Ecology and Biomes Overview

Ecology

• Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.
• Biomes are large geographical areas with similar climates, plants, and animals.

Biomes

• Key factors determining biome types are climate, biotic factors (living organisms), and abiotic factors (non-living components like temperature, precipitation, elevation, and bodies of water).
• Climate is the average weather pattern over a long period. Elements that affect climate include: temperature, precipitation, seasons, latitude, elevation, and bodies of water.
• Biomes exhibit vertical zonation. Different layers within a biome, like a rainforest, have different temperature and light conditions that support different species.
• Biomes can be classified based on characteristic plants and animals
• Examples of biomes include: tundra, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, desert, savanna, grasslands, tropical rainforest, aquatic.
• Specific locations or regions are characterized by certain biomes

Tundra

• Climate: Low temperature, low precipitation, strong winds, long winters, and short summers.
• Plants: Mosses, lichens, wildflowers.
• Animals: Birds, caribou, grizzly bears.

Deciduous Forest

• Climate: Moderate rainfall, moderate temperature, and four seasons.
• Plants: oak, birch, ash, and maple trees.
• Animals: Crickets, songbirds, owls, raccoons.

Desert

• Climate: High temperature, Low precipitation, and drastic temperature changes.
• Plants: Cactuses, succulents.
• Animals: Reptiles (like rattlesnakes), insects, spiders, kangaroo rats.

Savanna

• Climate: Moderate to high temperatures year-round, moderate but seasonal precipitation.
• Plants: Baobab trees, widely spaced trees.
• Animals: Lions, wildebeests.

Grasslands

• Climate: Moderate temperature and moderate rainfall.
• Plants: Grasses.
• Animals: Wild horses, pheasants, gazelles.

Coniferous Forest

• Climate: Moderate to low temperature and moderate to low precipitation, two seasons a year.
• Plants: Conifers, hemlocks, firs, and redwoods.
• Animals: Elk, wolverines, moose, pileated woodpeckers, rabbits.

Chaparral

• Climate: Cool, wet winters, warm, dry summers, low precipitation, and droughts/fires.
• Plants: Plants with tough, waxy leaves.
• Animals: Deer, antelope.

Tropical Rainforest

• Climate: High temperature and high precipitation.
• Plants: Cacao trees.
• Animals: Lemurs, sloths, pythons, geckos, poison dart frogs.

Vertical Zonation

• Different layers within a biome.
• The temperature and rainfall can change with elevation.
• Examples in different biomes: Tropical Rainforest (emergent layer, canopy layer, understory layer, forest floor), Mountain Biome (snow line, alpine tundra, subalpine forest, montane forest, oak woodland), Aquatic Biome (photic zone, aphotic zone, abyssal zone).