1. Section 4.2 Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes
Chapter 4
Section 4.2
Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes

2. 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:
Terrestrial
Aquatic

4. Terrestrial Biomes in Canada
There are 4 terrestrial biomes in Canada:
Tundra
Taiga
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Grasslands

5. Terrestrial Biomes in Alberta
There are 3 terrestrial biomes in Alberta:
Taiga
Grasslands
Temperate deciduous forest

6. 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

7. Biotic factors :
- black and grizzly bears
- wolverines
- weasels
- moose
- deer
- grouse
- owls
- spruce and pine (coniferous or cone-bearing)
- shrubs, ferns, mosses and lichens

8. 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

9. Boreal Forest
Muskeg

10. Grassland Biome Found in central and southern Alberta.
Abiotic factors:
Fertile soils
Warm temperatures
Rapid decay
Rich humus layers
Less precipitation

11. Biotic factors: Bison Deer Rabbits Hawks Yellow-bellied sapsuckers
Grasshoppers
Fescue grasses

12. Grasslands

13. Deciduous Forest Biome
Found in central Alberta.
Abiotic factors:
Increased sunlight and warmer temperatures
Rich fertile soil
More precipitation

14. Biotic Factors: Black bears Weasels Moose Deer Woodpeckers
Deciduous trees (leaves)
Shrubs

15. Deciduous Forest

16. Aquatic Biomes in Canada
There are 2 aquatic biomes in Canada:
Salt Water
Fresh Water

17. Salt Water
Fresh Water

18. Aquatic Biomes in Alberta
There is 1 aquatic biome in Alberta:
1. Fresh water or lake ecosystem

19. Fresh Water Biomes
The fresh water biomes in Alberta are made up of lake ecosystems.
Lake ecosystems have 3 main zones:
Littoral zone
Limnetic zone
Profundal zone

20. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. LITTORAL ZONE