What is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is a dynamic interaction between plants, animals, microorganisms and their environment working together as a functional unit. The largest ecosystems are called biomes.

What makes up an Ecosystem? Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors  Non-living  Sunlight  Temperature  Precipitation  Water or moisture  Soil  Living  Plants  Animals

The Six Major Ecosystems; also known as Biomes These Ecosystems can vary from place to place! (click on the buttons to learn about each ecosystem) Temperate Forest Tropical Rainforest Desert Grassland Tundra Ocean/Marine After learning about all of the different ecosystems…take the quiz! check answers!

Temperate Forest oFound all over the world oMainly in the middle latitudes of the Earth oVery seasonal oCan be broken into two different types of forests: -Deciduous forests: has trees that lose their leaves -Coniferous forests: mostly pine trees Click to go back to ecosystems page!

Tropical Rainforest oRain forests get 80 inches of rain a year (a lot more compared to the rest of the world) oThe temperature almost never changes-always warm and muggy oConsists of mostly tall trees that block out the sun and keep other plants from going below them oThe rainforest has different levels where different animals live. Click here to learn more! oThousands of species of plants and animals live in the rain forest: -mammals, insects, reptiles, birds, and primates Click to go back to ecosystems page!

Levels of the Rainforest oEmergent: giant trees that are much taller than the average canopy height. Houses many birds and insects. oCanopy: The upper parts of trees. The leafy environment is full of life, including insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, and more! oUnderstory: A dark, cool environment under the leaves but not on the ground. oForest Floor: Lots of animal life, especially insects. The largest animals in the rainforest usually live here. Click here to go back to rainforests page!

Desert oVery hot and dry oGet very little rain each year oMade of sand and rocks oVery few clouds over deserts, which makes it very hot during the day and cold at night oWhat can you find in the desert? Plants, reptiles, birds, mammals, insects Click here to go back to ecosystems page!

Grasslands oFields of grass oMany types of grass oGrasslands make up a lot of the world oGrasslands receive from 10 to 30 inches of rain a year oDifferent types of grasslands click here to learn about the three types of grasslands oMany different animals live in grasslands click here to find out what animals live in grasslands Click to go back to ecosystems page!

Types of North American Grasslands 1.Tall Grass Prairie -mainly in the eastern portion of the Midwest -grasses often grow to be 5 feet tall -average amount of rain is 30 inches 2.Mixed Grass Prairie -mainly in the middle part of the Midwest -grasses grow to be 2 to 3 feet tall -15 to 25 inches of rain a year -buffalo used to roam this type of prairie 3.Short Grass Prairie -mainly in the western part of the Midwest (near the edges of the desert) -the grasses grow no more than 2 feet tall -close to 10 inches of rain per year -prairie dogs are common in these grasslands Click here to go back to grasslands page!

Animals of the Grasslands oElephants oBison oBlack rhinoceros oBlack-footed ferret oBrown hyena oGiraffe oGreater prairie chicken oLion oOstrich oPrairie dog oPronghorn oWarthog Click to go back to grasslands page!

Tundra oMostly in the artic oThe ground is frozen for most of the year, but the sun does thaw the top of the ground in the summer oSoil is frozen and trees do not grow oMany animals go to the tundra in the summer and some stay through the winter oThe tundra is separated into two types click here to learn more about the two types Click to go back to ecosystems page!

Types of Tundra oAlpine (located on mountains throughout the world at high elevations) -dwarf trees -tussock grasses -small-leafed shrubs -heaths oArctic (located in the northern hemisphere around the north pole) -low shrubs -sedges -liverworts -grasses -varieties of flowers Click here to go back to tundra page!

Oceans oMost of the Earth is covered with water oOceans play an important role in the water cycle click here to learn about the water cycle! oOceans are salty oFour major oceans: Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian oWhat lives in the ocean? click here to find out! Click to go back to ecosystems page!

Water Cycle Click here to go back to oceans page! oWater starts in the clouds, falls as rain, travels to the ocean, where it evaporates into the sky and forms clouds and then repeats itself Evaporation: when water changes from a liquid to a gas

Ocean Life oThere are many animals that live in the ocean oDifferent types of mammals, invertebrates and fish all live in the ocean -whales, dolphins, otters, manatees, and seals are examples of mammals -eels, sharks, and rays are examples of fish -crabs, worms, and mollusks are examples of invertebrates Click here to go back to oceans page!