1. Ecological Levels of Organization - BIOMES

2. Earth’s Biomes Tropical & Temperate Rain Forest Desert
Grassland / Savanna / Steppe / Prairie
(Temperate) Deciduous Forest
Taiga / Coniferous Forest
Tundra
Water Biomes

4. Earth’s Biomes
Areas with similar abiotic factors (soil, water & climate) usually have similar biotic factors (plants & animals).
Climate – average weather pattern in an area over a long period of time.
Precipitation & temperature
Biome – a group of ecosystems with similar climates & organisms
Contains related ecosystems

5. Terrestrial Biomes – Graphic Organizer
Climate:
Plants:
Animals:
Distinguishing characteristics:
Illustration of biome.
(distinguishes it from other biomes)
Temperature
Precipitation
Examples
Adaptations
Examples
Adaptations

6. Terrestrial or Land Biomes
Tundra
Taiga / Coniferous (Boreal) Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Grasslands (Savanna, Steppe, Prairie)
Deserts
Tropical Rain Forest
Temperate Rain Forest

8. Tundra Cold, dry region; cold desert Climate:
Precipitation – 30 – 50 cm of rain/yr.
Avg. temperature – summer 12˚C; winter -26˚C
Slow decomposition due to cold temperatures.
Polar tundras – found near the North Pole
permafrost – layer of soil that stays frozen all the time; only the surface thaws
Plants: shallow-rooted plants (grasses & small shrubs); mosses; lichens; no trees
Animals: insects, migratory birds (ducks, geese, shorebirds & songbirds); hawks; owls; arctic hares; musk oxen; wolves; caribou; reindeer

9. Tundra (continued) Alpine tundra – top of tall mountains
Also has permafrost
Found above the “tree line”
Gets plenty of sunlight & precipitation

11. Coniferous Forests aka: the taiga or boreal forests
Conifers – trees that produce seeds in cones; needles; aka: evergreen trees
Climate:
Precipitation – 75 cm of rain or snow/yr.
Average temperature – summer 14˚ C, winter -10˚ C
Plants: coniferous trees (Douglas fir, spruce); few large plants
Animals: squirrels; insects; birds (finches, chickadees, jays); herbivores (porcupines, elk, moose, ); bears; foxes; lynx
Migration & hibernation

12. Taiga/Coniferous (Boreal) Forest

13. Temperate Deciduous Forests
Deciduous – “to fall off” – trees that shed their leaves to save water during the winter or during the dry season
Have 4 distinct seasons in a year (fall, winter, spring, summer)
Climate:
Precipitation – 75 – 125 cm of rain/yr.
Average temperature – summer 28˚ C, winter 6 ˚ C
Plants: deciduous trees (oaks, maples); ferns; mosses
Animals: deer, bears, snakes, woodpeckers, chipmunks, opossums, mice, skunks

14. Temperate Deciduous Forest

16. Grasslands aka: steppes, prairies, savannas, pampas
Found on every continent except Antarctica
Temperate Grassland
Climate:
Precipitation – 25 – 75 cm of rain/yr.
Average temperature – summer 30˚C; winter 0˚C
Plants: grasses; flowering plants; few trees; crops – wheat, rye, barley, corn
Animals: small, seed-eating animals (prairie dogs & mice); large grass-eaters (bison); kangaroos; cattle & sheep
Savannas (Africa)
Precipitation – cm rain/yr.
Average temperature – dry season 34˚C; wet season 16˚C
Plants: scattered clumps of trees; grasses
Animals: large herbivores (elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests)

17. Grasslands

18. Deserts Driest biome on Earth Climate: Plants: cacti
Precipitation – less than 25 cm of rain/yr.
Avg. temperature – summer 38˚C; winter 7˚C
Temperature shifts from day to night
Ex: Gobi desert in Asia – freezing temperatures in the winter
Plants: cacti
Adaptations – grow far apart; shallow roots; store water; waxy-coated leaves
Animals: toads, tortoises, kangaroo rat, scorpions, few large animals; reptiles
Adaptations – nocturnal (active at night); dormant during dry season; store water; big ears

19. Deserts

21. Tropical Rain Forests
Have more biological diversity that any other place on Earth
Climate:
Precipitation – 200 – 600 cm of rain/yr.
Average temperature – daytime 34˚ C; nighttime 20˚ C
Warmer than temperate rain forests due to location near the equator
Plants: ferns, orchids, tall trees; low growing plants that don’t need much light
Animals: birds (parrots); insects; snakes; frogs; monkeys; lizards
canopy – tree tops

22. Tropical Rain Forests

23. Temperate Rain Forests
Found in New Zealand, southern Chile, & the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.
Climate:
Precipitation – 200 cm – 400 cm of rainfall/yr.
Avg. temperature – 9˚C – 12˚C
Plants: trees with needlelike leaves (Douglas fir, cedar, spruce)
Animals: black bear; cougar; bobcat; northern spotted owl; amphibians

24. Temperate Rain Forests

25. Mountains & Ice Mountains can contain many different biomes. Ice
Temperature & precipitation change with elevation
Ice
Usually fits in with the tundra biome

26. Mountains

27. Water Biomes… Examples of freshwater biomes:
Why is shallow water important to plant life?
Producers:
Consumers:
Examples of adaptations:
Oceans contain many habitats. These habitat differ in…
Adaptations organisms have to live in:
Intertidal zone
Neritic zone
Surface zone
Deep zone
Define estuary –
Why is an estuary a rich habitat for living things?
Illustration of Freshwater Biome
(Pond Life)
Illustration of Marine Biome
(Ocean)
Illustration of Estuary

28. Aquatic Communities
Freshwater
Marine
Estuary

29. Aquatic Communities Important Abiotic Factors: Land biomes – climate
water depth
water temperature
amount of sunlight
amounts of dissolved oxygen & salt in water

30. Freshwater Examples of Freshwater Biomes Rivers & streams
Lakes & ponds
Wetlands (marshes, swamps, bogs)

31. Freshwater (continued)
Why is shallow water important to plant life?
It permits sunlight to shine through for photosynthesis.
This will provide more food for consumers.

32. Freshwater (continued)
Examples of Producers:
Algae
Plants
Examples of Consumers:
Fish
Frogs
Insects (along shoreline)
Snails
Salamanders

33. Freshwater (continued)
Adaptations:
Still water: insects, snails, frogs, salamanders
Moving water:
Trout = streamlined bodies
Frogs = suction cups to hold onto rocks

34. Marine Biomes (Saltwater Ecosystems)
About 95% of the water on the surface of Earth contains high concentrations of salt.
Examples:
Oceans
Seas
Inland saltwater lakes

35. Marine Oceans contain many habitats. These habitats differ in:
Sunlight amount
Water temperature
Wave action
Water pressure

36. Marine Adaptations: Intertidal zone
Need to withstand the pounding action of waves, sudden changes in temperature, & being covered with water & then exposed to air
Barnacles & sea stars cling to rocks
Clams & crabs burrow in the sand

37. Marine (for foldable) - Adaptations
Neritic zone
Shallow water permits photosynthesis for producers
Schools of fish feed on algae
Coral reefs in warm waters

38. Marine (for foldable) - Adaptations
Surface zone (open ocean)
Algae  photosynthesis
Larger fish (tuna, swordfish) and whales depend directly or indirectly on algae for food

39. Marine (for foldable) - Adaptations
Deep zone
Dark!
Some organisms produce light (glowing squid & the angler fish)

40. Estuary
Estuary = found where freshwater of a river meets salt water of the ocean.
An estuary is a rich habitat for living things because the shallow water for photosynthesis and large supply of nutrients carried by the river.
Producers: marsh grasses & algae
Consumers: crabs, worms, oysters & fish

41. Estuary