1. Characteristics of a biosphere

2. I. Characteristics of a biosphere
A. Ecology
1. Study of organisms and their interactions with the environment

3. 1. Includes all land, water and air
B. The Biosphere
1. Includes all land, water and air
Darkest depth of water to 8km into the atmosphere
2. Biotic factors—All living parts of the environment:
Plants, animals, and other organism
3. Abiotic Factors—All non-living factors:
water, soils, light temp, etc.

4. 4. Ecosystem is an area that is made of populations and abiotic factors
5. Habitat is the type of environment in which a particular species lives

5. II. Land Biomes A. Biome is a large group of similar ecosystems
1. Determined by the plants

6. III. Aquatic Ecosystems
A. Determined by depth, temperature, and chemistry of the overlying water.
1. Grouped by abiotic factors affecting it

7. IV. Freshwater Ecosytems
A. Two Types
1. Flowing water
Rivers, streams, creeks and brooks
Organisms adapted to flow rate of the water
Catfish have suckers
Trout have streamlined bodies to flow in the water

8. 2. Standing water Ecosystems
Lakes and ponds
Flowing water helps circulate oxygen
Supplied with plankton that could not live in flowing water

9. V. Estuaries A. Wetlands where rivers meet the sea
B. Mixture of salt and fresh water
Spawning area for:
fish
shellfish (crab and shrimp)

10. VI. Marine Ecosystems A. Two types:
1. Photic zone: Well lit upper layer where photosynthesis occurs
2. Aphotic zone: Below photic zone; is permanently dark

11. 3. Ocean divided into three zones based on depth and distance from shore
Intertidal Zone
Coastal Ocean
Open Ocean

12. 4. Intertidal Zone: organisms experience regular and extreme changes
Each day they are submerged in water and then exposed to air
ex: black algae, mussels, snails, sea urchins, sea stars etc.

13. 5. Coastal Ocean: Extends from low tide mark to the continental shelf
Composed of Kelp forests
Supports Snails, Sea Urchins, Sea Otters, Fish, Seals and Whales

14. 6. Coral Reefs
Named for Coral animals with hard, calcium carbonate skeletons
Animals cannot grow in cold water or water low in salt