Ecosystems- Characteristics and Cycles C2 – C19

Characteristics of an Ecosystem An organism’s environment – the surroundings in which it lives – provides it with the specific things it needs. Every environment is made up of both biotic, living, and abiotic, nonliving parts. Biotic parts include every living thing within it – trees, plants, grass, animals, fungus, bacteria. Abiotic parts include– land, water, air, minerals, sunlight, temperature, and rainfall.

Organisms in an Ecosystem A habitat is the part of the environment where an organism lives. Organisms can share a habitat if their needs are the same. A habitat has food, water and shelter.

Organisms of the same species living together in the same place make up a population. Oak trees living together in the forest. Tree frogs living together in a pond.

Many populations living in the same environment at the same time make up a community. A community and the abiotic parts of its environment make up an ecosystem. An ecosystem can be as small as a leaf and as large as a forest.

Abiotic Factors Affect Ecosystems Abiotic factors determine the kinds of plants and animals that can live in an ecosystem. ***The climate (rainfall) is the most important factor. The job of an organism in an ecosystem is a niche. It includes everything the organism needs and everything it does.

Land Biomes A biome is a region of the world defined by its climate and the unique plants and animals that live there.

Tundra Grassland Desert Deciduous Forest Taiga Tropical Rain Forest Biomes of the World Tundra Grassland Desert Deciduous Forest Taiga Tropical Rain Forest

Tundra Rainfall: 10 inches per year Temperature: extremely cold; weak growing season Plants: mosses and lichens Animals: caribou, arctic hare, wolves, arctic fox

Grassland Rainfall: 30 inches per year Temperature: variable Plants: grasses with scattered trees and flowers Animals: gazelle, zebra, kangaroo, deer, prairie dog, mole, lion, hawk

Desert Rainfall: 10 inches per year Temperature: extremes; hot days and cold nights Plants: cactus and woody shrubs Animals: reptiles, coyote, badger, owl and eagle

Deciduous Forest Rainfall: 50 inches per year Temperature: cold winters and warm summers; 6 month growing season Plants: broad leaved trees, loose leaves in fall Animals: squirrel, rabbit, skunk, birds, deer, fox, wolf, black bear

Taiga Rainfall: 20 inches per year Temperature: very cold; short growing season Plants: conifers, evergreen with needlelike leaves Animals: moose, caribou, bear, weasel, lynx, fox, wolf, deer, chipmunk, hawk

Tropical Rain Forest Rainfall: 100 inches per year Temperature: 68 – 77 degrees Fahrenheit Plants: 100 different tree species per square km Animals: highly diverse with insects, bats, birds and mammals