1. Ecosystems of the World

2. Desert

3. Landscape: rocky and sandy Climate: hot and dry
Desert
Landscape: rocky and sandy
Climate: hot and dry
Dominant plant life: cactus, small shrubs
Dominant animal life: reptiles, birds, rodents, sheep
Main feature: dry

4. Tundra

5. Landscape: treeless plain Climate: extremely cold and dry
TUNDRA
Landscape: treeless plain
Climate: extremely cold and dry
Dominant plant life: small grasses, shrubs
Dominant animal life: caribou, birds, fox, owls, lemmings
Main feature: frozen soil most of the year

6. Temperate Deciduous Forest

7. Landscape: deciduous trees Climate: wet and moderate temperature
Temperate Deciduous forest
Landscape: deciduous trees
Climate: wet and moderate temperature
Dominant plant life: deciduous trees, ferns, mosses
Dominant animal life: squirrels, birds, deer, fox, raccoon, insects

8. TROPICAL
Rain Forest

9. Landscape: trees – near equator Climate: hot and very wet
Tropical rain forest
Landscape: trees – near equator
Climate: hot and very wet
Dominant plant life: large trees, vines
Dominant animal life: monkeys, insects, mammals,
frogs, birds, reptiles

10. Chaparral

11. chaparral Landscape: dirt, shrubs
Climate: dry, hot summers, cool, wet winters
Dominant plant life: shrubs, small grasses
Dominant animal life: owls, chipmunks, lizards

12. grassland

13. grassland Landscape: plains Climate: dry, warm
Dominant plant life: grasses
Dominant animal life: grazing animals
(cows, antelope, bison), coyotes, squirrels, snakes

14. Temperate rain forest

15. Climate: very wet, moderate temperatures
Temperate rain forest
Landscape: forest
Climate: very wet, moderate temperatures
Dominant plant life: conifer trees, ferns, mosses
Dominant animal life: salmon, deer, arachnids

16. Taiga

17. taiga Landscape: coniferous forest
Climate: long, cold winters, short summers
Dominant plant life: evergreen trees
Dominant animal life: deer, elk, caribou, mountain lions,
wolves, bears, chipmunks, beavers

18. Wetlands

19. wetlands Landscape: shorelines, lagoons, and marshes
Climate: wet, varying temperatures
Dominant plant life: sea grasses, phytoplankton, algae
Dominant animal life: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, insects

20. Aquatic: freshwater

21. Feature: fresh (non-salty) water
Aquatic: freshwater
Feature: fresh (non-salty) water
Dominant plant life: algae, aquatic plants, grasses
Dominant animal life: insects, fish, snails, beaver, birds

22. Aquatic: Marine

23. Dominant plant life: seaweed, algae, phytoplankton
Aquatic: Marine
Feature: saltwater
Dominant plant life: seaweed, algae, phytoplankton
Dominant animal life: zooplankton, crustaceans, sea creatures, fish

24. Some things to know about ecosystems . . .

25. An ECOSYSTEM is the
total community of living organisms in a particular area plus the nonliving factors of the environment.

26. A BIOME includes any ecosystems found in a regional area
A BIOME includes any ecosystems found in a regional area. (For example, one geographic area may contain a freshwater pond, as well as wetland swamps, and a deciduous forest, that all interact in the given region making up a biome.)

27. BIOTIC factors of an ecosystem are all of its living components.
ABIOTIC factors are the nonliving components of the ecosystem.

28. A TROPHIC LEVEL is the particular place an organism maintains in a food chain.
A FOOD CHAIN is a simple representation of the trophic levels in order from producers through all levels of consumers, then decomposers.
A FOOD WEB is an illustration of the complex interrelationships between all trophic levels where a particular organism may function in more than one trophic level.

29. SECONDARY CONSUMERS, etc.
PRODUCERS are the organisms in an ecosystem that harness energy (usually from the sun) and make it available as food to . . .
PRIMARY CONSUMERS who get energy by feeding on producers. They then become a food source for . . .
SECONDARY CONSUMERS, etc.
DECOMPOSERS break down dead plant and animal material making the raw materials available for producers to reuse.

30. Water cycles throughout ecosystems via evaporation, rain, runoff, etc.
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES function to recycle nutrients throughout the ecosystem.
Some examples. . .
Plants use Carbon Dioxide for photosynthesis and produce Oxygen. The oxygen is used in animal respiration and Carbon Dioxide is produced.
Water cycles throughout ecosystems via evaporation, rain, runoff, etc.
Nitrogen and Carbon are released from dead organisms by decomposers so that they may be reused by producers and cycle throughout the food web.

31. A NICHE is the function a particular organism performs in a given ecosystem.

32. Ecosystems of the World Quiz

33. A: bacterial decomposers
Which of the following would NOT be considered to be a biotic factor of a taiga ecosystem?
A: bacterial decomposers
B: deer and elk
C: coniferous trees
D: short summers

34. In an aquatic marine ecosystem a killer whale feeds on krill (primary consumers), birds (third-level consumers), and penguins (fourth-level consumers). What would be the best way to illustrate these relationships?
A: food web
B: food chain
C: photographs
D: phylogenetic tree

35. Which of the following would not commonly be found in a desert ecosystem?
A: snake
B: bacteria
C: deciduous tree
D: cactus

36. A food chain shows
A: the order of trophic levels of a particular ecosystem from producer to decomposer
B: the complex web of interrelationships between many trophic levels
C: the development of plants from seed to adult
D: the organisms that are not found in a given ecosystem

37. A trophic level is A: an organism's place in the food web.
B: an organism's dwelling place in an ecosystem.
C: an organism's niche in an ecosystem.
D: an aquatic organism's place in the water column

38. In which ecosystem would you be most likely to find a coniferous tree?
A: temperate rain forest
B: tundra
C: aquatic marine
D: desert

39. Which of the following most accurately describes the carbon dioxide/oxygen cycle in terrestrial biomes?
A: plants produce oxygen and carbon dioxide that are used by animals in respiration
B: plants use carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, while animals use oxygen and produce carbon dioxide
C: animals produce carbon dioxide and oxygen which are used by plants in photosynthesis
D: plants produce carbon dioxide and use oxygen, while animals produce oxygen and use carbon dioxide

40. One abiotic factor of a tropical rain forest is
A: large vines
B: parrots
C: abundant rain
D: monkeys

41. One important function of bacteria in an ecosystem is to
A: build habitats for larger animals
B: kill lethal viruses
C: recycle nitrogen from dead organisms back into the food web
D: keep populations of large animals in check

42. B: large deciduous trees C: insects (such as bees)
Which of the following would be a producer in a temperate deciduous forest ecosystem?
A: snails
B: large deciduous trees
C: insects (such as bees)
D: nutrient-rich soil