow quickly to compete

Buttress Roots
TRF – Plants Con’t

Layers (1 m = 3 ft)
◦
◦
◦
◦
Emergent 60-70 m
Canopy 30 m
Understory
Forest Floor – 3.5 m
TRF - Animals
Specialize to avoid competition!
 Feed in layers
 Camouflage
 Bright Colors
 Poisonous skin

TRF - Threats
20% ------> 7%
 100 acres lost/minute-deforestation
 Habitat Destruction
 Loss of species – incl. humans
 Exotic pet trading
 40% of O2
 ¼ of all Rx
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Before and After
Temperate Deciduous ForestsLocations
Here!
 30-50˚North
 Eastern N. America
 Europe
 Asia
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TDF - Climate
4 seasons
 4-6 mo growing season
 75-125 cm precip (all kinds) (30-60 in)
 Rich, Deep Soil
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TDF - Plants
Deciduous Trees
 Shed Leaves & survive frosts
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◦ Maples – Oaks – Birch – Beech

Underground Stems, Roots & Bulbs
◦ Dormant in winter – return in spring
TDF - Layers
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Tall Trees
◦ Canopy

Understory
◦ sm trees/shrubs
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Herb Layer
◦ ferns, mosses, grasses
TDF - Animals
Birds Migrate
 Mammals reduce activity (hibernate)
 Feed in Layers
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◦
◦
◦
◦
Squirrels – nuts, seeds, fruits
Bears – leaves, berries
Deer – Trees, shrubs
Grasshoppers – throughout
black bear
deer
squirrel
cardinal
rabbit
TDF - Threats
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
 Clear Cutting
 Forest Fires
 Acid Rain

Taiga - Locations
Aka Coniferous Forest, Boreal Forest
 50 – 60˚ N
 Broad band across N.Hemis, below the
Arctic Circle

Taiga - Climate
-65° F to 70°F
 6-10 month winters
 Mild summers – nearly constant daylight
 <50 day growing season
 20-40 inches, mostly snow in winter
 Soil- low nutrients, very acidic, slow decomp.
 Low humidity in winter w/ lots of snow

Taiga - Plants
Conifers – seeds in cones, do not shed
needles
 Dark green leaves/needles
 Waxy coat – retains water
 Thick bark
 Upside down cone shape
 Pine – Fir – Spruce – Balsam – Evergreens
 Blueberries – Ferns – Mosses
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Taiga - Animals
Warm coats of fur
 Thick fat layer
 Birds migrate
 Burrowing – shrews, rodents
 Snowshoe hare – sheds brown fur
 Camouflage

Northern Lynx
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Endangered
Taiga - Threats
Natural
 Wildfires caused by lightning
Human
 Clear cutting
 Pesticides
 Mining - Oil & Gas
exploration
 Road Building
 Poaching
Savannas - Locations
Btwn rain forests & deserts
 0-30˚N and S
 Africa – India – Australia – S.America
 In U.S. – the Everglades
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Savanna - Climate
Aka – the “tropics”
 Distinct Wet and Dry Seasons
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◦ Heavy Rainfall ----- Drought
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Little precip overall – not many trees
Savanna - Plants
Lots of grasses
 Scattered trees & shrubs
 Horizontal Root systems
 Deep Tap Roots
 Lose leaves
 Thorns/ Sharp Leaves
 Acacia – Baobab

Baobab Tree
Acacia Tree
Grasses
Savanna - Animals
Grazers & their predators
 Migrate w/rain
 Give birth in rainy season
 Eat in layers
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◦ Gazelles – grasses
◦ Rhinos – shrubs
◦ Giraffes – trees

Travel in Herds
Savanna - Threats

Grass fires in dry season
◦ But, restores soil nutrients
Poaching
 Overgrazing / farming
 Flooding
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Temperate Grasslands - Locations
Interiors of continents
 35-50˚N and 25 – 30˚S
 Prairies, meadows
 Pampas, Veld, Downs, Puszta
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Temp Grass - Climate
Hot summers, cold winters
 Moderate Rain 50-88 cm (20-35 in)
 **Most fertile soil of any biome
 4-6 month growing season
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Temp Grass - Plants
Perennial Grasses
 Few natural plants remain
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◦ Now – corn, soybeans, wheat
Few Trees
 Dense Root Systems
 Grasses grow from base, not tip
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Temp Grass - Animals
Grazers – lg, flat back teeth
 Underground Burrowers
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◦ fire, weather, predators
Sharp claws
 Long legs
 Herds
 Lighter colors - bison
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Temp Grass - Threats
Non – native species
 Grass Fires / Droughts
 Farming / Overgrazing = Soil Erosion
 Tornados
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Why do
invasive
species
have to be
so Pretty?!
Invasive Species
Big Blue-stem Grass
Blazing Star
Queen Anne's Lace
Indian Grass
Chaparral - Locations
Aka – temperate woodland?
 Hollywood
 30˚N & S
 Coastal areas w/ Mediterranean Climates
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Chaparral
Chaparral - Climate
Fairly dry, more rain that desert
 10-17 in
 Warm, drier summers
 Mild, wet winters
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Chaparral - Plants
Leathery leaves
 Broadleaf shrubs – sage brush
 Scattered trees – conifers
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◦ pinon pines, junipers
Chaparral - Animals
Camouflage
 Colors to blend in
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◦ Quail, lizards, chipmunks, mule deer
Burrowing
 Large Ears
 Nocturnal
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Chaparral - Threats
Human Development
 Commercial
 Residential – due to mild weather
 Wild fires
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Deserts - Locations
1/7 of the earth’s land
 15 -35˚N
 In the shadows of large mountain ranges
 Sahara – N. Africa – World’s Largest
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Deserts - Climate
<25 cm (10 in) rain per year
 Extreme temps (cold nights)
 Mountains block clouds – limits precip
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Deserts - Plants
Conserve water
 Cacti – fleshy stems
 Succulents – fleshy leaves
 Sharp spines – protection
 Far-spreading root systems
 Waxy cuticle layer
 Live long w/out water
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Blue Agave Plant is a
Succulent, Not a
Cactus, like the
Saguaro
Pancake Prickly Pear Cactus
Soaptree Yucca
Desert Ironwood
Barrel Cactus
Joshua Tree
Brittle Bush
Deserts - Animals
Thick, scaly skin, prevents water loss
 Nest in cactuses – elf owl
 Sidewinder snake
 Insects – thick body to retain water
 Nocturnal
 Crepuscular
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◦ Active at dawn & dusk
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Estivate
◦ Amphibians
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T or F? Camels store water in their humps.
Deserts - Threats
Residential Development
 Tourism
 Off-roading
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Tundra – Locations
Tunturia – “Treeless Plain”
 N. of Arctic Circle
 55-70˚ N
 Alpine – mountains
w/trees
 Arctic – N. Pole
 Driest places on
earth after deserts
Tundra - Climate
Short Summers
 6-10 mo winters
 3-10 in precip/yr
 High winds
 Permafrost
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◦ Ice under the top few inches of soil
◦ Only top thaws in summer
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Bogs & swamps form in summer  insects
Tundra - Plants
Tough grasses, shrubs
 Huddle close to ground/ each other
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◦ Protects from wind
◦ Absorb heat from soil
Dwarf forms – grow flatter
 Mosses, lichens
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Cushion plant
Tundra - Animals
Migratory birds
 Caribou migrate
 Rodents burrow
 Well-insulated fat layer
 Shaggy coats
 Grow white fur in winter
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Lepidoptera
Arctic Fox
Musk-Ox
Penguins
Polar Bear
Tundra - Threats
Global climate change - melting of the
permafrost
 Soil is easily damaged, slow to recover
 Simple, fragile food chains
 Oil exploration
 Oil spills
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Ecosystems III Test Format
Multiple Choice
 Completion / Listing
 Read Climatograms
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