Chapter 4
Section 4.2
Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes
Biomes
• Biome – is a large geographical region with a specific range of temperatures and precipitation, and the organisms are adapted to those conditions of temperature and precipitation.
• There are two major types of biomes:1. Terrestrial2. Aquatic
Terrestrial Biomes in Canada
• There are 4 terrestrial biomes in Canada:
1. Tundra
2. Taiga
3. Temperate Deciduous Forest
4. Grasslands
Terrestrial Biomes in Alberta
• There are 3 terrestrial biomes in Alberta:
1. Taiga
2. Grasslands
3. Temperate deciduous forest
Taiga (Boreal Forest) Biome
• Found in Northern Alberta and along the Rocky Mountains.
• Abiotic factors:- Changeable weather- Soil contains some water and is acidic- Average precipitation
• Biotic factors :
- black and grizzly bears
- wolverines
- weasels
- moose
- deer
- grouse
- owls
- spruce and pine (coniferous or cone-bearing)
- shrubs, ferns, mosses and lichens
• There are different ecosystems within the taiga depending on the amount of sunlight.
• One of these ecosystems is in the muskeg.
• Muskegs:- muskeg is the thin layer of soil above the permafrost that is swampy and boggy - in the summer when snow melts, the permafrost prevents the water from moving all the way to the water table, so it remains in the top layers, saturating them- muskegs are home to moss, lichens, small shrubs and tall grasses
Muskeg
Boreal Forest
Grassland Biome
• Found in central and southern Alberta.
• Abiotic factors:- Fertile soils- Warm temperatures- Rapid decay- Rich humus layers- Less precipitation
• Biotic factors:- Bison- Deer- Rabbits- Hawks- Yellow-bellied sapsuckers- Grasshoppers- Fescue grasses
Grasslands
Deciduous Forest Biome
• Found in central Alberta.
• Abiotic factors:- Increased sunlight and warmer temperatures- Rich fertile soil- More precipitation
• Biotic Factors:- Black bears- Weasels- Moose- Deer- Woodpeckers- Deciduous trees (leaves)- Shrubs
Deciduous Forest
Aquatic Biomes in Canada
• There are 2 aquatic biomes in Canada:
1. Salt Water
2. Fresh Water
Salt Water
Fresh Water
Aquatic Biomes in Alberta
• There is 1 aquatic biome in Alberta:
1. Fresh water or lake ecosystem
Fresh Water Biomes
• The fresh water biomes in Alberta are made up of lake ecosystems.
• Lake ecosystems have 3 main zones:
1. Littoral zone
2. Limnetic zone
3. Profundal zone
Littoral Zones
• The area from the shore of the lake or pond to the point where no more plants grow in the lake bottom.
• It is warm, shallow and has lots of oxygen.
• It has many photosynthetic organisms and is the most productive zone.
Limnetic Zones
• The area of a lake or pond in which there is open water and sufficient light for photosynthesis to occur.
• There are a few photosynthetic organism.
• Contains consumers such as fish, tadpoles, and birds.
Profundal Zones
• The region of a lake beneath the limnetic zone, in which there is insufficient light for photosynthesis to occur.
• It has cool temperatures and is very dark.
• There are few nutrients, low oxygen due to no photosynthesis and a high number of bacteria.
• It contains low oxygen organisms such as carp.
LITTORAL ZONE