Ecology Biomes and Ecosystems

2 Ecosystems- Matter and Energy

3 Primary Production

4 Primary Production made by Primary Producers Gross primary productivity is the total amount of energy that producers convert to chemical energy in organic molecules per unit of time. Then the plant must use some energy to supports its own processes with cellular respiration such as growth, opening and closing its stomata, etc. What is left over in that same amount of time is net primary productivity which is the energy available to be used by another organism.

Primary Production 5

Net Product Pyramid 6 Pyramid of Energy

Trophic Level Human Population 7

8 Pyramid of Biomass

Pyramid of Numbers 9

Energy Transformation 11

Biogeochemical Cycle 12

Nitrogen Cycle 13

Phosphorus Cycle 14

Water Cycle 15

Carbon Cycle 16

Nutrient Cycling 17

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Aquatic Biome Distribution 20

Lake Stratification 21

Zonation 22 Marine Zonation Lake Zonation

Freshwater 23 Light intensity decreases w/ depth; sharp temp. decrease w/ depth 2 zones depending on light photic zone – near surface, contains phytoplankton and zooplankton aphotic zone – deeper, dark areas w/ many decomposers eating dead organisms benthic organisms (bottom dwellers) such as clams, insect larvae, crayfish

Wetlands & Estuaries 24 Transitional Zones between freshwater and marine. This water tends to be a mix of both depending on its geographic location. The water is often referred to as brackish

Tide Zone 25 Coral Reef Benthos Marine Biomes Black Smoker Oceans cover ¾ of Earth’s surface intertidal zone –shallow where land meets water; sometimes wet and sometimes dry neritic zone – shallow region over continental shelf oceanic zone – beyond the shelf; very deep pelagic zone – open water benthic zone – sea floor abyssal zones – very deep and cold areas w/ high water pressure and no light Estuary - area where freshwater rivers merge w/ ocean

Terrestrial Biomes 26

Tropical Rain Forest temperature relatively constant at 25 C 2. near equator, >80 inches rain = tropical rainforest a. greatest plant and animal diversity b. soils poor in nutrients c. most animals tree dwellers d. destruction is causing widespread climate changes Where Found: South America, S.E. Asia, Central Africa Central America Plants: rich vegetation in canopy and undergrowth Animals: colorful insects, lizards, amphibians, reptile, small mammals Other Characteristics: 200 – 400 cm rain, constant temperature (25 o C)

Savanna 28 Savanna – grassland w/ scattered trees 1. 3 seasons – cool/dry, hot/dry, and warm/wet 2. frequent fires inhibit tree growth 3. large herbivores dominant animal

Desert <30 cm. of rain per year, can be cold or hot 2. scattered shrubs, cacti and succulents common 3. reptiles and seed eaters (many nocturnal) Where Found: northern Africa, southern Asia, central Australia Plants: cactus and other non-leafy plants Animals: lizards, small rodents Other Characteristics: very little rainfall, although some deserts have seasonal rain

Chaparral- also called Scrubland dense, spiny shrubs with evergreen leaves 2. found along coasts 3. maintained by periodic fire

Temperate Grasslands similar to savanna but in cooler areas 2. ex- steppes in Russia, pampas of Uruguay 3. large grazing animals and carnivores Where Found: interior of many continents Plants: grasses and small leafy plants Animals: grazers and browsers Other Characteristics: Large variation in temperature and seasonal changes. Grazing and prairie fires

Temperate Forest midlatitude regions 2. soil rich in nutrients with even rainfall throughout year 3.herbs, shrubs, and tall trees grow Where Found: southern Canada, eastern U.S., Europe, and Japan Plants: trees that lose their leaves (oak, maple, birch) Animals: huge variety, including fox, deer, moose, etc. Other Characteristics: lands cleared by hunting and farming

Taiga Also called Coniferous or Boreal Forest 1. precipitation usually snow 2. conifers like spruce, fir, hemlock 3.soil acidic and forms slowly Where Found: most of Canada and Asia Plants: pine trees Animals: bears, wolves, moose, elk, voles, wolverines, grouse Other Characteristics: long and cold winter, summers warm enough to completely thaw the soil. 33

Tundra 34 Characteristics Soil- Layer of permafrost Light- long periods of darkness Tundra 1. low, shrubby plants 2. Arctic tundra – around N. Pole, very cold, little light for long periods and then 24 hr. days in brief summer 3. Alpine tundra – at high elevations

Biosphere 35 All of the biomes combined make up the biosphere.

What happens when a cycle is out of balance? 36 Cycles can have an anthropogenic (man-made) or a non-anthropogenic (natural phenomena) impact that causes a cycle to become unbalanced. Additionally, this may just be the natural state of that ecosystem as a consequence of the availability of nutrients. Two examples involving imbalanced freshwater habitats include: Oligotrophic waters- low primary productivity Eutrophic waters- high primary productivity

Eutrophic 37 Oligotrophic Lake Oligotrophic lakes have low primary productivity due to low nutrient content. These lakes are usually clear and have high quality drinking water. The bottoms of the lakes usually have enough oxygen to support some species especially those species that can live best in cold, well-oxygenated waters (ex: trout). Eutrophic lakes, rivers, or streams have high primary productivity due to an excess of nutrient content.

Eutrophication Effects: Negative environmental effects include hypoxia, the depletion of oxygen in the water, food loss, and habitat loss for aquatic organisms. Increase in oxygen demanding decay (as the algae die). This leads to less O2 in water even though it is a bloom of photosynthetic algae (which one might think would therefore increase O2 levels). The algae die eventually and then the decomposers consume O2 via cell respiration as they “eat” the abundance of dead algae, resulting in less or even no O2 Eutrophication can be naturally occurring or man-made, usually by fertilizers (containing phosphorus and nitrogen) Eutrophication can occur naturally in ponds or older lakes as plant material builds up over time. It occurs naturally when production and consumption within the lake do not cancel each other out and the lake slowly becomes over-fertilized.

Eutrophication- The Algal Bloom 39

Experimental Data 40 Use the Station 1 data to calculate the Primary Productivity of a water sample. Report your answer in units of mg Carbon fixed/Liter The needed conversion factors are found on the student formula sheet