Earths biomes

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Earths biomes
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Environmental factors

• Abiotic factors
• non-living chemical physical factors
• temperature
• light
• water
• nutrients
• Biotic factors
• living components
• animals
• plants

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Marine
coral reef
benthos
intertidal
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Tropical rainforest
distribution equatorial precipitation very
wet temperature always warm characteristics
many plants animals, thin soil
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Savanna
distribution equatorial precipitation seasonal,
dry season/wet season temperature always
warm characteristics fire-adapted, drought
tolerant plants herbivores fertile soil
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Desert
distribution 30N S latitude
band precipitation almost temperature variable
daily seasonally, hot cold characteristics
sparse vegetation animals, cacti, succulents,
drought tolerant, reptiles, insects, rodents,
birds
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Temperate Grassland
distribution mid-latitudes, mid-continents precip
itation seasonal, dry season/wet
season temperature cold winters/hot
summers characteristics prairie grasses,
fire-adapted, drought tolerant plants many
herbivores deep, fertile soil
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Temperate Deciduous Forest
distribution mid-latitude, northern
hemisphere precipitation adequate, summer rains,
winter snow temperature moderate warm
summer/cool winter characteristics many mammals,
insects, birds, etc. deciduous trees fertile
soils
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Coniferous Forest (Taiga)
distribution high-latitude, northern
hemisphere precipitation adequate to
dry temperature cool year round characteristics
conifers diverse mammals, birds, insects, etc.
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Chaparral
distribution coastal mid-latitude precipitation
seasonal, dry summer/rainy winter temperature
hot summer/cool winter characteristics scrubby
vegetation, drought-adapted, fire-adapted,
herbivores, amphibians, birds, insects
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Arctic Tundra
distribution arctic, high-latitude, northern
hemisphere precipitation dry temperature cold
year round characteristics permafrost, lichens
mosses, migrating animals resident herbivores
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Alpine Tundra
distribution high elevation at all
latitudes precipitation dry temperature cold
year round characteristics permafrost, lichens,
mosses, grasses migrating animals resident
herbivores
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What have we done???
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Impact of ecology as a science

• Ecology provides a scientific context for
  evaluating environmental issues
• Rachel Carson, in 1962,in her book, Silent
  Spring,warned that use ofpesticides such as
  DDTwas causing populationdeclines in
  manynon-target organisms

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Barry Commoners Laws of Ecology

• Everything is connected to everything else
• Everything must go somewhere
• there is no such place as away
• Nature knows best
• There is no such thing as a free lunch

Laws of Unintended Consequences
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Acid Precipitation

• nitrogen oxides
• sulfur dioxide

• power plants
• industry
• transportation

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Acid rain
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BioMagnification

• Energy pyramid
• toxins concentrate as they move up the food chain

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BioMagnification

• PCBs
• General Electric manufacturing plant on Hudson
  River
• PCBs in sediment
• striped bass nesting areas

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Carbon DioxideGlobal Warming
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CO2 NOx methane
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Ozone Depletion
ozone protects from UV rays
CFCs coolants
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Ozone Depletion
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Bad ozone vs. good ozone
ozone in smog
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Deforestation

• Loss of habitat
• Loss of biodiversity
• Loss of stability

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Loss of Diversity

• 3 levels of biodiversity
• genetic diversity
• inbreeding with shrinking populations
• community diversity
• mix of species
• ecosystem diversity
• different habitats across landscape
• All decreased by human activity

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Driven to extinction
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Introduced species

• Non-native species
• transplanted populations grow exponentially in
  new area
• non-native species out-compete native species
• lack of competitors predators
• reduce diversity

purple loosestrife
Zebra mussel
kudzu
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Overexploitation
North Atlantic bluefin tuna

• Loss of food resource for higher levels on food
  chain
• Loss of biodiversity
• Loss of keystone species?
• Loss of stability

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Fragmented habitat

• Loss of habitat
• Loss of food resource for higher levels on food
  chain
• Loss of biodiversity
• Loss of stability

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Biodiversity hot spots
Restoration projects
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Think Globally, Act Locally