This document provides an overview of biomes and ecosystems. It defines a biome as a geographic area characterized by distinct plant and animal life, determined by climate. Biomes include terrestrial biomes like tundra, taiga, temperate forests, grasslands, and deserts, as well as aquatic biomes like freshwater and marine ecosystems. Each biome has characteristic climate, soil, vegetation and animal life, as well as adaptations that allow organisms to thrive in that environment. The document also discusses threats to different biomes from human activities.

1. Biomes : an Introduction

2. ECOSYSTEM
• An ecosystem is all the plants and animals
that live in a particular area together with
the complex relationship that exists between
them and their environment.

3. BIOMES
• A biome is an area of the planet that can be
classified according to the plants and animals that
live in it.

4. • An area’s biome is determined mostly by its
climate (temperature and precipitation)

5. • 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.

6. • A biome can be made up
of many ecosystems.
(aquatic biome can contain
ecosystems such as coral
reefs and kelp forests).

7. TYPES OF BIOMES
1)Terrestrial Biomes
2)Aquatic Biomes

8. TERRESTRIAL BIOMES

10. Tundra
• Treeless biome in the far north with harsh, cold winters and
extremely short summers. (Coldest biome)
Location: Regions south of the ice caps in the Artic. In
North America, Europe, and Siberia.
• Precipitation
– 10-25 cm/yr
• Temperature
– Short growing season
– 50-160 days

11. Tundra
• Nutrient poor soils with little organic material
– Permafrost present
o Low species richness
• Vegetation is mostly
grasses and sedges
• Very simple food web
o Low primary
productivity

12. Plants: Lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, shrubs.
Almost no trees due to short growing season
and permafrost
Tundra Plant Adaptations
Growing close to the ground
Having shallow roots to absorb the limited water resources.
Trees grow less than 1 m high!

13. TundraArtic Fox Polar Bear
Tundra Animal Adaptation
Every animal must adapt in order to survive.
Some have grown thick fur which turns white in
the winter. Others find a place to hibernate
during the winter months.

14. More Tundra Plants and Animals
Caribou
Snowy Owl
Siberian Lynx
Lichen
Cotton Plants Yellow Tundra Flower

15. Threats to the Tundra
One of the most fragile biomes on the planet
The tundra is slow to
recover from damage.
Oil drilling is proposed in
Alaska and other areas!

16. Taiga
• A region of coniferous forests in the northern
hemisphere
– Just south of tundra
• Covers 11% of earth’s
land
• Growing Season
– A little longer than
tundra
• Precipitation
– ~ 50 cm/yr

17. • Soils are acidic and mineral poor
• Vegetation comprised of drought resistant
conifers
• White spruce
• Balsam fir
• Eastern larch
• Mostly small animals and
migrating birds
• Some large animals are
present
• Wolves, bear, moose

18.  Coniferous (needle-bearing) trees are abundant
 The trees are narrow and grow very close together.
 This is so they can help protect each other from the weather.
 Roots long to anchor trees
 Needles long, thin and waxy
 Low sunlight and poor soil keeps plants from growing on forest floor
Taiga Plant adaptations

19.  Snow, cold, and a scarcity of food make life very
difficult, especially in the winter.
 Adapt for cold winters
 Burrow, hibernate, warm coat, insulation, etc.
h
Animal Adaptations of the Taiga

20. More Taiga Animals and Plants
Lynx
Wolverine Red Throated Loon
Hemlock Larch Needles Lichen growing on a tree

21. Threats to the Taiga
Mining operations can
irreparably damage
this fragile ecosystem.
Pollution left behind
can also put animals
and plants at risk.

22. Temperate Rainforest
• Coniferous biome with cool weather, dense fog
and high precipitation
– Ex: Northwest US
• Precipitation
– > 127 cm/yr
– Heaviest in winter
• Temperature
– Winters are mild
– Summers are cool

23. • Soils are nutrient-poor, but high in organic material
(dropped needles)
– Cool temperatures slow decomposition
• Dominant Vegetation
– Large evergreen trees
– Old-growth forest
• Variety of cool
climate animal life
• Very high species
richness
• Heavily logged

24. Temperate Deciduous Forest
• Topsoil is rich in organic material and underlain
by clay
• Vegetation is primarily
deciduous
• Oak, maple, beech
• Animals
• Deer, bear and small animals
• Most of this biome land area has
been regenerated after farming &
timber harvest

25. • Temperate forests go through four distinct seasons.
• Leaves change color in autumn, fall off in the winter, and
grow back in the spring.
• This adaptation allows plants to survive the cold winters.

26. More diversity in the deciduous forest vs. the
coniferous forest due to increased sunlight.
Trees adapt to varied climate by becoming dormant
in winter
Lady Fern
Temperate Deciduous forest
Plant adaptations
Deciduous forests grow in
layers
More sunlight reaches the
ground compared to a
rainforest so you will find
more ground dwelling plants.

27.  Lose Winter
Coat
 Adapt to many
seasons
 Eat from
different layers
of the forest
Bald Eagle
Fat Dormouse
Least Weasel
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Animal Adaptations

28. Threats to Temperate Deciduous Forests
• Many forests are
cleared to provide
housing for
humans.
• Careful use of the
resource can
provide a
renewable system if
we don’t take too
much habitat away.

29. Grassland
• Grasslands with hot summers,
cold winters and too little
precipitation to support trees
• Precipitation
– 25-75 cm/yr
• Tall grass prairies
• Short grass prairies
• 90% of this biome has been lost to
farmland

30. Grassland
• Soil has thick, organic material
rich organic horizon.
• Periodic fires keep the dominant
vegetation grasses
o Animals
• Once covered with
bison- no longer true
• Smaller animals are
still present (ex: prairie
dogs)
prairie dogs

31. Deserts
• Biome where lack of
precipitation limits plant
growth
• Temperature
– Can very greatly in 24-hr
period, as well as yearly
(based on location)
• Precipitation
– < 25 cm/yr

32. Deserts
• Soils low in nutrients, high in salts
• Vegetation sparse
– cactus and sagebrush
• Animals are very small to regulate temperature
Sonoran Desert

33. Joshua Tree
Desert Plant
Adaptations:
 Spines
 Succulents
 Thick, waxy cuticle
 Shallow, broad roots
Barrel Cactus
Ocotollio

34. Desert Animal Adaptations:
 Get water from food
 Thick outer coat
 Burrow during day
 Large ears
 Smaller animals = less surface area
Javelina
Bob Cat
Armadillo Lizard

35. Threats to the Desert
Residential development
Off road recreational
activities destroy habitat
for plants and animals.
Some plants are removed by
collectors, endangering the
population.
Sonoran Desert
Dry Desert

36. Savanna
• Tropical grassland with
widely scattered trees
• Temperature
– Varies little throughout the
year
• Precipitation
– Seasons regulated by
precipitation, not
temperature
– 76-150 cm/yr

37. Savanna
• Soil low in nutrients due to leaching
• Vegetation
– Wide expanses of grass
– Occasional Acacia trees
• Have fire adaptive
characteristics
o Animals
• Herds of hoofed
animals
• Large predators- lions,
hyenas, etc.

38. Whistling Thorn
Umbrella Thorn Acacia
Tropical Savanna Plant Adaptations
• Grows in Tufts
• Resistance to Drought
• Many plants have thorns and sharp
leaves to protect against predation.
Kangaroos Paws
Baobab

39. Adapt for short rainy
season—migrate as
necessary
Limited food leads to
vertical feeding
Reproduce during rainy
season—ensures more
young survive
Zebras Chacma Baboon
Tropical Savanna Animal Adaptations

40. Tropical Rainforest
• Lush, species-rich biome
that occurs where
climate is warm and
moist throughout the
year
• Precipitation
– 200-450 cm/yr
• Very productive biome
• Most species-rich biome

41. Tropical Rainforest
• Ancient, weathered,
nutrient-poor soil
– Nutrients tied up in
vegetation, not soil
• Vegetation
– 3 distinct canopy layers
• Animals
– Most abundant insect,
reptiles and amphibians on
earth

42.  Sunlight is a major limiting factor
 Plants grow in layers (canopy receives
most light)
 Shallow, wide roots since soil is so thin
and poor in nutrients
 Little sun reaches the floor
Tropical Rainforest
Plant adaptations

43.  Many symbiotic
relationships
 Live in different
levels of canopy
Wagler’s pit viper
Silvery Gibbon
Slender Loris
Tropical Rainforest
Animal Adaptations
• Many animals are specialists
and require special habitat
components to survive
• Camouflage is common

44. Aquatic Ecosystem
• Fundamental Division
– Freshwater
– Saltwater
• Aquatic Ecosystems also affected by
– Dissolved oxygen level, light penetration, pH,
presence/absence of currents
• Three main ecological categories of organisms
– Plankton- free floating
– Nekton- strong swimming
– Benthos- bottom dwelling

45. Freshwater Ecosystems
• Includes:
– Rivers and streams
– Lakes and ponds
– Marshes and swamps
• Represent 2% of earth’s surface
• Assist in recycling water back to the oceans
(Biogeochemical Cycling)

46. Rivers and Streams
• Changes greatly from
headwater to mouth
• Headwaters
– Shallow, cool, swiftly
flowing, high
oxygenated
• Mouth
– Not as cool, slower
flowing, less oxygen in
water

47. Lakes and Ponds
• Body of freshwater that does not flow
• Three zones
– Littoral
– Limnetic
– Profundal
• Experience thermal stratification (depending
on depth)

48. Lakes and Ponds
• Littoral Zone - shallow water area along the
shore
• Limnetic Zone - open water beyond the
littoral zone
• Profundal Zone - beneath the limnetic zone of
deep lakes

49. Marshes and Swamps
• Lands that shallow, fresh water covers for at least
part of the year
– Characteristic soil- water logged and anaerobic for
periods of time
• Water tolerant vegetation
o Were once regularly filled
in
• More recently their
ecosystem services have
been better recognized
• Flood protection, water
filtering, etc.

50. Estuaries
• Where freshwater and saltwater mix
• Highly variable environment
– Temperature, salinity, depth of light penetration
Highly productive
— Nutrients transported from
land
—Tidal action promotes rapid
circulation of nutrients
—High level of light
penetrates shallow water
—Many plants provide
photosynthetic carpet

52. Marine Ecosystems
• Subdivided into
life zones
– Intertidal zone
– Benthic zone
– Pelagic
environment
• Neritic Province
• Oceanic
Province

53. Intertidal Zone
• Area of shoreline between low and high tides
o Habitat
• Sandy or rocky
o Muscles
o Crabs
o Algae
o Oysters
o Barnacles
o Animals must
adapts to
changing
conditions

54. Benthic Zone
• Ocean floor, extending from tidal zone to deep
sea trenches
• Sediment is mostly mud
– Burrowing worms and clams
• Three zone
– Bathyal: 200m - 4000m deep
– Abyssal: 4000m -6000m deep
– Hadal: 6000m – bottom of deep sea trenches

55. Productive Benthic Communities
• Seagrass Beds
– Present to depth of 10 m
– Provide food and habitat to
ecosystem
• Kelp Forest
– 60-m long brown algae found off rocky shores
– Diversity of life supported by kelp rivals coral reefs
• Coral Reefs
– Built from accumulated layers of CaCO3
• Colonies of millions of tiny coral animals
– Found in shallow warm water
– Most diverse of all marine environments

56. Productive Benthic Communities
Sea grass Bed
Kelp Forest

57. Coral Reef
Environments
• Three types of coral
reefs
– Fringing reef-
directly attach to
continent- no lagoon
– Atoll- circular reef in
a lagoon
– Barrier reef-
separates lagoon
from ocean

58. Human Impact on Coral Reefs
• Sedimentation
– From clear-cutting
upstream
• Overfishing
• Coral bleaching
• Mining of corals as
building materials
• Runoff pollution

59. Pelagic Environment
• All the open ocean water
• Two main divisions
– Neritic Province
• Water that overlies the continental shelf (to depth of 200 m)
• Organisms are all floaters or swimmers
– Oceanic Province
• Water that overlies depths greater than 200 m
• 75% of world’s ocean
• Most organisms are dependent on marine snow
• Organisms are filter feeders, scavengers and predators

61. Human Impacts on the Ocean