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ES LECTURE 8: World Biomes
What is Climate? - Climate is the average weather in an area over a long period, whereas weather is a day-to-day explanation. - Weather and climate are described in terms of factors such as temperature and precipitation. - The climate of a particular location depends, in turn, on its latitude (distance from the equator) and altitude (distance above sea level). - Other factors that affect an area’s climate include its location relative to the ocean or mountain ranges. - Temperature and moisture are the two climatic factors that most affect terrestrial biomes.
What effect do mountains have on surrounding land?
- The windward is the side of the mountain that is facing into the direction that the wind is coming from - The leeward side is the wind-protected side of the mountain
BIOMES ➢A biome is an area of the planet that can be classified according to the plants and animals that live in it. ▪ Temperature, soil, and the amount of light and water help determine what life exists in a biome. ➢A biome is different from an ecosystem. ▪An ecosystem is the interaction of living and nonliving things in an environment. ▪A biome is a specific geographic area notable for the species living there. ▪A biome can be made up of many ecosystems.
TERRESTRIAL BIOMES • Latitudinal patterns of climate over the Earth’s surface--- latitudinal patterns of biome distribution • Most terrestrial biomes are named for major physical or climatic features (predominant vegetation) • The species composition of any biome differs from location to location. • Human activity has radically altered the natural patterns of periodic physical disturbance. • Humans have altered much of the Earth’s surface, replacing original biomes with urban or agricultural ones. Tropical Forests • Found close to the equator. • Tropical rainforests receive constant high amounts of rainfall (200-400 cm annually). • In tropical dry forests, precipitation is highly seasonal. • In both, air temperatures range between 25°C and 29°C year round. • Tropical forests are stratified, and competition for light is intense. • Animal diversity is higher in tropical forests than in any other terrestrial biome.
2 KINDS OF TROPICAL FORESTS
1. Tropical Rain Forests • The forest biome which is characterized by high temperature and moist habitat. • Seasonality: wet and dry season (winter is absent) • The length of daylight is 12 hours • Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year with annual rainfall exceeding 2000 mm • Highest animal and plant diversity • Soil is nutrient-poor and acidic • Decomposition of products is immediately taken up by the plant's extensive root system NOTE: EMERGENT LAYER – birds, butterflies, and bats CANOPY – toucans and monkeys UNDERSTORY / UNDER CANOPY – snakes, red-eyed tree frogs, etc. FOREST FLOOR – jaguars 2. Tropical Dry Forests • Short dry period in a very wet tropical region (more than ½ of tropical forests have already been destroyed)
DESERTS • An ecosystem that forms due to the low level of rainfall it receives each year. • Deserts have low and highly variable rainfall, generally less than 30 cm per year. • Temperature varies greatly seasonally and daily. NOTE: Antarctica is a desert DESERT PLANTS • Desert vegetation is usually sparse and includes succulents such as cacti and deeply rooted shrubs. • The vegetation does not grow tall • Have thick stem • Their roots extend up to 2 meters to collect water DESERT ANIMALS • Many desert animals are nocturnal, so they can avoid the heat. • Desert organisms display adaptations to allow them to resist or survive desiccation. Desert Animals (adaptation) • Have thick skin to preserve water • Some animals can bury themselves to protect them from strong heat • Animals are nocturnal and hide under the bushes during the day • DESERT HEDGEHOG • CAMELS are one of the animals that can easily withstand deserts (well-adapted for many years) • They need very little water and food and store fat in their hump to avoid starvation
2 TYPES OF DESERT COLD DESERT • Average annual rainfall: <250 mm • Temperature summer: 21°C to 26°C; winter: -2°C to 4°C • Very salty • Precipitation is mainly snow HOT DESERT • During the day: temperature usually averages 38°C and 7°C at night • Average annual rainfall: <250 mm • Soils: salty (as the minerals never wash away) • They are extremely hot during the day • They are extremely cold at night
Grassland • A region where the average annual precipitation is great enough to support grasses. • Trees in a few areas • 2 Divisions: ➢ Tropical grasslands or Savannas ➢ Temperate grasslands
SAVANNA • Is found in equatorial and subequatorial regions. • Rainfall is seasonal, averaging 30–50 cm per year. • The savanna is warm year-round, averaging 24–29°C with some seasonal variation. • Savanna vegetation is grassland with scattered trees. • Covers almost half the surface of Africa • CLIMATE- the most important factor in creating savanna • Savannas are always found in warm or hot climates where the annual rainfall is from about 50.8 to 127 cm (20-50 inches) per year. • Always found in warm or hot climates (Fire is important in maintaining savanna biomes.) 2 KINDS OF SAVANNA • CLIMATIC SAVANNA – savannas which result from climatic conditions • EDAPHIC SAVANNAS – savannas that are caused by soil conditions and that are not entirely maintained by fire TEMPERATE GRASSLAND • Temperate grasslands are areas of open grassy plains that are sparsely populated with trees. • Various names of temperate grasslands include pampas, downs, and veldts. • Temperatures vary with seasons with tornadoes, blizzards, and fires occurring in many temperate grassland regions. • Temperate grasslands are home to many large and small herbivores. Why fire is important in the grassland biome? • Fire is a natural part of the grassland ecosystem and helps maintain its health and vigor. • It warms up the soil and reduces the leaf litter that accumulates each year, allowing sunlight to penetrate. • Warming the soil increases microbial activity, which releases nutrients from decaying plant material that new grasses and flowers need to grow.
Coniferous Forest Or Taiga/Boreal
• The largest terrestrial biome on Earth. • Coniferous forests have long cold winters and short wet summers • The conifers that inhabit these forests are adapted for snow and periodic drought. • They are found majorly in the Northern hemisphere • Coniferous forests are home to many birds and mammals. • These forests are being logged at a very high rate and old-growth stands of conifers may soon disappear. TEMPERATE FOREST ANIMALS - Brown bear, bobcat, coyote, beaver, bald eagle, American black bear, raccoon, chipmunk TEMPERATE BROADLEAF FOREST • Have very cold winters, hot summers, and considerable precipitation. • A mature temperate broadleaf forest has distinct vertical layers, including a closed canopy, one or two strata of understory trees, a shrub layer, and an herbaceous layer. • The dominant deciduous trees in Northern Hemisphere broadleaf forests drop their leaves and become dormant in winter. • In the Northern Hemisphere, many mammals in this biome hibernate in the winter, while many bird species migrate to warmer climates. • Humans have logged many temperate broadleaf forests around the world. TEMPERATE BROADLEAF FOREST PLANTS - Maple, oak, birch, horse chestnut, beech, ash Tundra • Covers large areas of the Arctic, up to 20% of the Earth’s land surface. • Tundra vegetation is mostly herbaceous, consisting of a mixture of lichens, mosses, grasses, forbs, and dwarf shrubs and trees. • Coldest biome. • PERMAFROST – a permanently frozen layer that prevents water infiltration and restricts root growth.
2 KINDS OF TUNDRA ALPINE TUNDRA • Found on high mountaintops at all latitudes, including the tropics. • The plant communities in Alpine and Arctic tundra are very similar ARCTIC TUNDRA • The Arctic tundra winter is long and cold, while the summer is short and mild. • The growing season is very short. • Large grazing musk oxen are resident in Arctic tundra, while carbon and reindeer are migratory. • Migratory birds use Arctic tundra as extensively during the summer as nesting grounds. • Arctic tundra is sparsely settled by humans but has recently become the focus of significant mineral and oil extraction. TUNDRA ANIMALS - Weddell seal, polar bear, wild yak, snow leopard, stoat, red fox, beluga whale, snowy owl, tundra swan, walrus, bald eagle, American pika, Antarctic pion, chinstrap penguin, elk, snow petrel, bighorn sheep, harbor seal TUNDRA PLANTS - Cotton plants, lichen, caribou moss, Labrador tea, arctic willow, bearberry
AQUATIC BIOMES • Aquatic biomes occupy the largest part of the biosphere. • Ecologists distinguish between freshwater and marine biomes on the basis of physical and chemical differences. • Marine biomes generally have salt concentrations that average 3%, while freshwater biomes have salt concentrations of less than 1%. • Marine biomes cover approximately 75% of the earth’s surface and have an enormous effect on the biosphere. • Freshwater biomes are closely linked to the soils and biotic components of the terrestrial biomes through which they pass. • Most aquatic biomes are physically and chemically stratified. AQUATIC ZONES • Light is absorbed by the water and by photosynthetic organisms, so light intensity decreases rapidly with depth. • There is sufficient light for photosynthesis in the upper photic zone. (brain coral, oarweed, phytoplankton, zooplankton, man-of-war, blue shark, turtle) • Very little light penetrates to the lower aphotic zone. (sponges, sea pen, sperm whale, benthic realm, octopus, sea spider, brittle star, rat-tail fish, tripod fish, gulper eel)
• The substrate at the bottom of an aquatic biome is the benthic zone.
• This zone is made up of sand and sediments and is occupied by communities of organisms called benthos. • A major food source for benthos is dead organic material or detritus, which rains down from the productive surface waters of the photic zone. AQUATIC ORGANISMS • In aquatic biomes, community distribution is determined by the depth of the water, distance from shore, and open water versus bottom • In marine communities, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and many fish species live in the relatively shallow photic zone • The aphotic zone contains little life, except for microorganisms and relatively sparse populations of luminescent fishes and invertebrates. WATER TEMPERATURE • Sunlight warms surface waters, while deeper waters remain cold. • As a result, water temperature in lakes is stratified, especially in summer and winter. • In the ocean and most lakes, a narrow stratum of rapid temperature change called a thermocline separates the more uniformly warm upper layer from more uniformly cold deeper water. TYPES OF AQUATIC BIOMES ❑ Freshwater biome ❑ Saltwater/Marine biome
FRESHWATER BIOME • Freshwater is defined as having a low salt concentration- usually less than 1% • Plants and animals in freshwater regions are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of high salt concentration
KINDS OF FRESHWATER BIOME
1. PONDS AND LAKES 2. STREAMS AND RIVERS 3. WETLANDS
PONDS • Many ponds are seasonal, lasting just a couple of months LAKES • May exist for hundreds of years or more • Vary greatly in oxygen and nutrient content. ZONES OF LAKES • Littoral zone – the shallow, well-lit water close to shore • Limnetic zone – the open surface water. • Profundal zone – deepest
➢ OLIGOTROPHIC LAKE – are deep, nutrient-poor, oxygen-rich, and contain little life. ➢ EUTROPHIC LAKE – are shallow, nutrient-rich, and oxygen-poor.
WETLANDS • Are areas covered with sufficient water to support aquatic plants • They can be saturated or periodically flooded. • Wetlands include marshes, bogs, and swamps. • They are among the most productive biomes on Earth and are home to a diverse community of invertebrates and birds. • Wetlands have a high capacity to filter dissolved nutrients and chemical pollutants. • Humans have destroyed many wetlands, but some are now protected. KINDS OF WETLANDS MARSHES ➢ A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species. ➢ Marshes can often be found at the edges of lakes and streams, where they form a transition between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. ➢ They are often dominated by grasses, rushes, or reeds. ➢ Both saltwater and freshwater tidal marshes serve many important functions: They buffer stormy seas, slow shoreline erosion, offer shelter and nesting sites for migratory water birds, and absorb excess nutrients that would lower oxygen levels in the sea and harm wildlife. COASTAL/SALT MARSHES • Flooded coastal wetlands that are drained by tides • Ecological guardians of the coast (buffer stormy seas) • Serve as nursing grounds for young marine life • Support different species of animals, such as shrimp, shellfish, and various grasses • Offering shelter and nesting sites for several species of migratory waterfowl. FRESHWATER MARSHES • Act as a natural water filter • Filter out nutrients (N and P) that threaten the rivers and lakes • Wetland plants take up excess nutrients and convert them to less harmful forms, and over time, the nutrients are recycled within the wetlands • Unfortunately, freshwater marshes have suffered major acreage losses due to human development. • Some have been degraded by excessive deposits of nutrients and sediment from construction and farming. SWAMPS • A swamp is a forested wetland. • Swamps are considered transition zones because both land and water play a role in creating this environment. • Other swamps occur on the shores of large lakes. • Swamps also protect coastal areas from storm surges that can wash away fragile coastlines. • The swamp ecosystem also acts as a water treatment plant, filtering wastes and purifying water naturally. BOG LAND ➢ Bog or bog land is a type of freshwater wetland that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material— often mosses, and in a majority of cases, sphagnum moss. ➢ It is oxygen-poor and nutrient-poor, making biodiversity much lower than in other wetland ecosystems. ➢ Few plants can survive in such an acidic, waterlogged soil
STREAMS AND RIVERS
• Bodies of water moving continuously in one direction. • Headwaters are cold, clear, turbulent, and swift. • They carry little sediment and relatively few mineral nutrients. • As water travels downstream, it picks up O2 and nutrients on the way. STREAMS • A stream is a body of water with surface water flowing RIVERS • A wide, natural stream of fresh water that flows into an ocean or other large body of water RIVER ANATOMY RIVER SOURCE – The beginning or source of a river is called the headwaters; TRIBUTARIES – is a river or stream that feeds into another river RIVER CHANNEL – a river’s channel is its unique signature RIVER BANK – the land next to the river MOUTH / DELTA – the end of a river
MARINE BIOMES ❑ Oceans ❑ Coral reefs ❑ Estuaries
MARINE BIOMES • Marine regions cover about 3⁄4 of the Earth’s surface • Marine algae supply much of the world’s oxygen supply and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide • The evaporation of the seawater provides rainwater for the land ESTUARIES • Areas of transition between river and sea. • The salinity of these areas can vary greatly. • Estuaries have complex flow patterns, with networks of tidal channels, islands, levees, and mudflats. • They support an abundance of fish and invertebrate species and are crucial feeding areas for many species of waterfowl.
OCEANS • The largest of all ecosystem • Large bodies of water that dominate the Earth’s surface ➢INTERTIDAL ZONE • Marine biome that is periodically submerged and exposed by the tides. • The upper intertidal zone experiences longer exposure to air and greater variation in salinity and temperature than the lower intertidal areas. • Many organisms live only at a particular stratum in the intertidal. ➢PELAGIC ZONE • The open blue water, mixed by wind-driven oceanic currents. • The surface waters of temperate oceans turn over during fall through spring. • The open ocean has high oxygen levels and low nutrient levels. • This biome covers 70% of the Earth’s surface and has an average depth of 4,000 meters. ➢BENTHIC ZONE • Consists of the seafloor below the surface waters of the coastal or neritic zone and the offshore pelagic zone. • Most of the ocean’s benthic zone receives no sunlight. • Organisms in the very deep abyssal zone are adapted to continuous cold (about 3°C) and extremely high pressure. • Unique assemblages of organisms are associated with deep-sea hydrothermal vents of volcanic origin on mid- ocean ridges. ➢ABYSSAL ZONE
CORAL REEFS • Widely distributed in warm shallow waters • Barriers along continents, fringing islands, and atolls • Corals as dominant organisms • HERMATYPIC- coral species that build reefs; also called “hard” corals because they extract calcium carbonate from seawater • POLYP- individual coral • Limited to the photic zone of stable tropic marine environments with high water clarity. They are found at temperatures between 18°C and 30°C. • They are formed by the calcium carbonate skeletons of coral animals. • Coral reefs are home to a very diverse assortment of vertebrates and invertebrates.
