Transcript Biomes

Biomes
Biome
A
group of similar ecosystems
 Usually defined by the types of plants that
grow there, based on climate
Main Climate Factors are
 Temperature
 Rainfall
Factors influenced by
 Sun
Wind and water
The Sun and Seasons
 The
angle of the earth to sun determines
seasons
Wind
 Generated
by Sun
Coriolis effect
 Earth’s
rotation turns the winds and
currents to the right in N. Hemisphere
World winds effect climate
Winds effect ocean currents
 Currents
also affect climate
 Gulf stream brings warmer water to
eastern US shore
Mountains cause rain shadow
Windward side – air rises, Rain
 Leeward side – air sinks. NO rain

Elevation changes climate
 Similar
to change in latitude
Terrestrial Biomes
Large ecosystems
First Biome: Tundra
 What
is the tundra?
 No not this
Tundra
 cold
year round
 Permafrost - permanently frozen ground
 Plants: very small plants and shrubs
 Animals: caribou, arctic fox, snowshoe
hare
Taiga (Coniferous forest)
 Cold,
much winter snow, conifer trees
 Plants: cone bearing: pines, firs, spruce
 Animals: moose, bear, wolves and lynx
Deciduous forest
 Temperate,
trees lose leaves, lots of rain.
Many dormant winter species
 Plants: maples, oaks, willow, birch,
blueberries
 Animals: deer, fox, raccoon, squirrels
Grasslands
 Temperate,
seasonal drought, fires
 Mostly grasses, flat, dry, fertile
 Plants: wheat, corn, hay, grass
 Animals: grazers; bison, prairie dogs
Chaparral
 Brush
land communities along mid latitude
coastlines
 Plants: spiny shrubs, heat and fire resistant
plants
 Animals: deer, rodents, lizards, roadrunners
Desert
 Very
little rainfall (< 30 cm/year), hot day,
cold night
 Plants: store water (CAM plants) cactus,
sage bush, creosote bush
 Animals: lizards, snakes, kit foxes, road
runner
Some desert mice NEVER drink
 Kangaroo
mouse
 Gets water from food and from cellular
respiration
Savannas
 Grassland
with more moisture. Wet and
dry seasons
 Plants: scattered trees, shrubs :grasses
 Animals: zebra, giraffes, gazelles, lions,
hyenas
Tropical rainforest
 Very
wet and hot, found along equator
 Plants: very tall trees, orchids, mosses
 Animals: parrots, monkeys, sloth, jaguar
Tropical rainforests
 The
most biomass
 Pronounced vertical stratification
Tropical rainforests
 Canopy
species at the top
 Jungle – thick growth to replace opening
 Epiphytes – air plants grow on other plants
Alpine
 Alpine
biomes are at high altitudes
 Similar to taiga and tundra
Locations of Biomes
Quiz – Name that biome
 Savannah
What Biome?
 Desert
What Biome?
 Deciduous
forest
What Biome?
 Tundra
What Biome?
 Tropical
Rain Forest
What Biome?
 Chaparral
What Biome?
 Taiga
What Biome?
 Grassland
Aquatic Biomes
 Fresh
and salt water
Salt water biomes
 Organisms
must be adapted to higher salt
content so they do not dehydrate
 Called osmoregulation
Photic zones
 Where
Light reaches (photo = light)
Aphotic zones
 Light
does not reach
Thermocline
 Temperature
layer where temperature
drops sharply with depth
Benthic Zone
 The
zone below the surface.
Freshwater biomes
 Ponds,
Lakes and streams
Estuary
 Where
fresh water meets salt water
Freshwater biomes
Lakes – Deep, nutrient poor,
with small surface area.
 Low photosynthesis
 Oligotrophic
Eutrophic lake
 Nutrient-rich,
large surface area relative to
depth. High photosynthesis
 Too much algae growing on surface
blocks light and kills other plants
 This can kill animal life, destroying pond
ecosystem
Healthiest lakes are balanced
 Oligotrophic
= Eutrophic