1. Biomes: Global Patterns of Life

2. Terrestrial Biomes
Biomes - Areas sharing similar climate, topographic and soil conditions, and roughly comparable communities.
Determined by temp and precip
Identified by the dominant plants

3. Biomes

4. Climatograms
Climatograms

5. Aquatic Ecosystems Factors that effect: Temperature: ↓ with depth
Light (solar radiation): ↓ with depth
Dissolved oxygen
Nutrient availability
limiting macronutrients are phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N)
DO: varies with temp, producers and consumers
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6. Aquatic Environments Cover 71% of earth’s surface
2 types determined by salinity
Freshwater: <1% salt and only 1% of earth
Saltwater (marine)
Hydrologic cycle connects all aquatic environments!

7. Sample Food Chain Starfish Coral Octopus Zooplankton Moray Eel
Type of organisms determined by their tolerance of salinity (fresh vs. salt).
Plankton play a crucial role in the food chain
Starfish
Coral
Octopus
Zooplankton
Moray Eel
Phytoplankton

8. Bottom: Diatoms found between ice
Plankton
Plankton
Phytoplankton-
diatoms or algae
Zooplankton
protozoans and small crustaceans
Bottom: Diatoms found between ice
sheets in Antarctica

9. Aquatic Organisms 4 major types of organisms Plankton (zoo- and phyto)
Nekton (fish, turtles, whales)
Benthos (bottom-dwellers such as oysters)
Decomposers (mostly bacteria)
Nekton-organisms that can swim freely, independent of the currents

10. Saltwater Oceans -All 36 animal phyla are found here (only 10 on land)
-Currents distribute solar heat
-Reservoir for carbon dioxide (CO2)
-Regulates temp of land and atmosphere
-Habitat for plants and animals, critical food sources
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11. Life Zones of the Ocean
Zones defined by amount of solar radiation penetrating the water
Zones:
Intertidal zone
Pelagic zone
Abyssal zone
Benthic zone
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12. Oceans

13. Intertidal Zone Where the ocean meets the land
Communities are constantly changing
Types of organisms that live here?

14. Pelagic Zone Open ocean Thermal stratification
constant mixing of warm and cold ocean currents
Open ocean is the LEAST productive of aquatic life zones PER UNIT VOLUME.
Thermal stratification due to differences in water density: warm is less dense

15. Epipelagic
Mesopelagic
Bathypelagic
Abyssalpelagic

16. Epipelagic Zone extends down to around 200m Flora Fauna
lowest depth that light can penetrate (photic zone)
Flora
surface seaweeds and phytoplankton
Fauna
many species of fish and mammals, such as whales and dolphins

18. Mesopelagic Zone "twilight zone" of the ocean
photic zone above
darkness below
food becomes scarce – some animals:
migrate up to the surface at night to feed
rely on detritus
eat each other
sometimes the only things to eat may be bigger than the hunter
developed long sharp teeth
expandable jaws and stomachs

19. ctenophore – related to jellyfish
Big Scale - ambush predator cilia can be illuminated
Firefly squid
three kinds of photophores
Hatchet Fish
only a few inches long
Viperfish
specially adapted hinged skull
Dragonfish - stomachs hold big meals
Snipeel
up to 1.2m Siphonophores are colonies of animals
related to jellyfish
best known is Portugese Man of War

20. Bathypelagic Zone extends down from 1000 to 4000m
only light is from bioluminescent organisms
food is from detritus or from eating other animals
considerable water pressure
most animals are either black, red, or transparent
Why?
Red light-long wavelengths are absorbed in the upper 10 meters, any organism that is red looks black-no red light to reflect the red color back
Most bioluminescence is blue, red is not reflected and looks black

21. Narcomedusa
Vampire Squid
Snake Dragon
Angler Fish
Amphi - crustacean
Ctenophore
Deepstaria very slow swimmers, no tentacles, close flexible bells (up to a meter across) around their prey
Big Red
grows to over
a meter across

22. Abyssopelagic Zone - the Abyss
4000m to the sea floor
inhospitable living conditions
near- freezing temperatures
crushing pressures

23. Deep Water Squid
Basketstar
Sea Pig Sea Spider
Shrimp Medussa
Winged Sea Cucumber
Hydrothermal Vent
Deep-sea Anemone

24. Coral Reefs Coral Reefs –formed by mutualism between polyps and algae
Reefs built as colonies of polyps secrete limestone; hard deposits remain when the polyps die
Reefs located in coastal zones of tropical oceans
Protect coastlines from currents and waves
Nurseries for many fish species
Highly productive area
Coral provides home for algae
Algae produces oxygen and help the coral to remove wastes. supply the coral with glucose, glycerol, and amino acids, which are the products of photosynthesis. The coral uses these products to make proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and produce calcium carbonate
Healthy reefs have rough surfaces and complex structures that slow incoming waves — dissipating much of the force.

25. Human Impacts on Coral Reefs
Vulnerability
Slow growing
Easily disturbed
Thrive only in clear water
Human Impacts
All lead to coral bleaching
Sediment runoff and effluent
Increased UV radiation
Fishing with cyanide and dynamite

26. Tidal Environments Tidal Marshes and Estuaries Brackish water
Carry rich sediments from downstream
Extremely fertile
Partially enclosed body of water

27. Tidal Marshes and Estuaries
High species diversity and productivity
Estuaries called “marine nurseries”
habitats for many juvenile organisms, especially for fishes
many fish are born and grow up in estuaries
2/3 of all marine fish and shellfish spawn or develop in estuaries
migrate to the open ocean
Waterfowl and shorebird breeding areas
Filter water pollutants

28. Estuaries and Tidal Marshes
Over ½ of estuaries and coastal wetlands are gone
Why?
Degradation from:
Urban runoff
Sewage treatment plant effluent
Sediment and chemical runoff from ag
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29. Barrier Islands Importance -Protect mainland from offshore storms
-Shelter inland bays, estuaries, and wetlands
-Popular recreational and residential areas
long, thin, low offshore islands of sand that run parallel to the shore.
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30. Barrier Islands Human Impacts Development of barrier islands
-Destroys dunes and dune
vegetation
-Causes beach erosion
-Destroys or disturbs wildlife
habitat
Protecting barrier islands
-Jetties and seawalls
-Beach replenishment
-Replanting dune vegetation,
controlling development
-**BEST long-term protection:
Allowing development only
behind secondary dunes
Jetty=pier
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31. Freshwater Lakes limited species diversity due to isolation
Four zones based on depth and distance from the shore:
Littoral zone
Limnetic zone
Profundal zone
Benthic zone

33. Littoral Zone Fairly diverse Insect egg and larval stages found here
algae (like diatoms), rooted and floating aquatic plants, grazing snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians
Insect egg and larval stages found here
Vegetation and animals are food for other creatures such as turtles, snakes, and ducks

34. Limnetic Zone open water surrounded by the littoral zone
well-lighted (like the littoral zone) and is dominated by plankton
variety of freshwater fish also occupy this zone

35. Profundal and Benthic Zones
Deep open water with no light penetration
Much colder and denser than the other two
Benthic zone -the bottom of a lake; inhabited by decomposers, clams, and bottom-feeders.

36. Lake Temperature Varies seasonally
In summer warm layers on top, colder at bottom, separated by thermocline-where temp of water changes rapidly with depth
In fall water turns over, mixing occurs.
In winter ice forms – cold at the top, warmer at the bottom.
In spring another turnover.
Why is this important?
Spring turnover stimulates algae growth!

37. Ponds and Lakes

38. – Low primary productivity – Clear water, few plants and fish
Oligotrophic
– nutrient poor
– Low primary productivity
– Clear water, few plants and fish
Eutrophic
– nutrient rich
– High primary productivity
– Murky water, large phytoplankton population
Begin as oligotrophic-created by glaciers retreating, etc. Oligotrophic-high oxygen; eutrophic-low oxygen

39. Streams and Rivers Characteristics change Source Middle Mouth
Cool temps, clear water with high oxygen levels
Middle
Width increases, as does species diversity—numerous aquatic green plants and algae can be found
Mouth
Murky water becomes murky-why?

40. Streams & Rivers

41. Streams and Rivers Human Impacts -Pollution -Sediments -Dams
-Introduction of exotic species
-Removal of vegetation from banks
-Change of flow (more floods, lower base flow)
-Channelization
Fig. 8–15
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42. Wetlands Functions: nature’s kidneys
Filter sediments and pollutants from runoff
Recharge groundwater
Flood reduction
Wildlife habitat used for migration or breeding
Human impacts -Some states have lost over 90% of their wetlands -Drain for agriculture -Fill in for development
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43. Wetlands

44. Wetland Organisms