Terrestrial Biomes

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Terrestrial Biomes Aquatic Ecosystems

• Biology 150-009
• Ms. Chappell
• August 29, 2006

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LARGE ECOSYSTEMS

• Human-classified divisions
• Same types of climates similar types of
  vegetation
• Similar vegetation similar biome
• ? exact same flora, fauna, or physical abiotic
  makeup
• Terrestrial Ecosystems or Biomes
• 6 primary types
• 4 additional types
• Aquatic Ecosystems
• 4 types

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TERRESTRIAL BIOMES
Fig. 32.27
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Terrestrial Biomes

• Large, land vegetation formations viewed as
  ecosystems
• Tundra - Polar Ice
• Taiga - Mountain
• Temperate Deciduous - Chaparral
• Forest
• Temperate Grassland - Savanna
• Desert
• Tropical Rainforest

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Tundra
Image Sources Google www.worldbiomes.com/
biomes_tundra.htm, www.exzooberance.com/
virtual20zoo/they20wal... , www.alaskaone.com/
wildlife/images/tundra.jpg, www.teridanielsbooks.c
om/ States/Alaska/grizzl...
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Tundra

• Tundra treeless plain
• Flat terrain with low shrubs, grasses, sedge,
  mosses, lichens low biodiversity
• One-fourth of Earths terrestrial surface
• Present in northernmost latitudes ( 60 N)
• Desert-like rainfall ( 25 cm/yr) but bogs and
  marshes in summer rainy season due to permafrost

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Tundra (contd)

• Permafrost condition of permanent frozen soil
  beginning 1 meter (m) below surface and
  extending down to 500 m
• Water can not drain
• Plants produce in short 50-day season
• Year-round Arctic lemmings, hares, foxes
• Summer migratory animals seeking food
• No reptiles or amphibians

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Taiga
Fox Image Source mountain.nationalgeo...a/lg/na0
616bS_lg.jpg Fig. 32.26 and Fig. 32.29
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Taiga

• AKA Boreal or northern forests covered with
  coniferous trees such as firs, pines, spruces,
  and cedars (dominant vegetation) located south
  of tundra
• Largest biome on Earth low biodiversity
• Winters very cold and snowy
• Summers warm, rainy, and humid
• Large mammals, fur-bearing animals
• Very few reptiles and amphibians

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Temperate Deciduous Forest
Image sources rowanmiddle.com/RCMS...ciduous20F
orest.jpg, www.radford.edu/7Es...G235/biomes/tbd
f.gif, Fig. 32.30
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Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Majority of eastern US (our ecosystem) as well as
  continental western Europe and east Asia
• Deciduous trees (with seasonal leaf loss)
  including maples, beeches, oaks, and hickories,
  as well as understory of woody shrubs and vines
  and herbaceous plants
• Much precipitation (75 to 200 cm /yr) (3-8x that
  of tundra)
• Milder winters, warm to hot summers
• Great variety of animals, including reptiles and
  amphibians

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Temp. Decid. Forest (contd)

• Abundance of pines (evergreens) in the SE US is
  only temporary
• Succession as ecosystem ages, new flora
  species replace previous ones (e.g., grass to
  low shrubs and vines to evergreens to hardwoods)
  as flora change so will fauna
• Here, climax successional stage is oak/hickory
  forest

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Temperate Grassland
Image Sources savanna.ntu.edu.au/i...n/images/al
aric2.jpg, www.narragansett.k12...agerg/grassland
s.jpg, www.paulnoll.com/Ore...ology-grasslands.jp
g, www.interplayart.com...ot/Grasslands_D1.jpg,
mountain.nationalgeo...na/lg/na0805a_lg.jpg,
www.nationalgeograph...t/lg/at0714aS_lg.jpg
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Temperate Grassland

• Areas of predominantly tall, mixed, or short
  grasses sandwiched between temperate deciduous
  forests and deserts
• Annual precipitation of 25-100 cm
• Extremely fertile soil (US Midwest farms)
• Natural grasslands destroyed for agriculture
  very little left in world
• Short grass prairie crops and cattle

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Savanna

• Subtype of grassland tropical grassland in
  Southern Hemisphere (Africa, South America, and
  Australia)
• Seasonal drought, warm climate, dotted with
  stands of trees, and home to typical large
  mammals (e.g. in Africa, elephants, giraffes,
  zebras, lions, spring boks, cape buffalo, etc.)

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Desert
Image Sources www.GroupTourstoIndi.../desert-fes
tival.jpg, www.caingram.info/Us/Usa/Pix/Death-6.j
pg, Fig. 32.32
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Desert Got Water?

• Desert area receiving lt 25 cm annual
  precipitation evaporation gt precipitation
• Deserts may be cold, temperate, or hot
• Flora and fauna specialized to survive with
  little water collect and conserve
• Soils poor because lack of water very little
  biomass, or net productivity, low organics
  inability to hold water
• Concentration of inorganic salts high

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Tropical Rainforest
Fig. 32.33
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Tropical Rainforest

• Large warm equatorial areas, abundant annual
  precipitation (200-450 cm and even to 1000 cm for
  some) with high biomass productivity and
  biodiversity
• 7 of Earths land mass under massive
  destruction can not be replaced
• Poor, acidic soil plants uptake
  quickly-decomposed organic nutrients

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Polar Ice and Mountains

• Polar Regions
• Cold, dry, devoid of terrestrial plant life
• Animals capable of living in frigid conditions
  and basis of survival on highly productive marine
  ecosystem
• Mountains
• Increase in altitude similar to northern
  latitudes (cooler climate and conifers)
• Rain shadow on lee side (desert area)

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Chaparral

• Not a grassland
• Punctuated with low-growing evergreen shrubs,
  pines, and scrub oaks
• Lands on Western coast lines with Mediterranean
  type climate (wet mild winter/ hot dry summer,
  ocean winds)

Image source www.californiachapar...Shanks_Chapa
rral.jpg
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Biome Ecological Concerns

• Tundra/Taiga ore mining, oil drilling, ecosystem
  fragmentation, global warming/species changes
• Temperate Deciduous Forests human destruction
  for resources and population
• Temperate Grasslands very little remaining,
  non-native grass species agriculture
• Deserts In US, human encroachment
• Tropical Rain Forests - human destruction for
  resources and population expansive loss of
  species, biomass net productivity

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Aquatic Ecosystems

• Marine
• Freshwater
• Estuary
• Wetland

Image Sources www.exn.ca/news/imag...8/19990308-
coral.jpg, dos.cornell.edu/CLT/...hy/images/Strea
m.jpg, www.mapua.co.nz/imagges/mapua_toitoi.jpg,
www.co.hubbard.mn.us...tos/Type-2_small.jpg
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Marine Ecosystems
Photic zone surface to 100 m down
photosynthesis occurs
Saltwater oceans cover ¾ of Earths surface.
Fig. 32.34
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Marine contd

• Abundance of life is generally greater
• Nearer coast (intertidal zone) due to stirring
  action of waves and nearer surface from light
• In polar regions than tropical regions
• (abundant food for large organisms)
• In tropical coral reefs along shallow coastlines

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Marine contd

• Ecological Concerns
• Overfishing and industrial fishing techniques
  that destroy deep water habitats
• Human pollution of the coastal waters (sewage,
  construction erosion, chemical use, etc.)
• Human physical destruction of sensitive
  ecosystems such as coral reefs, tidal pools

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Freshwater Ecosystems
Inland freshwater streams, ponds, and lakes cover
2.1 of Earths surface.
Fig. 32.36
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Freshwater contd

• Natural lake nutrient concentrations (phosphorus
  often is limiting factor)
• Shallow, nutrient rich eutrophic
• Abundant aquatic photosynthesis and animals
  (cloudy, murky water)
• Occurs naturally over long periods of time
• Deeper, nutrient poor oligotrophic
• Few nutrients to aid photosynthesis, little
  animal life (clear water)

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Freshwater Concerns

• Artificial eutrophication of lakes nutrient rich
  sewage, fertilizers, construction erosion, etc.
  feed algae
• Algal bloom leads to accumulation of dead algae
  decomposition by oxygen-using bacteria fish
  kills
• Clean Water Act has helped, but battle not over

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Estuary

• Coastal point of contact between freshwater and
  saltwater mix brackish water
• Constant mixing stirs up nutrients for
  photosynthesizers animal life abundant
• As productive as tropical rainforests and coral
  reefs
• Concerns
• Although protected, human pollution and
  encroachment threaten health of estuaries

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Wetland

• Land remaining wet for at least part of the year
  (bog, marsh, swamp, tidal marshes) and very
  productive
• Most are inland, freshwater
• Soils and plants can capture pollutants, act as
  wastewater system and clean up
• Concerns
• Federal protection requires restoration, but many
  destroyed
• Loss of migratory bird habitat
• Winthrop/Rock Hill School District restoration