The World’s Biomes and Ecological Organization.

The World’s Biomes and Ecological Organization.

Yea!

Background…

• Ecology is the study of living things in their environment and how they affect each other.

Background…

• Ecological Organization– Living things can be studied at six different

levels:

• INDIVIDUAL:– An organism belonging to a particular species.

Background…

• Ecological Organization

• POPULATION:– A group of organisms of the same species

living together in a specific area.– The total count of individuals within a group.

Background…

• Ecological Organizations

• COMMUNITY:– Made up of populations of different species

living together in the same area.– These organisms usually interact and depend on

each other.

Background…

• Ecological Organizations

• ECOSYSTEM:– A system in which biotic (living) organisms

interact with each other and their abiotic (nonliving) environment.

– Abiotic environments include things such as sunlight, soil, moisture, temperature,and nutrients.

Background…

• Ecological Organization

• BIOME:– More on this in a minute….

Background…

• Ecological Organization

• BIOSPHERE:– The sum of Earth’s biomes.– The living part of the planet.– Extends from just above to just below Earth’s

surface.

Biomes

• A group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms. – Ecosystem - All the living and non-living

things that interact in an area

Biomes

• Biomes are the regions of our planet which are best be defined by their climate, plant life and animal life.

Biomes

• What is the most important factor in forming or creating a biome?

– C.D.

Biomes

• Climate!– Temperature and rainfall determine a biome.

• Why?

– C.D.– Level sticks

Biomes

• How many Biomes are there?

• Scientists argue on the exact number, or different types of biomes in existence.

• We are going to lump them into about 9.

Biomes

• Rain Forest Biomes– A forest that receives more than 2.5 meters (8

feet) of rain each year.

• Tropical– Warm regions, close to the equator

• Temperate– Land along the northwest coast of the US

Tropical Rain Forest Biomes

Tropical Rain Forest Biomes

Temperate rainforest Biomes

Temperate Rainforest Biomes

Biomes

• Desert– An area that receives less than 25cm of rain

each year.

Desert Biome

http://www.explorebiodiversity.com/habitats/desert.html

Desert Biome

http://web.hcsps.sa.edu.au/projects/deserts/projects/group13/index.htm

Biomes

• Grasslands– An area that receives between 25cm and 75cm

of rain each year.– The main vegetation is grass or type of grass

plants.

Grassland Biome

http://www.uwsp.edu/gEo/faculty/heywood/GEOG101/aridbiom/index.htm

Grassland Biome

http://www.uwsp.edu/gEo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/biogeography/biomes_grassland.html

Biomes

• Deciduous Forest– Has at least 50cm of rain each year.– Forests in which the trees lose their leaves each

year.

– Deciduous means "temporary" or "tending to fall off" (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off).

Deciduous Forest Biome

http://www.geography.hunter.cuny.edu/~tbw/wc.notes/15.climates.veg/veg.images/temperate.deciduous.forests/temperate.deciduous.forest.map.jpg

Deciduous Forest Biome

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome/Images/pictemperate.jpg

Biomes

• Boreal Forest– Has at least 50cm of rain each year.– Forests contains Coniferous Trees

• Seeds in cones and leaves shaped as needles

– Winters are very cold.

Boreal Forest Biome

http://biomee.wikispaces.com/file/view/R_tarandus_map.gif/32725896

Boreal Forest Biome

http://images.botany.org/set-01/01-027v.jpg

Biomes

• Tundra– Extremely cold and very dry – Most soil exist as permafrost.

• Frozen soil

Tundra Biome

http://questgarden.com/47/43/8/070313183408/images/tundra_location_map001.gif

Tundra Biome

http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/images/tundra/alaskapipeline1.jpg

Biomes

• Mountains and Ice– Mountains pass through several “biomes” as

you travel from base to peak– Ice - well it’s Ice…’Nuff said.

• Penguins and polar bears

Biomes

• Freshwater – Standing water

• Ponds and lakes

– Flowing water• Streams and Rivers

Biomes

• Marine – We have a whole presentation on that.