The Biosphere By: Ali Ball, Alex Wampler, Holly Rhoden, & Ada Tolliver

The Biosphere: Is all of the Earth that is inhabited by life. It extends from the atmosphere several km above the Earth to the depths of the oceans.

Ecology: Is the scientific study of the interactions of organisms with their environments Comes from the Greek word, oikos, meaning home

Key Terms Biotic Factors- all of the organisms in the area that are the living component of the environment Abiotic Factors- environment’s non-living components Habitat- the specific environment an organism lives in, including the biotic and abiotic factors in the surrounding Organism- an individual living thing, such as bacterium, fungus, protist, plant, or animal

Key Terms Continued… Population- a group of individuals or the same species living in a particular geographic area Community- an assemblage of all the populations of organisms living close enough together for potential interaction Ecosystem- Both the biotic and abiotic components of the environment Landscapes- arrays of ecosystems

Factors that influence life in the biosphere Energy source Temperature Nutrients Other aquatic factors Other terrestrial factors Biomes- major types of ecological associations that occupy broad regions of land or water

Marine Biomes Found in the ocean Coral reefs- a diverse group of cnidarians that secrete a hard external skeleton-and by multicellular algae encrusted with limestone Estuary- occurs where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean Wetlands- is transitional between an aquatic ecosystem-marine or freshwater

Freshwater Biomes Includes lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, and a variety of wetlands Connected with the soils and organisms of the ecosystems that surround them Sunlight plays a big role in these biomes Affected by nitrogen and phosphorus (sewage, runoff, etc.)

Terrestrial Biomes Grouped into 8 major types of biomes Separated by the average temperature and climate

Tropical Rainforest Near the equator Among the most complex of all biomes Frequent rainfalls Many organisms (plants, animals, etc.) Poor soil Produces most of our oxygen

Savannas Grassland with scattered trees Warm year round Poor soil and lack of moisture Grazing animals Frequent fires caused by lightning or human activity Long periods of drought

Deserts Defined by their dryness Low and unpredictable rainfall Cycles of growth and reproduction are key to rainfall Plants and animals are adapted to drought and extreme temperatures Desertification-the conversion of semiarid regions to desert

Chaparral Dense, spiny shrubs with tough evergreen leaves Mild rainy winters Hot dry summers Also known as Mediterranean Vegetation is adapted to periodic fires most often caused by lightening California_chaparral_yucc#D81AA

Temperate Grasslands Have some characteristics of tropical savannas Mostly treeless Relatively cold winter temperatures Rainfall averaging between 25 and 75 cm per year with periodic severe droughts Large grazing mammals

Temperate Forests Dominated by broadleaf trees More open than tropical forests Soils are rich in organic and inorganic nutrients This biome is getting destroyed daily by loggers, and the land is being cleared.

Coniferous Forest Cone bearing evergreen trees Long, cold winters Short, wet summers Soil is thin and acidic Warm, moist air Considerable precipitation in the form of snow

Tundra Long, bitter cold winters Extremely cold with little sun and little light Short summers Characterized by permafrost-continuously frozen subsoil Occurs in the Northern Hemisphere around the north pole

The Water Cycle The water and air move in a global pattern Repeating cycle! Over the ocean, evaporation exceeds precipitation Surface water and ground water flow back into sea Affected by human activity Destruction of tropical rainforests Pumping ground water for irrigation