Ecology and The Biosphere

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Ecology and The Biosphere
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Abiotic vs. Biotic

• Abiotic (nonliving)
• temperature
• light
• water
• nutrients
• wind
• disturbance

• Biotic (living)
• other individuals of the same species
• individuals of different species (predators,
  prey, parasites)

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Biogeographic Realms
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Climate

• The prevailing weather conditions at a location
  which includes
• temperature
• water
• light
• wind

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Global Climate Patterns
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Solar Radiation and Latitude

• At Equinox
• sunlight hits equator directly
• low angle of light as you move toward poles
• At Solstice
• June (Northern Hemisphere tilts toward sun)
• December (Northern Hemisphere tilts away from
  sun)

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Global Climate Patterns
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Global Climate Patterns

• solar radiation at equator
• air circulation
• tropics
• global
• wind patterns

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Local Effects on Climate
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Local and Seasonal Effects on Climate

• Mountains (Rain shadow)
• Bodies of Water
• Ocean Currents

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Aquatic Biomes
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Vertical Stratification Of Aquatic Biomes

• Photic Zone
• Aphotic Zone
• Benthic Zone

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Vertical Stratification Of Aquatic Biomes

• Thermocline

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Freshwater Biomes

• Eutrophic lakes
• Oligotrophic lakes
• Mesotrophic lakes

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Freshwater Biomes

• Rivers and streams

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Freshwater Biomes

• Wetlands
• Estuary

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Marine Biomes

• Intertidal zones

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Marine Biomes

• Coral reefs

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Marine Biomes

• Oceanic pelagic

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Marine Biomes

• Benthos

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Terrestrial Biomes
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Terrestrial Biomes

• Tropical Forests
• Thorn
• Deciduous
• Rain forests
• Savannas
• Grasslands
• Deserts

• Chaparral
• Coastal Sage Scrub
• Temperate Deciduous Forests
• Taiga
• Tundra

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Tropical Rain Forest

• The tropical rain forest is a forest of tall
  trees
• An average of 50 to 260 inches (125 to 660 cm.)
  of rain falls yearly.
• The temperature in a rain forest rarely gets
  higher than 93 F (34 C) or drops below 68 F
  (20 C)

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Tropical Rain Forest
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Tropical Rain Forest
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Tropical Rain Forest
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Savannahs

• A savanna is a rolling grassland scattered with
  shrubs and isolated trees
• Not enough rain falls on a savanna to support
  forests.
• Savannas have warm temperature year round and two
  very different seasons
• long dry season (winter) 4 inches of rain
• very wet season (summer). In the summer there is
  lots of rain.

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Savannahs
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Savannahs
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Grasslands

• Grassland biomes are large, rolling terrains of
  grasses, flowers and herbs.
• Latitude, soil and local climates for the most
  part determine what kinds of plants grow
• Grasslands are a region where the average annual
  precipitation is great enough to support grasses,
  and in some areas a few trees.
• The precipitation is so erratic that drought and
  fire prevent large forests from growing.

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Grasslands
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Grasslands
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Deserts

• Less than 10 inches of rain a year
• Hot Deserts
• Cold Deserts

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Deserts
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Deserts
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Chaparral

• Chaparral is characterized as being very hot and
  dry.
• Temperature
• the winter is very mild and is usually about 10
  C.
• the summer. It is so hot and dry at 40 C that
  fires and droughts are very common.

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Coastal Sage Scrub

• Coastal sage scrub is characterized as being very
  hot and dry.
• Temperature
• the winter is very mild and is usually about 10
  C.
• the summer. It is so hot and dry at 40 C that
  fires and droughts are very common.

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ChaparralCoastal Sage Scrub
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Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Deciduous forests can be found in the eastern
  half of North America
• The average annual temperature in a deciduous
  forest is 50 F. The average rainfall is 30 to 60
  inches a year.

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Temperate Deciduous Forest
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Temperate Deciduous Forest
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Taiga

• The taiga is the biome of the needleleaf forest.
• Taiga is the Russian word for forest and is the
  largest biome in the world.
• The winters in the taiga are very cold with only
  snowfall.
• The summers are warm, rainy, and humid.
• A lot of coniferous trees grow in the taiga.
• The taiga is also known as the boreal forest.

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Taiga
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Taiga
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Tundra

• Tundra means a barren land.
• The ground is permanently frozen 10 inches to 3
  feet (25 to 100 cm) down so that trees can't grow
  there.
• rocky ground can only support low growing plants
  like mosses, heaths, and lichen.
• In the winter it is cold and dark and in the
  summer, when the snow and the top layer of
  permafrost melt, it is very soggy

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Tundra
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Nutrient Cycling