1. CHAPTER 34 The Biosphere: An Introduction to Earth's Diverse Environments
Modules 34.7 – 34.11

2. 34.7 Oceans occupy most of Earth's surface
AQUATIC BIOMES
34.7 Oceans occupy most of Earth's surface
Oceans cover about 75% of the Earth's surface
Light and the availability of nutrients are the major factors that shape aquatic communities

3. Estuaries are productive areas where rivers meet the ocean
The saltiness of estuaries ranges from less than 1% to 3%
They provide nursery areas for oysters, crabs, and many fishes
They are often bordered by extensive coastal wetlands
Figure 34.7A

4. The intertidal zone is the wetland at the edge of an estuary or ocean, where water meets land
Salt marshes, sand and rocky beaches, and tide pools are part of the intertidal zone
It is often flooded by high tides and then left dry during low tides
Figure 34.7B

5. Abiotic conditions dictate the kinds of communities that ocean zones can support
Intertidal zone
Continental zone
Photic zone
Pelagic zone
Benthic zone (seafloor)
Aphotic zone
Figure 34.7C

6. The pelagic zone is the open ocean
It supports highly motile animals such as fishes, squids, and marine mammals
Phytoplankton and zooplankton drift in the pelagic zone
The benthic zone is the ocean bottom
It supports a variety of organisms based upon water depth and light penetration

7. The aphotic zone is a vast, dark region of the ocean
The photic zone is the portion of the ocean into which light penetrates
Photosynthesis occurs here
The aphotic zone is a vast, dark region of the ocean
It is the most extensive part of the biosphere
Although there is no light, a diverse and dense population inhabits this zone

8. Coral reefs are easily degraded by
Coral reefs are found in warm tropical waters above the continental shelf
They support a huge diversity of invertebrates and fishes
Coral reefs are easily degraded by
pollution
native and introduced predators
human souvenir hunters
Figure 34.7D

9. Lake and pond communities are shaped by
34.8 Freshwater biomes include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands
Lake and pond communities are shaped by
light
temperature
the availability of nutrients and dissolved oxygen

10. A river environment changes greatly between its source and its mouth
Temperature, nutrients, currents, and water clarity vary at different points
Figure 34.8A

11. Wetlands are among the richest biomes in terms of species diversity
Figure 34.8B

12. 34.9 Terrestrial biomes reflect regional variations in climate
Climatic differences, mainly temperature and rainfall, shape the major biomes that cover Earth's land surface
Biomes tend to grade into each other
Within each biome there is local variation
This gives vegetation a patchy, rather than uniform, appearance

13. Major terrestrial biomes
30º N
Equator
30º S
Tropical forest
Polar and high-mountain ice
Temperate deciduous forest
Savanna
Chaparral
Coniferous forest
Desert
Temperate grassland
Tundra (arctic and alpine)
Figure 34.9

14. 34.10 Tropical forests cluster near the equator
Several types of tropical forests occur in the warm, moist belt along the equator
Figure 34.10

15. The tropical rain forest is the most diverse ecosystem on Earth
Large-scale human destruction of tropical rain forests continues to endanger many species
It may also alter world climate

16. 34.11 Talking About Science: Ecologist Arial Lugo studies tropical forests in Puerto Rico
The Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico allows ecologists to study the effects of disruption on tropical forests
It contains deforested as well as still-forested areas
Figure 34.11B

17. The forest ecologist Dr
The forest ecologist Dr. Ariel Lugo has been one of the key scientists at the Luquillo Experimental Forest
He and other scientists have offered valuable insight into the peril these forests face as well as the promise they hold
Studies indicate that tropical forests recover from natural disasters much more readily than they do from human destruction
Figure 34.11A