The document provides an overview of different biomes and climate concepts. It defines weather as short-term atmospheric conditions and climate as long-term patterns of temperature and precipitation in a region. Several major terrestrial biomes are described, including tropical rainforests, deserts, grasslands, temperate forests, and tundra. Food webs and trophic levels are also explained, showing how energy transfers through ecosystems as organisms consume other organisms or organic matter. Students will create projects about different biomes.

1. Intro to EcologyIntro to Ecology
Part 2Part 2

2. Climate vs. WeatherClimate vs. Weather
 WeatherWeather
 Day-to-day conditions of Earth's atmosphereDay-to-day conditions of Earth's atmosphere
 precipitation, humidity, temperature, etc.precipitation, humidity, temperature, etc.
 Changes every dayChanges every day
 ClimateClimate
 The average, year-after-year, conditions (temperature and precipitation) that prevail in aThe average, year-after-year, conditions (temperature and precipitation) that prevail in a
specific regionspecific region
 MicroclimateMicroclimate
 Climate in a specific area that varies from the surrounding climate regionClimate in a specific area that varies from the surrounding climate region
 Ex. The burrow of a Kangaroo rat in the New Mexico desert (dark and cool)Ex. The burrow of a Kangaroo rat in the New Mexico desert (dark and cool)

3. BiomesBiomes
 Terrestrial ecosystems that cover a largeTerrestrial ecosystems that cover a large
region of Earthregion of Earth
 Characterized by communities of plantsCharacterized by communities of plants
and other organisms adapted to theand other organisms adapted to the
climate and other abiotic factorsclimate and other abiotic factors

4. Major TerrestrialMajor Terrestrial
BiomesBiomes
Tropical RainforestTropical Rainforest
Tropical Dry ForestTropical Dry Forest
Tropical SavannahTropical Savannah
DesertDesert
TemperateTemperate
Grasslands (Prairie)Grasslands (Prairie)
 TemperateTemperate
Woodland/shrublandWoodland/shrubland
(Chaparral)(Chaparral)
 Temperate forestTemperate forest
 NorthwesternNorthwestern
ConiferousConiferous
 Boreal Forest/TaigaBoreal Forest/Taiga
 TundraTundra

5. Tropical RainforestTropical Rainforest
 Canopy: dense covering of tree topsCanopy: dense covering of tree tops
 Understory: 2Understory: 2ndnd
story of shorter trees andstory of shorter trees and
vines under the canopyvines under the canopy
 Fern Gully/Medicine ManFern Gully/Medicine Man

6. Tropical Dry ForestTropical Dry Forest
 Deciduous trees: broad leaves that fallDeciduous trees: broad leaves that fall
 Wet/Dry seasonWet/Dry season
 ““Jungle Book” forestJungle Book” forest

7. Tropical SavannahTropical Savannah
 In the tropicsIn the tropics
 Wet/dry seasonWet/dry season
 Less rainfall than trop. Dry forestLess rainfall than trop. Dry forest
 Think “Lion King”Think “Lion King”

8. DesertDesert
 Around 25-35Around 25-35oo
Latitude N and SLatitude N and S
 Plants and animal adaptationsPlants and animal adaptations
 Spines, waxy cuticles, scalesSpines, waxy cuticles, scales
 Think “The Mummy” and “The Sahara”Think “The Mummy” and “The Sahara”

9. TemperateTemperate
Woodland/Shrubland/ChapaWoodland/Shrubland/Chapa
rralrral
 Dense shrubsDense shrubs
 Mediterranean, California coastMediterranean, California coast
 Brush firesBrush fires

10. Temperate GrasslandTemperate Grassland
 prairiesprairies
 Midwest (Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri)Midwest (Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri)
 Brush firesBrush fires
 Think movie “Twister” “Wizard of Oz” andThink movie “Twister” “Wizard of Oz” and
“Little House on the Prairie”“Little House on the Prairie”

11. Temperate ForestTemperate Forest
 Mix of coniferous and deciduous treesMix of coniferous and deciduous trees
 Humus (HUE-Mus)Humus (HUE-Mus) material formed frommaterial formed from
decaying leaves….very fertile!!!decaying leaves….very fertile!!!
 Forests with leaves that change colorsForests with leaves that change colors
 Think fairy tale forest “Snow White” andThink fairy tale forest “Snow White” and
“Sleeping Beauty”“Sleeping Beauty”

12. NorthwesternNorthwestern
ConiferousConiferous ““Rainforest” of the temperate climate zone…Rainforest” of the temperate climate zone…
very DIVERSE vegetationvery DIVERSE vegetation
 Mild, moist temperaturesMild, moist temperatures
 Think “Twilight” “New Moon” “Eclipse”Think “Twilight” “New Moon” “Eclipse”

13. Boreal Forest/ TaigaBoreal Forest/ Taiga
 Bitter cold wintersBitter cold winters
 Coniferous treesConiferous trees
 Make theMake the timberlinetimberline…border between taiga…border between taiga
and the tundraand the tundra
 Think “X-Men Origins”…Wolverine’s homeThink “X-Men Origins”…Wolverine’s home

14. TundraTundra
 PermafrostPermafrost: layer of: layer of
permanently frozen subsoilpermanently frozen subsoil
 ““Ice Age”Ice Age”

15. OtherOther
interestinginteresting
ecosystems…ecosystems… Mountain RangesMountain Ranges
 On all continentsOn all continents
 Abiotic and biotic factors change with ELAVATION (as u goAbiotic and biotic factors change with ELAVATION (as u go
up)up)
 Therefore plants and animals change VERTICALLYTherefore plants and animals change VERTICALLY
 Grassland at baseGrassland at base woodland/pineswoodland/pines spruce/coniferspruce/conifer
forestforest tundra like open area at summit withtundra like open area at summit with
wildflowerswildflowers
 Polar Ice CapsPolar Ice Caps
 Border the TundraBorder the Tundra
 Cold year roundCold year round
 Characterized by ice and snowCharacterized by ice and snow
 Plants and algae are few but include Mosses and LichensPlants and algae are few but include Mosses and Lichens
 North PoleNorth Pole
 Sea ice and ice cap that covers GreenlandSea ice and ice cap that covers Greenland
 Polar bears, seals, insects and mitesPolar bears, seals, insects and mites
 South PoleSouth Pole
 5 km thick layer of ice5 km thick layer of ice
 Penguins and marine mammalsPenguins and marine mammals

16. Energy is transferredEnergy is transferred
in ecosystemsin ecosystems
 Producers give E to ConsumersProducers give E to Consumers
 Food chainsFood chains show flow of energyshow flow of energy
 Trophic levelTrophic levela single step in the food chaina single step in the food chain
 A step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystemA step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem
 Primary ProducersPrimary ProducersAUTOTROPHSAUTOTROPHSmake their OWN foodmake their OWN food
 UseUse PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis andand ChemosynthesisChemosynthesis to change inorganic chemicals into molecules that they use for ENERGY!!!to change inorganic chemicals into molecules that they use for ENERGY!!!
 Plants and bacteriaPlants and bacteria
 ConsumersConsumers
 HETEROTROPHSHETEROTROPHS must eat different things to get their E…canNOT make their ownmust eat different things to get their E…canNOT make their own
GLUCOSEGLUCOSE
 Primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumersPrimary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers
 HerbivoresHerbivores: eat plants: eat plants
 OmnivoresOmnivores: eat plants and animals (bears, humans): eat plants and animals (bears, humans)
 CarnivoresCarnivores: eat other animals (wolves): eat other animals (wolves)
 DetritivoresDetritivores: eat dead plants and animals (earthworms, mites, crabs): eat dead plants and animals (earthworms, mites, crabs)
 DecomposersDecomposers: get energy from decaying organic matter (bacteria and fungus aka: get energy from decaying organic matter (bacteria and fungus aka
mushrooms)mushrooms)

17. Trophic LevelsTrophic Levels
• Each link in a food chain is knownEach link in a food chain is known
as a trophic level.as a trophic level.
• Trophic levels represent a feedingTrophic levels represent a feeding
step in the transfer of energystep in the transfer of energy
and matter in an ecosystem.and matter in an ecosystem.

18. Trophic LevelsTrophic Levels
Producers- Autotrophs
Primary consumers- Herbivores
Secondary consumers-
small carnivores
Tertiary
consumers- top
carnivores
E
N
E
R
G
Y

20. Trophic LevelsTrophic Levels
Food chainFood chain- simple model that- simple model that
shows how matter and energyshows how matter and energy
move through an ecosystemmove through an ecosystem

22. Trophic LevelsTrophic Levels
Food webFood web- shows all possible- shows all possible
feeding relationships in afeeding relationships in a
community at each trophic levelcommunity at each trophic level
• Represents a network ofRepresents a network of
interconnected food chainsinterconnected food chains

23. Food chainFood chain Food webFood web
(just 1 path of energy)(just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)(all possible energy paths)

28. Biome ProjectsBiome Projects
 Tropical RainforestTropical Rainforest
 Tropical Dry ForestTropical Dry Forest
 Tropical SavannahTropical Savannah
 DesertDesert
 Temperate GrasslandsTemperate Grasslands
(Prairie)(Prairie)
 Temperate forestTemperate forest
 Chaparral /shrub landChaparral /shrub land
 North WesternNorth Western
ConiferousConiferous
 Boreal Forest/TaigaBoreal Forest/Taiga
 TundraTundra
 EvergladesEverglades
 Deep Sea HydrothermalDeep Sea Hydrothermal
VentsVents
 Tropical Coral ReefsTropical Coral Reefs

29. Biome Project GuideBiome Project Guide
LinesLines Children’s book using your biome as a setting and showing interactions between organismsChildren’s book using your biome as a setting and showing interactions between organisms
 Must be NEAT, SIMPLISTIC, yet INFORMATIVEMust be NEAT, SIMPLISTIC, yet INFORMATIVE
 ReportReport
 Abiotic Factors of biomeAbiotic Factors of biome
 Climate and PrecipitationClimate and Precipitation
 Countries in which biome can be foundCountries in which biome can be found
 Dominant animals (at least 9)Dominant animals (at least 9)
 Dominant plants (at least 9)Dominant plants (at least 9)
 Problems/issues threatening this biomeProblems/issues threatening this biome
 3 interesting facts3 interesting facts
 3 different food chains3 different food chains
 Name of organismName of organism
 Primary producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer and tertiary consumer labeled inPrimary producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer and tertiary consumer labeled in
eacheach
 Type of consumer (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, detritivore, decomposer) labeled in eachType of consumer (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, detritivore, decomposer) labeled in each
 One of the food chains MUST be present in and numbered/labeled in 3D modelOne of the food chains MUST be present in and numbered/labeled in 3D model
 1 food web (pictures and names of organisms)1 food web (pictures and names of organisms)
 ModelModel
 3-D CREATIVE model of biome3-D CREATIVE model of biome
 Model must include one of the food chains listed in your ReportModel must include one of the food chains listed in your Report
 Model must include accurate plants and animalsModel must include accurate plants and animals
 No candy/edible items and No living organismsNo candy/edible items and No living organisms