Biomes

What causes the seasons on Earth?

Biome – a biome is a complex communities that cover a large area and is characterized by defined abiotic conditions (i.e. climate and soil) and assemblages of organisms. Climate has the most dramatic effect on determination of terrestrial biomes. Climate is made up of average annual precipitation, the rate of potential evapotranspiration, and altitude/latitude. Aquatic biomes can be split into two major groups freshwater and marine - and are determined by water depth, flow rate, temperature, and chemistry.

Fig. 52-19

Tropical forest Savanna Desert 30ºN Tropic of Cancer Equator Tropic of Capricorn 30ºS

Chaparral Temperate grassland Temperate broadleaf forest Northern coniferous forest Tundra High mountains Polar ice

Fig. 52-15

30ºN Tropic of Cancer Equator Tropic of Capricorn 30ºS

Lakes Coral reefs Rivers Oceanic pelagic and benthic zones Estuaries Intertidal zones

Terrestrial Biomes & Climate The amount of precipitation depends on closeness to large bodies of water, global air circulation patterns, and geographic features, like mountains. Evapotranspiration rate is “the process of transferring moisture from the earth to the atmosphere by evaporation of water and transpiration from plants” (www.dictionary.com). Lower air pressure at high altitudes causes lower average temperature and higher latitudes receive less solar energy per year than lower latitudes.

Fig. 52-10a

Latitudinal Variation in Sunlight Intensity 90ºN (North Pole) 60ºN

Low angle of incoming sunlight

30ºN 23.5ºN (Tropic of Cancer) Sun directly overhead at equinoxes

0º (equator) 23.5ºS (Tropic of Capricorn) 30ºS

Low angle of incoming sunlight

60ºS 90ºS (South Pole) Atmosphere

Seasonal Variation in Sunlight Intensity 60ºN 30ºN

March equinox

0º (equator) June solstice 30ºS

Constant tilt of 23.5º

September equinox

December solstice

Fig. 52-10d

Global Air Circulation and Precipitation Patterns

60ºN 30ºN Descending dry air absorbs moisture

0º (equator)

30ºS 60ºS

30º 23.5º Arid zone

Ascending moist air releases moisture 0º Tropics

Descending dry air absorbs moisture

23.5º 30º Arid zone

Global Wind Patterns 66.5ºN (Arctic Circle) 60ºN Westerlies 30ºN Northeast trades Doldrums Southeast trades

0º (equator) 30ºS

Westerlies 60ºS 66.5ºS (Antarctic Circle)

Fig. 52-12

2 Air cools at 3 Cooler

high elevation.

air sinks over water.

1 Warm air

over land rises.

4 Cool air over water

moves inland, replacing rising warm air over land.

Fig. 52-13

Wind direction

Leeward side of mountain

Mountain range Ocean

Animals, plants, and all the other organisms are adapted to live within the biomes where they are found. Different adaptations allow for organisms to thrive in the different conditions found in each biome. A plant’s and animal’s ability to survive and reproduce under conditions that differ from their optimum condition is called tolerance. Some organisms are adapted to live in microclimates within each biome. A microclimate is an area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area.

Major Terrestrial Biomes: • Tropical Rain Forest • Tropical Dry Forest • Tropical Savanna • Temperate Grassland • Desert

• Temperate Woodland and Shrubland (Chaparral) • Temperate Forest • Northwestern Coniferous Forest • Boreal Forest (Taiga) • Tundra • Mountains • Ice Caps

Fig. 52-21a

A tropical rain forest in Borneo

Fig. 52-21b

A desert in the southwestern United States

Fig. 52-21c

A savanna in Kenya

Fig. 52-21d

An area of chaparral in California

Fig. 52-21e

Sheyenne National Grassland in North Dakota

Fig. 52-21f

Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado

Fig. 52-21g

Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina

Fig. 52-21h

Denali National Park, Alaska, in autumn

Time for action! Everyone select one of the biomes from the list (no duplications) and uncover more information about it. Compile the results in your notebooks, but be prepared to share with the class. 1. The major abiotic & biotic characteristics of each biome including their worldwide distribution. 2. Representative diagrams of the four biogeochemical cycles from within each biome. 3. Four possible habitats within the biome. 4. A food web containing at least five species, their names, and associated trophic relationships. 5. Examples of three of the five symbiotic relationships. 6. One potential candidate for a keystone species. 7. Climatograph from an city associated with your biome. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, EMAIL Mr. Schmalz BEFORE SUNDAY NIGHT: [email protected]

Making a Climatogram

Climatograph STL 8

30

7

25

Temp (C)

20

5

15

4 3

10

2 5

1

0

0 Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

AVG Temp

Aug

Sep

Precip

Oct

Nov

Dec

Precipitation (In)

6

DO

Aquatic Biomes NO T

GO

AN

Y

FU RT HE R

!

Fig. 52-11

Labrador current Gulf stream

Equator rm Wa

Cold water

water

Describe different ocean zones

Discuss major plants and animals found in oceans and in freshwater ecosystems

Apply the knowledge gained in studying ecological principles to an investigation of a living ecosystem