Biomes

Effects of Latitude and

Climate
 Weather is the condition of the
atmosphere at a specific place and
time.
 One of the keys to understanding
communities is to be aware of
latitude and climatic conditions.
 Effects of Latitude and
Climate

 Latitude line are the ones that run East to West like the
equator.
 Latitude range from 0˚ at the equator to 90˚ at the poles.
 Earth’s surface is heated differently in different areas.
 Ecologists refer to these areas as polar, temperate, and
tropical zones.
 Effects of Latitude and
Climate
 The average weather
conditions in an area,
including temperature and
precipitation, describe the
area’s climate.
 The graph shows how
temperature and
precipitation influence the
communities.
 Biomes are classified
primarily according to the
characteristics of their
plants.
 Major Biomes are also
characterized by
temperature,
precipitation, and animal
species.
 Tundra

 A treeless biome with a layer of permanently frozen soil

below the surface called permafrost.
 Average precipitation: 15–25 cm per year and
Temperature range: -34°C–12°C
 Geographic location: South of the polar ice caps in the
Northern Hemisphere
 Abiotic factors: soggy summers; permafrost; cold and
dark much of the year
 Boreal Forest
 South of tundra-broad band of dense evergreen forest
also called the northern coniferous forest, or taiga.
 Average precipitation: 30–84 cm per year
 Temperature range: -54°C–21°C
 Geographic location: northern part of North America,
Europe and Asia.
 Abiotic factors: summers are short and moist; winters
are long, cold, and dry
 Temperate Forest

 Composed mostly of broad-leaved deciduous trees –shed

their leaves in autumn.
 Average precipitation: 75–150 cm per year and
Temperature range: -30°C–30°C
 Geographic location: south of the boreal forests in eastern
North America, eastern Asia, Australia, and Europe
 Abiotic factors: well-defined seasons; summers are hot,
winters are cold
 Temperate Grassland

 Fertile soils to support thick cover of grasses is called grassland

 Grasslands are called steppes in Asia; prairies in North America;
pampas, llanos, and cerrados in south America; savannahs and
veldts in Africa; and rangelands in Australia
 Average precipitation: 50–89 cm and Temperature range: -40°C–
38°C
 Geographic location: North America, South America, Asia, Africa,
and Australia
 Abiotic factors: summers are hot; winters are cold; moderate
rainfall; fires possible
 Desert
 A desert is any area in which the annual rate of
evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation
 Average precipitation: 2–26 cm per year
 Temperature range: high: 20°C–49°C; low: -18°C–10°C
 Geographic location: every continent except Europe
 Abiotic factors: varying temperatures; low rainfall
 Tropical Savanna

 Is characterized by grasses and scattered trees in

climates that receive less precipitation than some other
tropical areas.
 Average precipitation: 50–130 cm per year
 Temperature range: 20°C–30°C
 Geographic location: Africa, South America, and Australia
 Abiotic factors: summers are hot and rainy; winters are
cool and dry
 Tropical Rain Forest

 Also called tropical dry forests

 Average precipitation: 200–1000 cm per year
 Temperature range: 24°C–27°C
 Geographic location: Central and South America,
southern Asia, western Africa, and northeastern
Australia
 Abiotic factors: humid all year; hot and wet
 Other Terrestrial Areas
 Many ecologists omit mountains and polar
regions from the list of terrestrial biomes.
 Mountains are found throughout the world
and do not fit the definition of a biome
because their climate characteristics and
plant and animal life vary depending on
elevation.
 Polar regions also are not considered true
biomes because they are ice masses and
not true land areas with soil.
 Mountains
 If you go up a mountain, you might notice that
abiotic conditions, such as temperature and
precipitation, change with increasing elevation.
Polar Regions

 Polar Regions border

the tundra at high
altitudes
 Polar regions are
cold all year
 Aquatic Ecosystems
 Aquatic ecosystems are grouped based on
abiotic factors such as water flow, depth,
distance from the shore, salinity, and
latitude.

 Review Vocabulary
– Salinity: a measure of the amount of salt in a
body of water
 Freshwater Ecosystems
 Major freshwater ecosystems include ponds, lakes,
streams, rivers, and wetlands.
 Plants and animals in these ecosystems are
adapted to the low salt content in freshwater and
are unable to survive in areas of high salt
concentration.
 Only about 2.5% of the water on Earth is
freshwater.
 Of that 2.5% 68.9% is contained in glaciers, 30.8%
is groundwater, and only 0.3% is found in lakes,
ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands
Earth’s Water vs.
Freshwater
 Rivers and Streams
 The characteristics of rivers and streams
change during the journey from the source
to the mouth.
 Characteristics of Rivers and
Streams
 Water in rivers and streams flow in one direction, beginning
at a source called a headwater and traveling to the mouth,
where the flowing water empties into a larger body of
water.
 Slope of the landscape determines the direction and speed
of water flow.
 When slope is steep, water flows quickly, causing a lot of
sediment to be picked up and carried by the water.
 Sediment is material that is deposited by water, wind, or
glaciers.
 As slope levels, the speed of the water flow decreases and
sediments are deposited in the form of silt, mud, and sand.
 Characteristics of Rivers and
Streams
 Wind can stir up the water’s surface, adding
oxygen to the water.
 Water erodes the land changing nutrient
availability, and the path of the river or stream.
 An important characteristic of all life in rivers
and streams is the ability to withstand the
constant water current.
– Fast-moving currents and turbulence prevent
accumulation of organic materials and sediment.
– So, there are usually fewer species living in rapid
waters.
– In slow-moving water, insects larvae are primary
food for many fish.
 Lakes and Ponds
 Size of lakes and ponds can range from a few
square meters to many square kilometers.
 Many ponds are seasonal, lasting only a couple
weeks or months every year, while other lakes
might exist for hundreds or thousands of years.
 Temperature of lakes and ponds vary
depending on the season.
 In the spring and autumn, deep water gets
oxygen from surface water and surface water
gets inorganic nutrients from deep water.
Lakes and Ponds
 Lakes and Ponds
 Lakes and ponds are divided into three zones based
on amount of sunlight that penetrates the water.
 The area closest to the shore is the littoral zone.
 Littoral Zone
 Populated by algae, rooted and floating
aquatic plants, grazing snails, clams,
insects, crustaceans, fishes, and
amphibians.
 Some insect species, like dragonflies
and midges, lay their eggs here and
the larval stages can be found there.

 Turtles,
snakes, and birds might prey
on the animals that inhabit this zone.
 Limnetic Zone
 Limnetic zone is the open water area that is well lit
and is dominated by plankton.
 Plankton are free-floating photosynthetic autotrophs
that live in freshwater or marine ecosystems.
 Many species of freshwater fish live here because
food is readily available.
 Profundal Zone
 The profundal zone is the deepest areas of the lake
 It is much colder and lower in oxygen than the other
two zones
 Little light is able to penetrate, which limits the
number of species that are able to live there.
 Transitional Aquatic
Ecosystems
 Areas are where land and water or
saltwater and freshwater intermingle.
 Wetlands and estuaries are common
examples of transitional aquatic
ecosystems.
 Wetlands
 Marshes, swamps,
and bogs that are
saturated with water.

 Wetlands have high

levels of species
diversity.

 Many amphibians,
reptiles, birds and
mammals live in
wetlands
 Estuaries
 Among most diverse ecosystems, rivaled only by the
tropical rain forests and coral reefs.
 Formed where a freshwater river or stream merges
with the ocean.
 Algae, seaweeds, and marsh grasses are the dominant
producers.
 Many animals, including a variety of worms, oysters,
and crabs, depend on detritus for food.
 Detritus is composed of tiny pieces of organic material.
 Many marine species are dependent upon estuaries for
nursing, nesting, feeding, and migration rest areas.
 Salt marshes are transitional aquatic ecosystems
similar to estuaries.
 Marine Ecosystems
 Like ponds and lakes, oceans are separated
into zones.
 Intertidal Zone
 A narrow band where the ocean meets land .

 As tides and waves move in and out, the

intertidal zone is constantly submerged and
exposed.

 Communities are constantly changing in

this environment as a result of the
disturbance.
Open Ocean Ecosystems
 Open Ocean Ecosystems
 Include the pelagic, benthic, and abyssal zones.
– The photic zone is up to about 200 m shallow enough
that sunlight is able to penetrate.
– Below the photic zone lies the aphotic zone – an area
where light is unable to penetrate.
– The benethic zone is the area along the ocean floor-
consists of sand, silt, and dead organisms.
– The deepest region of the ocean is called the abyssal
zone.
 Coastal Ocean and Coral
Reefs
 Coral
reefs are among the most diverse
ecosystems
 Form natural barriers along continents
that protect shorelines from erosion.
 Likeall ecosystems, coral reefs are
sensitive to changes in their
environment whether caused by
natural events or human impact.