This document summarizes several major biomes: deserts, tundra, freshwater ecosystems like lakes and ponds, wetlands, rivers, estuaries, coral reefs, oceans, and polar regions. Each biome is characterized by its abiotic factors like temperature, precipitation, and salinity. Organisms in each biome have adaptations to survive, such as cacti with spines in deserts and polar bears with thick fur. However, human impacts threaten all of these ecosystems through pollution, development, tourism, and overexploitation.

1. The World Biomes
Desert, Tundra, Lakes/ponds, Rivers,
Estuary, Coral reefs, Wetlands, Marsh
Oceans, Polar (Desert, Marine, Polar and
Fresh water Ecosystems)
Amos Watentena
wateamos@gmail.com

2. Desert Ecosystems
(a). Dry desert (b). Sonoran desert

3. They are the driest
places on Earth.
Almost found across the
world
Plant Adaptations
 Spines
 Succulents
 Thick, waxy cuticle
 Shallow, broad roots
Abiotic Factors
<10 in/yr of rain
Little to no topsoil
due to high winds.
Minerals not deep in
soil.
Too dry for decay

4. Armadillo lizard Javellina
Barrel cactus Joshua tree

5. Desert…
Animal Adaptations
 Absence of sweat glands
 Concentration of urine
 Behavioral and
structural
Threats
 Residential development
 Off road recreational
activities destroy
habitat for plants and
animals.
 Some plants are
removed by collectors,
endangering the
population

6. Tundra
It is just at the north
of the Arctic Circle

7. Abiotic Factors Plant Adaptations
Growing close to the
ground
Having shallow roots to
absorb the limited
water resources.
Trees grow less than 1 m
high
Precipitation <25 in/year
Temperature is rarely
higher than 100C
Permafrost layer
Short growing season

8. Arctic fox Polar beer
Heath Cotton grass

9. Tundra…
Animal Adaptations
Many visitors,
migration
Few predators
Little Competition
Small ears
Insulation, thick
coat
Threats
One of the most
fragile biomes on the
planet
Oil drilling is exposing
the ecosystem
Yet, tundra is slow to
recover

10. Fresh Water Ecosystems
Salinity <0.5 ppt.
Lake are the
deepest of fresh
water systems
Lakes are fed by
underground aquifer
or stream
Ponds are fed by
rainfall and may be
seasonal

11. Ponds…
Microscopic animals
and algae
Sun can reach
bottom
Fed by rainfall
May be seasonal
Algae and plants
throughout

12. Abiotic Factors
The littoral zone is
nutrient rich area
found close to shore
The benthic zone is
the bottom layer of
the lake/pond where
no sunlight can reach
Organisms Adaptations
Plants are floating algae and
plants along shoreline
Animals live in or near water
Threats..
All water systems are being
polluted and degraded by
human impact

13. Brackish marsh
Freshwater marsh
Heron
It acts as a carbon
“sink”
And a water
recharge area,
removing pollutants
Marsh

14. Very shallow with land occasionally exposed
Saturated soil
Low oxygen in water and soil
Emergent plants
Characteristics

15. Often found on flat,
poorly drained land,
often near streams
Bogs and Swamps (Wetlands)

16. Characteristics
Sphagnum moss is
dominant in bogs
Swamps may have
large trees and
shrubs mainly
adapted to muddy
soils
Threats
• Previous backfilling
and clearing for
development is of
concern

17. Rivers
They are usually cold
and highly
oxygenated at
headwaters
As it flows, it will
broaden out, warm
up and this
completely changes
the biota

18. Characteristics
Organisms don’t have
definite adaptations,
normally vary based
on the river.
Threats
Dams alter the flow of
the water
Industry uses water to
dispose of waste
products
Runoff from homes and
other places causes
changes in acidity,
pollution

19. • Fresh and salt water
meet
Goose
Estuaries

20. Characteristics
Very productive
biome because it
receives lots of light
and nutrients
Often used as
nursery for young
Threats
Many ports are
found on estuaries—
pollution
Human population

21. Close to equator
Consistent water
temperature
Shallow water
Low in Nutrients
Coral Reefs

22. Uses
Breeding area for
many fish
Threats
Human intrusion (scuba
diving) is damaging if you
touch/step on the reef
Pollution is also a concern
Temperature is
important, too hot or too
cold and the animals can’t
live there to create
limestone

23. Oceans
Covers nearly ¾ of the
Earth’s surface.
Open ocean is one of
the least productive
areas on earth, too
little sunlight to
support plant growth
Plants are micro and
macroscopic, usually
floating

24. Animal Adaptations
Deep ocean animals
(e.g. lion fish) feed on
detritus—floating
debris in the water
column.
Zooplankton—sea’s
smallest herbivores
(e. g. hammerhead)
Threats
While the oceans are
vast, they are becoming
more polluted
Overfishing and some
fishing methods are
destroying fishing
grounds

25. Polar Ecosystems
Can be considered
marine ecosystems
since the base of
food chain is
phytoplankton
Arctic vs. Antarctic

26. Arctic
Relatively shallow, lots
of nutrients for
large variety of
animals in food web,
People, seals and
polar bears found
here.
Antarctic
Penguins live here—
only continent not
used by humans
Except for research

27. Threats
The main threat to
wildlife has been the
increase in tourism—
garbage left behind
Reserves of minerals
draw humans to
these fragile
ecosystems

28. Thank You