What is the Biosphere? The biosphere is the portion of Earth
that supports life.
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Climate Average weather conditions Cloud cover, temperature,
humidity, & wind Determined by: Solar radiation, Earths path
around sun, distribution of land masses and seas, and land
elevation Humans are altering the climate
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Airborne Pollutants Ozone thinning- -the use of CFCs is
depleting ozone layer Cloud cover, temperature, humidity, &
wind -more UV radiation is reaching Earths surface -this leads to
cancer and increased temperatures
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Smog-an atmospheric condition in which winds cannot disperse
airborne pollutants that have become trapped under a thermal
conversion Caused by the burning of fossil fuels
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Acid Rain- precipitation with high levels of sulfur and
nitrogen oxides Caused by the burning of fossil fuels Effect-alters
habitats and kills organisms
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What is a Biome?What is a Biome? A large, relatively distinct
terrestrial region with characteristic Climate Soil Plants Animals
Interacting landscapes
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Terrestrial Biomes
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Using Precipitation And Temperature To Identify Biomes
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Arctic Tundra Tundra Northernmost biome Frozen layer of subsoil
(permafrost) Low-growing vegetation adapted to extreme cold/short
growing season Plants include sedges, mosses, lichens, grasses and
400 varieties of flowers Animals include caribou, musk ox, arctic
hare, voles and lemmings are the principal herbivores, which enable
a few carnivores like the arctic fox, snow owl, polar bear, and
wolf to survive.
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Arctic Tundra
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Taiga Taiga Coniferous trees dominate the taiga, or boreal
forest Cold winters, short growing season, and acidic, mineral-poor
soil Belted Across North America and Eurasia Plants include
evergreen spruce, fir, pine, and the deciduous larch or tamarack
Animals include fur-bearing predators like the lynx and members of
the weasel family (e.g., wolverine, fisher, pine martin, mink,
ermine, and sable). Herbivores include the snowshoe hare, red
squirrel, lemmings, and voles.
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Taiga
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Temperate Forests Temperate Rain Forest Large conifers High
precipitation 200 350 cm as rain and snow Average temperatures 0 o
C to 20 o C Main stretch of this habitat is along the northwestern
coast of North America from northern California though southern
Alaska Plants include Douglas fir and Western red cedar, Mountain
hemlock, Western hemlock, Sitka spruce and Lodgepole pine Animals
include deer, bears, coyotes, slugs, grouse, etc.
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Temperate Rain Forest
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Temperate Forests Temperate deciduous forest Precipitation
relatively high (30 to 60 inches a year) Soils rich in organic
matter Broad-leaf trees that lose their leaves seasonally dominate
Average annual temperature in a deciduous forest is 50 F. Four
distinct seasons - spring, summer, autumn, and winter Oaks, maples,
hickory, elms Eagles, black bear, deer, squirrels, coyotes
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Temperate Deciduous Forest
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Grasslands Temperate grassland Deep, mineral-rich soil Moderate
but uncertain precipitation Well suited to growing grain cr ops
Chaparral Thickets of small-leaf evergreens Climate of wet, mild
winters and dry summers
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Temperate Grassland
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Chaparral
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Significance Of Precipitation In Temperate Biomes
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Dry Biomes - Deserts Desert Cold deserts in temperate climates
Warm deserts in subtropical or tropical regions Low levels of
precipitation Organisms with specialized water- conserving
adaptations Cactus, roadrunners, peccary, yuccas, Gila monster,
kangaroo rat, bobcat, etc.
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Desert
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Tropical Biomes Savanna Tropical grassland Widely scattered
trees interspersed with grassy areas Occurs in topical areas with
low or seasonal rainfall Giraffes, elephants, lions, hyenas,
springbok Acacia trees, elephant grass, baobab trees, Bermuda
grass
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Savanna
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Tropical Biomes Tropical rain forest Mineral-poor soil High
rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year (50 to 260 inches )
High species richness and high productivity Average temperature
between 20 o C to 34 o C
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Tropical Rain Forest
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The Worlds Major Biomes
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Human Effect On Biomes Tundra Oil exploration and military
exercises result in long-lasting damage Taiga And Temperate Rain
Forests Clear-cut logging destructive (deforestation) Temperate and
Deciduous Forests and Tropical Rain Forests Removed by logging and
development
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Other impacts of humans Slash-and-burn is an agricultural
technique which involves cutting and burning of forests or
woodlands to create fieldsforestswoodlands Urbanization
Monocropping is the high-yield agricultural practice of growing a
single crop year after year on the same land, in the absence
rotation through other crops.agriculturalrotation Desertification
is a type of land degradation in which a relatively dry land region
becomes increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water as
well as vegetation and wildlifeland degradationdry
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Aquatic Biomes
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Aquatic Ecosystems Important environmental factors Salinity
Amount of dissolved oxygen Availability of light for
photosynthesis
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Aquatic Life Aquatic life divided into Plankton Free-floating
organisms Nekton Strongly swimming organisms Benthos
Bottom-dwelling organisms
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Freshwater Ecosystem Freshwater ecosystems include:
Flowing-water ecosystems Streams and rivers Standing-water
ecosystems Ponds and lakes Freshwater wetlands Estuaries
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Features Of A Typical River
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Estuary Estuaries Coastal body of water with access to both the
ocean and fresh water from rivers Transition from land to sea;
freshwater to salt water Called bays, lagoons, inlets, or sounds
Shore birds, fish, crabs and lobsters, marine mammals, clams and
other shellfish, marine worms, and sea birds
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Zonation In A Large Lake
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Thermal Stratification In A Temperate Lake
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Freshwater Swamp
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Marine Ecosystem Marine environments Intertidal zone Shoreline
between low and high tides Benthic environment The ocean floor
Neritic province Open ocean from shoreline to depth of 200 meters
Oceanic province Ocean deeper than 200 meters
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Zonation In The Ocean
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Seaweeds In A Rocky Intertidal Zone
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Sea Grass Bed
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Coral Reef Organisms
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Biogeography Study of the geographic distribution of plants and
animals Each species originated from its center of origin Alfred
Wallace divided the Earths land areas into six major biogeographic
realms
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Wallaces Biogeographic Realms
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The Effects of El Nino and La Nina El Nino-massive eastward
flow of warm surface waters of the western Pacific that displaces
cool water off South America It disrupts global climates when it
recurs Lasts 6 to 18 months then La Nina occurs
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La Nina- cooler climatic events b/t ENSOs the 1997-1998 pattern
had a record breaking impact on primary productivity Led to
increase in algal blooms and a huge Cholera outbreak