Class Notes 4

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Class Notes 4

• Biomes

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I. What is a biome?

• A biome is a group of ecosystems around the world
  that share the same abiotic factors
  (precipitation, temperature, elevation, etc)
• As a result, they have similar communities.

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C. Two major types of biomes

• Aquatic in the water
• a. Saltwater
• b. freshwater
• 2. Terrestrial on the land

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II. Aquatic Biomes

• Saltwater (marine)
• 1. Shallow, sunlit zones are called photic
  zones. These include tidepools and beaches

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• 2. Deep water that doesnt receive light is
  called the aphotic zone

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• 3. When freshwater and saltwater mixes, this is
  called an estuary (many lagoons are estuaries)

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• B. Freshwater biomes include lakes, ponds,
  rivers, and streams

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III. Terrestrial biomes

1. Terrestrial biomes are influenced by latitude,
   precipitation, and proximity to the ocean.
2. They include tundra, taiga, temperate forest,
   tropical forest, grassland, and desert.

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Summary

• What makes the earths biomes differ?