Biomes PDF

Get your Biome on  Ecology in the news More frequent freeze-thaw cycles in Arctic  Ecology in the news Climate change is affecting polar bears in more ways than one  Need to know Be able to define a BIOME Learn what factors determine biomes Understand how to interpre...

Get your Biome on  Ecology in the news More frequent freeze-thaw cycles in Arctic  Ecology in the news Climate change is affecting polar bears in more ways than one  Need to know Be able to define a BIOME Learn what factors determine biomes Understand how to interpret Walter climate diagrams Understand basic temperature and precipitation patterns of biomes Be able to describe characteristics of organisms that live in different biomes  What is a biome? Definition: A distinct physical environment inhabited by ecologically similar organisms with similar adaptations. Biomes are typically characterized by dominant type of vegetation. Example: the grassland biome Similar forms and adaptations among biomes, arising from _______ evolution  What determines a biome? Physical environment Soils (or substrate) disturbance (natural or human-induced; e.g., fire, grazing)  What determines a biome? Physical environment Soils (or substrate) disturbance (natural or human-induced; e.g., fire, grazing) Climate and climatic variability temperature precipitation seasonality Remember the global climate patterns? …they’re linked to BIOMES Key Drivers: Temp and precipitation N. hemisphere x-axis start in January, S. hemisphere X-axis starts in July N. hemisphere x-axis start in January, S. hemisphere X-axis starts in July N. hemisphere x-axis start in January, S. hemisphere X-axis starts in July N. hemisphere x-axis start in January, S. hemisphere X-axis starts in July Different biomes have different precipitation and temperature patterns Hot, tons of rain (22 feet!), no annual variation in temp Hot, little rain, slight annual variation in temp Tropical Rain Forest Tropical Rain Forest -most species of any terrestrial biome Tropical Rain Forest -most species of any terrestrial biome -temperature varies little Tropical Rain Forest -most species of any terrestrial biome -temperature varies little, rain present throughout year (no drought, ever!) -C3 photosynthesis -plants have “drip tips”, large, thin leaves Who lives here? Desert 30o N 30o S Desert -can be hot or cold, precip low and sporadic Desert -can be hot or cold, precip low and sporadic -animals concentrate urine Desert -plants are thorny and adapted to conserve water (fleshy stems and leaves) C4 and CAM photosynthesis Who lives here?  Tundra Good lord it’s cold up here! Tundra -severe winters Tundra -severe winters - almost no trees…why? - little rainfall -most plants low to ground (e.g. cushion plants, lichens, moss) Produce anti-freeze proteins Who lives here? Boreal Forest Boreal Forest (aka “Taiga”) -severe winters Boreal Forest -severe winters -lots of precipitation falls as snow in winter Boreal Forest -severe winters -lots of precipitation falls as snow in winter - poor soils - abundance of conifer trees--why? Who lives here? Temperate Forest Temperate Forest -distinct winter season with frost and snow Temperate Forest -distinct winter season with frost and snow -summer usually moist Temperate Forest -distinct winter season with frost and snow -summer usually moist -soils are fertile Who lives here? Temperate Grassland/Shrubland Temperate Grassland/Shrubland -hot summers and cold winters Temperate Grassland/Shrubland -hot summers and cold winters -few trees, dominated by grasses  Temperate Grassland/Shrubland -hot summers and cold winters -few trees, dominated by grasses -may become forests without disturbances when precipitation is high J F N D Who lives here? Tropical Savanna/Seasonal Forest Tropical Savanna/Seasonal Forest -temperature varies little, distinct wet/dry seasons Tropical Savanna/Seasonal Forest -temperature varies little, distinct wet/dry seasons -tree/grass codominance Tropical Savanna/Seasonal Forest -temperature varies little, distinct wet/dry seasons -tree/grass codominance -often require disturbance to maintain Who lives here? Learning Catalytics®  A B C 1.Which of the following climate diagrams best represents a temperate biome? A. A B. B C. C D. None of the climate diagrams represent a temperate biome.  A B C Figure C represents a biome that is: A. Near the equator in the Northern Hemisphere B. Near the equator in the Southern Hemisphere C. Near 30 degrees latitude in the Northern Hemisphere D. Near 30 degrees latitude in the Southern Hemisphere  A B C Organisms living in the biome in Figure C are most likely to have some of the following adaptations except: A. Large, thin leaves B. Small amounts of concentrated urine C. Outer body permeable to water D. Drip tips (on leaves) E. C3 photosynthesis  So in sum, the combination of RAINFALL and TEMPERATURE (roughly, latitude) can tell you a lot about what biome you can expect in a given area. Cold wet? Cold dry Warm wet Warm dry See youse Wednesday