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17- 3 Major Biological Communities (pg. 371)
Climate’s Effect on Where Species Live
Climate – the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
Biome – a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities
Tropical Rainforests - biome in which the temperatures stay warm and rain falls year round
Found: equatorial regions (0o)
Most Characteristic Abiotic factors: warm temperatures year round rainfall year round (200-400 cm/yr) ***thin, nutrient-poor soil
**Home to MORE species than all other land biomes combined!
Dominant plants:Broad-leaf evergreens, ferns, large, woody vines, orchids, bromeliads
Savanna - characterized by perennial grasses, spotted with isolated trees and/or small groves of trees
Found: tropical areas on either side of the equator
Abiotic factors: warm temperatures year round seasonal rainfall (wet and dry seasons)
Animals - Herds of grazing animals (giraffes, wildebeasts, zebras, gazelles), large carnivores (lions, cheetahs)
Plants – grasses, scattered trees
Taiga (or Boreal Forest) – biome dominated by great coniferous (cone-bearing, with needles) forests
Found: across northern N. America, N. Europe, N. Asia
Abiotic factors: long, cold winters and mild summers
moderate precipitation (50-100 cm/yr)
Dominant plants: coniferous forests (pines, spruces, firs)
Animals – black bears, moose, wolves, birds, etc.
Tundra – northernmost land biome covered by mosses, lichens and grasses and characterized by permafrost
Abiotic factors
Permafrost – layer of permanently frozen subsoil
“Frozen desert” 10-15 cm/yr precipitation
Arctic moss
Arctic willow
Reindeer lichenTundra
Dominant plants: lichens, mosses, perennial grasses, stunted shrubs
Arctic fox Polar bear Caribou (reindeer)
Snowy Owl
Tundra swans
Mosquito larva
Lemming
Animals
3rd T.L.
2nd T.L.
1st T.L.
Desert – biome that receives less than 25 cm of rainfall per year
Found: 30o N & S of equator and leeward side of mountains
Abiotic factors:
LOW precipitation extreme temperature variations from day to night
Desert life MUST adapt to very low precipitation
Kangaroo rat
Armadillo Lizard
Kit Fox
Grasslands – biome consisting of vast area covered with grasses and small leafy plants
Found: interior portions of continents
Abiotic factors: cold winters, warm summers
moderate rainfall (25-75 cm/yr)
* Deep, rich soils
Dominant plants: perennial grasses, herbs and flowers
Animals: prairie dogs, rabbits, coyotes, ferrets,antelope, birds
Temperate Deciduous Forest – biome characterized by changing seasons and leaf fall
Found: E. U.S., SE Canada, most of Europe, parts ofJapan, China and Australia
Abiotic factors:
hot summers, cold winters
year-round precipitation (75-150 cm/yr)
fertile soils
Dominant plants: broad leaf deciduous trees (maples, oaks), flowering ground plants, ferns and moss
Aquatic Ecosystems (pg. 106)
Nearly 75% of Earth’s surface covered with water
Aquatic Biomes: Freshwater, Estuary, Marine
A. Freshwater Ecosystems – only 3% of surface water on Earth is fresh water Affected more by seasonal variations
1. Flowing-Water Ecosystems
Types: rivers, streams, creeks and brooks flow over land
Yukon River, Alaska
2. Standing-water Ecosystems
Lakes and ponds
Piseco Lake, N.Y.
3. Freshwater Wetlands
wetlands – ecosystems in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil for at least part of the year
Water may be: flowing or standing fresh, salty or brackish
Many wetlands are very productive ecosystems serving as breeding grounds for: insects, fishes and other aquatic animals, amphibians and migratory birds
3 main types of freshwater wetlands are:Bogs, Marshes, Swamps
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey
B. Estuaries – wetlands formed where rivers meet the ocean; contain a mixture of fresh water and salt water and are affected by ocean tides (brackish water)
Many are shallow so: sunlight reaches bottom (lots of photosynthesis)
Estuaries support an astonishing amount of biomass
Serves as spawning and nursery ground for fish, shellfish
Waterfowl use fornesting, feeding and resting migration
Chesapeake Bay
Florida Everglades - Mangrove Swamps
A great egret gliding along the high grass on the Hackensack River
Hackensack Meadowlands, N.J.
Fresh-water and estuary
De Korte Park, The Meadowlands
Tree Swallow
C. Marine Ecosystems - Oceans Photic zone –
Typically to a depth of about 200 mAlgae and other producers can grow
Aphotic zone – Chemosynthetic autotrophs the only producers
Lavallette, N.J.
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