Transcript Biomes and succession ppt

Biomes
Biome
• Biome: a large region
characterized by a specific type of
climate and certain types of plant
and animal communities
Terrestrial
Biomes
Effects of Latitude and Climate
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CLIMATE:The average
weather conditions in an
area, including temperature
and precipitation.
The graph shows how
temperature and
precipitation influence the
communities.
Biomes are classified
primarily according to the
characteristics of their
plants.
Major Biomes are also
characterized by
temperature, precipitation,
and animal species.
Aquatic
Biomes
Marine
Zonation
Estuaries
Intertidal
Zone
Freshwater
Ecological Succession
A series of predictable changes over time.
that happens when one community
replaces another as a result of changing
abiotic or biotic factors.
 There are two types: primary and
secondary
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Ecological succession
Causes:
 Gradual climate change (global warming?)
 Sudden disturbance (volcanic eruption,
forest fire, humans clearing forests)
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Primary Succession
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The establishment of a community on an
area of exposed rock that does not have top
soil.
A
slow process!
 Occurs where no soil exists
(new rock formations,
volcanic areas, parking lots)
 Starts
small with pioneer organisms
Primary succession
What types of organisms are pioneer
species?
 Why are they termed "pioneer“?
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Climax Community
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A mature community that results when there
is little change in the composition of species.
The end result of primary succession.
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It takes a very long time for the climax
community to be reached.
Sometimes it is never reached.
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Secondary Succession
More common
 Occurs after a disturbance like forest fire where
soil already existed (a fire or flood or a farm is
abandoned).
 Returns ecosystem to natural state
Since soil is already present, grasses start to
grow right away. These are replaced by
shrubs and trees.
This takes about 100 years to complete.
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Secondary succession
Climax Community
A
stable group of plants and
animals that is the end result of the
succession process
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Does not always mean big trees (Depends
on climate of a region)
 Grasses
in prairies
 Cacti in deserts