MacroEcology: Large Scale Relationships

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MacroEcology Large Scale Relationships

• Essential Questions
• How are all relationships organized globally?
• What are the limiting factors of ecology?
• How does the environment change over time?

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The Big Idea

• On your notes, inquire to why we have different
  climates in various spots in the world.
• Also, are there places that dont have
  variation in climate? Why or why not?
• What kinds of abiotic effects have an impact on
  organisms (plants and animals) that live there?

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What is Ecology?

• The scientific study among organisms and between
  organisms and their environment or surroundings.
• There are 3 basic approaches to conducting
  ecological research
• Observing
• Experimenting
• Modeling

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The 6 Levels of Ecology
The biosphere is the zone of life on Earth.
The 6 Levels of Ecology are organized into
smaller subunits down to an individual organism.
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Biomes - Overview

• Ecosystems that have similar kinds of climax
  communities are called Biomes.
• Biomes are limited by temperature and
  precipitation due to climatic differences based
  on Latitude and/or Altitude.
• There are two major types of biomes
• Aquatic (sea, water)
• Terrestrial (those on land)

New Way to map Biomes http//www.youtube.com/wat
ch?vsTUOHMkGa0Q
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Marine Biomes - Saltwater

• Largest Biome that covers 71 of the Earth.
• Scientists separate marine (saltwater) biomes
  into two parts
• Photic Zone portion of the biome shallow
  enough to allow light through
• Intertidal, Coral Reef, Estuary.
• Plankton, juvenile marine organisms
• Aphotic zone deeper water where light cannot
  penetrate
• Benthic, Abyssal
• Angler fish, Thermal vents
• Adapted to life in the dark.

Weird Fish Eye Adaptation http//www.youtube.com/
watch?vZoygy-8PTtU
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Marine Biomes - Freshwater

• Freshwater is defined as having a low salt
  concentration usually less than 1.
• Types of Freshwater Marine Biomes
• Ponds and Lakes
• Rivers and Streams
• Wetlands

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Biomes Tundra

• Geography Circles the poles (90N and 90S),
  treeless with long summer days and short periods
  of winter sunlight.
• Alpine Tundra - Alpine tundra is located on
  mountains throughout the world at high altitude
  where trees cannot grow.
• Unlike the arctic tundra, the soil in the alpine
  is well drained.
• Abiotic Limiting Factors
• Temperature -34C in winter, 3-12C in summer
• Precipitation 15 to 25 cm
• Soils are nutrient poor and cannot hold larger
  plants trees.
• Under the topsoil is a permanently frozen part
  called permafrost.
• Plant root systems very short.
• Species Small mammals live there like owls and
  lemmings. Animals with adaptations to resist the
  cold climate.

Arctic Tundra
Alpine Tundra
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Biomes Taiga / Boreal Forest

• Geography just south of the tundra, between
  50- 60 N, broad belt of Eurasia North
  America.
• Abiotic Limiting Factors
• Temperature -54C to 21 C
• Precipitation 30 to 84 cm
• Seasons are divided into short, moist, and
  moderately warm summers and long, cold, and dry
  winters.
• Species Contains larger animals like Caribou,
  snowshoe hare, land of fir spruce trees.

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Biomes Temperate Forest

• Geography above and below the equator. Eastern
  North America, northeastern Asia, and western and
  central Europe
• Further subdivided based upon seasonal
  distribution of rainfall.
• Abiotic Limiting Factors
• Temperature 4 to 6 months frost free
• Precipitation 70 to 150 cm
• Nutrient rich soil with Hardwood trees.
• Species Home to many forest animals (bears,
  squirrels, salamanders)

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Biomes Tropical Savanna (Grassland)

• Geography grassland with scattered individual
  trees.
• Savannas of one sort or another cover almost half
  the surface of Africa (about five million square
  miles, generally central Africa) and large areas
  of Australia, South America, and India.
• Savanna has both a dry and a rainy season.
• Seasonal fires play a vital role in the savanna's
  biodiversity.
• Abiotic Limiting Factors
• Temperature 20C to 30C
• Precipitation 51 to 127 cm
• Species
• Dominated by grazing animals (elephants, zebra,
  lions)

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Biomes Prairie and Steppe (Temperate Grasslands)

• Geography covered by grasses and similarly
  small plants. Prevalent in US and Central Asia.
  
• Abiotic Limiting Factors
• Temperature 38C to -40C
• Precipitation 51 to 89 cm
• Divided by height of grasses (prairie tall
  steppe short)
• Species
• Dominated by grazing animals (bison)
• Good for growing crops
• Dependent on Fire for growth

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Biomes Desert

• Geography driest biome with sparse plant life
  and extreme temperature ranges.
• Around 30 Latitude.
• Cover 1/5 of the Earths Surface.
• Four Main Types
• Hot Dry, Semi-Arid, Coastal and Cold.
• Abiotic Limiting Factors
• Temperature 21 C to 49 C
• Precipitation Less than 50 cm per year
• Species Organisms have adapted to conserve
  water (mice, scorpions, snakes, owls, etc)

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Biomes Tropical Rain Forest

• Geography located at the equator, between
  23.5N and 23.5S.
• Warm and wet with lush plant growth
• Abiotic Limiting Factors
• Temperature Average 25 C
• Precipitation 200-600 cm
• Species
• Home to the most amount of species (biodiversity)
  on the planet
• Has many niches due to the layers of the
  rainforest (forest floor, trees, canopy, etc)

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