MST 101a Environmental Science Biomes of the World PDF

Biomes of the World MST 101a* | Environmental Science Biomes  BIOMES  are basic units of the biosphere and refer to the large geographical region with a particular climax community  it organizes the Earth's biological communities based on dominant vegetation,...

Biomes of the World MST 101a* | Environmental Science Biomes  BIOMES  are basic units of the biosphere and refer to the large geographical region with a particular climax community  it organizes the Earth's biological communities based on dominant vegetation, geographic location, climate, and other factors  aspects of the physical environment include precipitation, temperature, and water depth, which have a strong influence on species' traits living in that environment Biomes  geographically, the same biome can occur in distinct areas with similar climates   Terrestrial Biomes are large-scale environments that are characterized by temperature ranges and amounts of precipitation that affect the types of vegetation and animal life that can exist in those areas. Terrestrial Biomes  TERRESTRIAL BIOMES  are characterized ecosystems on land and are usually identified by the growth form of the dominant vegetation, climate, and location on Earth  the major terrestrial biomes include the tundra biome, the forest biome, the grassland biome, and the desert biome Terrestrial Biomes  1. TUNDRA  the coldest of all the biomes  it comes from the Finnish word Tunturi which means “treeless plain"  it is a region that lies south of the Arctic and extends across North America, Europe, and Siberia Terrestrial Biomes  1. TUNDRA  in the Northern Hemisphere, the areas that would be tundra are oceans. It is divided into two: the arctic and alpine tundra  arctic tundra is a cold, desert-like condition and is located in the northern hemisphere, while alpine tundra is found on mountains throughout the world at high altitude where trees cannot grow Terrestrial Biomes  1. TUNDRA  a tundra biome is characterized by permafrost (permanently frozen ground), frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, inadequate nutrients, high winds, and short growing seasons  mostly, lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, and low growing shrubs are prominent in this biome  animals that can be found here are reindeer, caribou, wolves, arctic hares, Terrestrial arctic foxes, snowy owls, and more Biomes  1. TUNDRA Terrestrial Biomes  2. TAIGA (BOREAL)  represents the largest terrestrial biome occurring south across the tundra  trees become more extensive and closer together, giving way to evergreen forests; this belt of evergreen forest is found in the broad belt of Eurasia and North America: two-thirds in Siberia with the rest in Scandinavia, Alaska, and Canada  it has frigid winters and cool summers with moderate to low precipitation, and the growing season is about 120 days Terrestrial Biomes  2. TAIGA (BOREAL)  mostly, evergreen trees (evergreen conifers with needle-like leaves, such as pine, fir, and spruce) and a variety of animals in the summer (woodpeckers, hawks, moose, bear, weasel, lynx, fox, wolf, deer, hares, chipmunks, shrews, and bats) Terrestrial Biomes  3. FOREST  is dominated by trees and other woody vegetation and can be classified according to numerous characteristics, with seasonality being the most widely used  the most remarkable diversity of species characterizes the tropical rainforest; they occur around the equator, where the climate is uniform throughout the year; it is typically warm and moist Terrestrial Biomes  3. FOREST  different species of trees are found with large and broadleaves, thick vines, and many epiphytes attached to the tree trunks.  also, many animal species inhabit the rainforest like snakes, lizards, frogs, lemurs, sloths, monkeys, colorful birds, and insects Terrestrial Biomes  3. FOREST  varying amounts of rainfall characterize temperate deciduous forest  it can be found in Europe and Eastern North America  it has moderate temperature and rain, long winters, and seasonal animals; common trees are oak, maple, hickory, chestnut, shrubs, small trees, herbaceous plants, ferns, lichens, and mosses  animals include wolves, gray foxes, bobcat, deer, squirrel, and more Terrestrial Biomes Terrestrial Biomes  4. GRASSLAND  is dominated by grasses rather than large shrubs or trees and occurs in temperate and tropical climates  this biome is characterized by hot summer and cold winter, moderate to low precipitation, mostly grasses and small shrubs, and large mammals or a variety of smaller ones  the world’s grassland includes the Savanna of South Africa, Steppes of Russia, Terrestrial Pampas of South America, and Prairies of North America Biomes  4. GRASSLAND Terrestrial Biomes  5. DESERT  occurs in hot and dry climate; the soil is sandy and poor  it is characterized by considerable amount of specialized vegetation, especially cacti, and dominant animals include species of reptiles (snakes, lizards), insects, scorpion, and rodents Terrestrial Biomes  5. DESERT Terrestrial Biomes   Aquatic Biome is classified into two categories – the marine and freshwater biomes. Aquatic Biomes  1. MARINE  the water depth generally distinguishes marine biomes and whether there is a substrate on which organisms can attach  it has three types – the ocean, coral reefs, and estuaries Aquatic Biomes  A. OCEANS  are huge bodies of water (more than 70%) that dominate the Earth's surface and are considered the largest of all the ecosystems  organisms include benthos, planktons, and nektons  benthos lives in the ocean floor like clams, starfish, and snails; planktons are small organisms floating near the surface and are carried by current like protozoa, algae, tiny crustaceans; and nektons are free-swimming organisms Aquatic like fishes, squid, turtles, whales Biomes  A. OCEANS  oceans are separated into different zones – the intertidal, pelagic, abyssal, and benthic zones, which have a great diversity of species Aquatic Biomes  A. OCEANS  When the ocean meets land, it is the intertidal zone where high, and low tide occurs; because of this, communities are constantly changing; beneath the intertidal zone is the neritic zone Aquatic Biomes  A. OCEANS  neritic zone extends to depths of about 200 m at the edge of the continental shelf, where photosynthesis occurs  it is characterized with well-oxygenated water, contains silt, low in pressure, and has a stable temperature  mostly, phytoplankton and floating Sargassum (marine seaweed), zooplankton, protists, small fishes, and shrimp are found in the neritic zone, the base of the Aquatic food chain for most of the world's fisheries Biomes  A. OCEANS  the pelagic zone is the open ocean; within this realm, there is thermal stratification  the photic zone is a part of the sea, approximately 200 m, where light can penetrate; a depth greater than 200 m is the aphotic zone where light cannot penetrate  the flora found in this zone includes surface seaweeds, and the fauna consists of Aquatic many fish species and some mammals, such as whales and dolphins Biomes  A. OCEANS  beneath the pelagic realm is the benthic zone; it is the deep-water region beyond the continental shelf, consisting of sand, silt, and dead organisms  the temperature decreases as depth increases towards the abyssal zone since light cannot penetrate deeper water  it has a high level of nutrients wherein diverse fungi, sponges, sea anemones, marine worms, sea stars, fishes, and bacteria exist Aquatic Biomes  A. OCEANS  abyssal zone is the deepest part of the ocean, characterized by very low temperature, very high pressure, high oxygen content, and low nutrient content  mid-ocean ridges, often with hydrothermal vents, are found in the abyssal zones and the ocean floors  chemosynthetic bacteria used the hydrogen sulfide and other minerals emitted from the vents, thus the start of the food web as invertebrates and fishes eat them Aquatic Biomes  B. CORAL REEFS  are one of the most diverse ecosystems globally and widely distributed in warm shallow waters, tropical seas, and others in the cold, dark depths of the ocean  corals are the dominant organisms in coral reefs  corals consist of both algae (zooxanthellae) and animal polyps responsible for building reefs  coral reefs are considered as the rainforest of the sea and can be found as barriers Aquatic along continents, fringing islands, and atolls Biomes  B. CORAL REEFS  the "Coral Triangle" is the most extensive coral reef ecosystem in the world and found as part of different countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste Aquatic Biomes  C. ESTUARIES  are areas where freshwater merge with the ocean with such different salt concentrations creates a fascinating, diverse, and unique ecosystem  it forms protected areas for many of the young offspring of crustaceans, mollusks, and fish to begin their lives  the significant factor that influences this organism to adapt to this kind of ecosystem is salinity Aquatic Biomes  C. ESTUARIES Aquatic Biomes  2. FRESHWATER  includes standing water (lakes and ponds), flowing water (rivers and streams), and wetlands  they have a low salt concentration and are generally distinguished by characteristics such as water depth Aquatic Biomes  A. PONDS AND LAKES  these areas vary in size from just a few square meters to thousands of square kilometers  ponds last only for a couple of months, while lakes may exist for hundreds of years or more  they are divided into three different "zones," which are usually determined by depth and distance from the shoreline Aquatic Biomes  A. PONDS AND LAKES  the topmost zone near the shore of a lake or pond is called the littoral zone; it is the warmest since it is shallow and can absorb more of the Sun's heat  it sustains a relatively diverse community of algae species, rooted and floating aquatic plants, snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians  these vegetation and animals are the base food for other organisms, such as turtles, snakes, and ducks Aquatic Biomes  A. PONDS AND LAKES  the limnetic zone is near-surface open water, well-lighted, and is dominated by planktons  the profundal zone is the cold, deep-water part of the lake/pond; it is where plankton falls into when they die Aquatic Biomes  B. STREAMS AND RIVERS  rivers and streams are bodies of continuously flowing water that carry large amounts of water from the source (headwater)  the source water is characterized as cold, low in nutrients, and transparent  from the source water, the river or stream flows away where the width of the channel gradually widens and the current slows, and travels through the opening Aquatic  the water becomes warmer and murky from all the sediments that it has picked upstream as it is near the mouth (opening) Biomes  C. WETLANDS  are characterized with areas in which the soil is either permanently or periodically saturated with water  it is composed of shallow bodies of water like marshes, swamps, and bogs  the vegetation consists of plants rooted in the soil but has portions of leaves, stems, and flowers extending above the water's surface Aquatic Biomes Wrap Up