Title: Unit 7 - Our Biosphere
1Unit 7 - Our Biosphere
- Climatic Influences
- Terrestrial Biomes
- Aquatic Ecosystems
2Vocabulary Unit 7 (22)
- Aphotic zone Hibernation
- Benthic zone Littoral zone
- Biome Limnetic zone
- Climate Permafrost
- Coniferous Photic zone
- Deciduous Thermohaline circulation
- El Nino Topography
- Estivation Upwelling
- Estuary Weather
- Flood plain Wetland
- Greenhouse effect
- Greenhouse gas
-
3Unit 7AClimatic InfluencesChps. 16.1 16.2
4Weather
- Weatherwhat is it?
- What is happening in the atmosphere at a
particular place at a particular moment - The temperature is 82º with winds coming out of
the southwest.
5Climate
- Climate is the average weather in an area over
a long period of time - Summer temperatures usually reach into the low
90s with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. - Factors temperature, humidity, winds,
precipitations - These factors determine what types of organisms
live in a region
6What factors determine climate?
- Latitude
- Atmospheric circulation patterns
- Ocean circulation patterns
- Local geography
- Seasonal changes in climate
71. Latitude
- The distance from the equator measured in degrees
north and south of the equator - Determines the amount of solar energy an area
receives - Vertical concentrated rays v.s. oblique dispersed
rays
8Oblique Rays
Vertical Rays
92. Atmospheric circulation patterns
- Cold air sinks, warm air rises
- Warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air
- Cooler air causes water vapor to condense into
liquid - Solar energy warms the air closest to the Earths
surface, causing it to rise - Theres more
10- Rising air is replaced by cooler air flowing in
from further north and south - Resulting in a circulation cell
- Cool air over the equator cannot sink and is
forced away, sinking at about 30º latitude - This causes warmer dry air, and is why most of
the Earths deserts are at this latitude
11Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
123. Ocean circulation patterns
- Water holds heat
- Currents redistribute warm and cool masses of
water - Coastal areas have a more moderate climate with
more moisture - U.S. temperate rain forest
13Surface Ocean Currents
14(No Transcript)
154. Local geography
- Temperatures fall with increase in elevation (air
cools as it rises) - Mountains influence distribution of precipitation
- Warming air draws up moisture from the surface of
the Earth - Cooling air releases its moisture
- Rain on the west side, deserts in the rain
shadow of the mountains
16coastal side
Rain shadow
175. Seasonal changes
- Seasons result from the Earths orbit around the
sun and the tilt of the Earth relative to its
path - Four seasons occur, except in the Tropics where
it remains constant
18the 4 seasons
19Greenhouse Effect
- What is it?
- Light energy goes through the atmosphere and
heats the Earth - As heat rises, some of it escapes back into space
- The rest of the heat is trapped by gases in the
troposphere, which then warm the air
20Greenhouse Effect
21Greenhouse Gases
- The gases that trap and radiate heat back to the
Earth - The major greenhouse gases
- Water vapor, carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), methane, and nitrous oxide
22Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Fluctuation
- Seasonal lower in the summer as plants use it
up higher in the winter as dying plants release
carbon - Why?
- Burning fossil fuels releases stored carbon
- Burning living plants releases carbon
- Oceans absorb 50 times more CO2 than air
23(No Transcript)
24Global warming
- Increasing levels of greenhouse gases increases
the average temperature of the Earth - This produces a warmer climate
- Oceans absorb more heat, increasing hurricanes
and typhoons - Disrupted weather patterns could alter
agriculture - Sea levels will rise due to melting glaciers
25How to slow down global warming
- Use less fossil fuels, reducing the amount of
carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere - Preserve existing forests
- Plant more trees
26Plant a tree for life
27How oceans affect climate
- By transporting heat and absorbing CO2
- Thermohaline circulation warmer, less salty
water moves along the surface colder, saltier,
denser water moves deep - Colder, saltier water at the poles sinks while
warmer, less salty from the equator moves to take
the place of the cooler water
28El Niño La Niña
- Interactions between the oceans the atmosphere
that affect climate - Change in air pressure, wind patterns, ocean
temperature ocean circulation in the Pacific
Ocean - Normally, winds and currents move warm water west
along the equator - El Niño winds weaken warm water flows back
towards S. America, rains in S. Cali. - La Niña opposite, cooler water in the eastern
Pacific Ocean
29El Niño La Niña
30Unit 7 BTerrestrial BiomesChapter 6
31Biomes
- Biomes - areas that have distinctive climates
and organisms - Biomes are named according to their plant life
- Climate is the main determinant
321. Tropical Rain Forests
- Occur in a belt around the Earth near the equator
- Always humid and warm
- Get about 100 of rain a year strong sunlight
year-round - Ideal climate for growing plants
- Soil is thin and poor
33Plant adaptations Tropical Rain Forests
- Plants grow in layers
- Dense canopy at top absorbs most of the sunlight
- Little light reaches the understory
- Epiphytes plants that grow on other plants
instead of soil
34Animal adaptations Tropical Rain Forests
- Great diversity of animals, each adapted to
exploit a specific resource - Camouflage is common
35Threats to Rain Forests
- Decreased from covering 20 to 7 of the Earth
- Destroyed by logging or clearing for ranches
- Animals and native people are becoming extinct
36(No Transcript)
37- The canopy receives over 95 of available
sunlight, leaving very little for vegetation
below. How would this affect photosynthesis at
the lower levels? - Where would you find the greatest amount of
biomass in the rain forest? - At what level of the rain forest would you most
likely find herbivores? Decomposers? - How is a rain forest like the ocean?
- Because of the dense shade on the forest floor, a
rain forest is NOT a jungle. Why?
38Countries that have Tropical Rain Forests
- Brazil
- Ecuador
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- Venezuela
- Columbia
- Guatemala
- Costa Rica
392. Tropical Dry Forest
- Rainfall is highly seasonal wet dry seasons
span about ½ year each - India, southern N. American, Central America, S.
America, SE Asia - Wet season rains are very heavy
- Organisms must adapt to fluctuations in
precipitation and temperature - Most trees are deciduous roots deeper than
tropical rain forest some store water - Animals migrate, estivate
40(No Transcript)
413. Temperate Rain Forests
- Occur in North South America, Australia, New
Zealand - Pacific northwest is only one in U.S.
- Cool, humid forests pervaded by moisture and
abundant moss - High rainfall moderate temperatures provide
ideal climate for lots of plant growth - Coniferous (cone-bearing) trees like cedars,
spruces, hemlocks, firs
42(No Transcript)
434. Temperate Deciduous Forests
- Trees drop their broad, flat leaves each fall
- Generally occur between 30 and 50 north latitude
- Seasonal variations can be extreme
- Only 4 - 6 months of growing season
- Moist (30-100 rainfall per year)
- Soil is rich and deep
44Animal AdaptationsTemperate Deciduous Forests
- Numerous habitats, generally organized by layers
- Birds migrate, animals become inactive, insects
enter a state of very low metabolic activity
45(No Transcript)
465. Boreal Forests/Taiga
- The northern coniferous forest
- Terrain is rough and forest floor is sparsely
vegetated - Winters are long and extremely cold
- Frost-free growing season is short, but enhanced
by constant daylight - Most of precipitation falls as snow
47Plant adaptations - Boreal
- Conifers do not shed their needles, whose narrow
shape waxy coat helps the conifer to retain
water - Conifers cone shape helps it shed snow, thick
bark protects it from frost, shallow root
system uses water immediately - Needles are acidic, deterring competitive plant
growth - Soil forms slowly because climate acidity
hinder decomposition
48Animal adaptationsBoreal Forests
- Lakes and swamps attract birds in summer.lots of
insects! - Fur color changes
- Underground burrows for insulation
49Countries that have Boreal Forests
- Norway
- Sweden
- Finland
- Russia
- Canada
- Alaska (U.S.)
- Germany
- Northern China
50Grassland, Deserts, Tundra
- Characterized by less rainfall and less diversity
of species
511. Tropical Savannas
- Found in the tropics, inland, near the equator
- Contain the greatest of grazing animals on
Earth - Too little rain for many trees to grow
- Grass fires are common
52Plant adaptations Tropical Savannas
- Large underground root systems that survive fire
drought - Vertical leaves of grasses help conserve water
- Thorns deter hungry herbivores
53Animal adaptationsTropical Savannas
- Herbivores migrate to follow rains
- Competition avoided by eating different height
vegetation.
54(No Transcript)
552. Temperate GrasslandsPrairies, Steppes
Pampas
- Low rainfall, periodic droughts, and high
temperatures - The most fertile soil of any biome
- Found in the interiors of continents where there
is too little rainfall for trees to grow - Fire is common due to low rainfall, high
temperatures
56Location of Grasslands
- Prairies N. America
- Steppes Russia Ukraine
- Pampas S. America
57Plant adaptationsTemperate Grasslands
- Grasses are perennials with dense matted root
systems that help them survive drought and fire
and hold soil - Amount of rainfall determines type of grasses
58Animal adaptationsTemperate Grasslands
- Burrowing animals protected from fires the
elements
59Threats to Temperate Grasslands
- Overgrazing decreases regeneration increases
soil erosion - Grain crops cannot hold the soil in place,
increasing soil erosion
60(No Transcript)
613. Deserts
- Driest places on Earth
- Defined as areas that receive less than 10
annual rainfall - Dryness hinders decay, so soil is very poor in
organic matter - Few nutrients are washed out, so soil is high in
minerals
62Plant adaptations - Deserts
- Getting and conserving water
- Thick fleshy stems, waxy leaves, spines for
protection - Shallow wide root systems
- Drought-resistance a survival strategy to
live through the worst desert conditions - New plants germinate, grow and bloom very rapidly
63Animal adaptations - Desert
- Dry, scaly skin that prevents water loss
- Estivating burying themselves in the ground
and sleeping through the dry season - Most animals are partially nocturnal
64Threats to Deserts
- Residential development spurs water rights
battles - Off-road vehicles destroy vegetation/habitat
65(No Transcript)
664. Tundra
- Definition a biome without trees, where grasses
and tough shrubs grow in the frozen soil - Permafrost permanently frozen soil,
impermeable - Top few inches of soil thaws in the summer,
causing bogs and swamps to form as water cannot
penetrate the permafrost
67Tundra Plant Adaptations
- Mosses and lichens grow without soil
- Most plants are tiny and short to keep them out
of the wind and help in absorbing heat from the
soil - Dwarf forms have adapted
- Brief summers cause rapid growth and flowering
68Tundra Animal Adaptations
- Migratory birds feed on swamp/bog insects
- Winter camouflage and underground burrows
- Well insulated fur and feathers
69Threats to the Tundra
- One of the most fragile biomes on Earth as food
chains are simple and easily disrupted - Extreme conditions cause land to be easily
damaged and slow to recover
70(No Transcript)
71(No Transcript)
72- How many major land biomes are on Earth?
- 7
- Describe the distribution of tropical
rainforests. - Tropical rainforests are found mostly between the
Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer - In what country is ice found as a land biome?
- Greenland
73- Describe the distribution of tundra.
- Tundra is found near the Arctic Circle.
- Which three terrestrial biomes can be found in
large areas of the U.S.? - Temperate grasslands, temperate forests, and
deserts - Which continent was once practically covered in
temperate forest? - Europe
74(No Transcript)
75(No Transcript)
76Unit 7 CAquatic EcosystemsChapter 6
77Freshwater Ecosystems
- Freshwater water that contains relatively
little dissolved salt - Life depends on depth of the water, how fast the
water moves and the amount of mineral nutrients,
sunlight and oxygen
781. Lakes and Ponds
- littoral zone the nutrient rich area along
the shore where sunlight reaches the bottom - Phytoplankton, zooplankton and the organisms that
feed on them live in open water where there is
enough sunlight for photosynthesis
79- benthic zone the bottom of a body of water
which is inhabited by decomposers, insect larvae
and clams - eutrophic lake a lake with a large amount of
plant nutrients - As plants and algae numbers increase, so do the
number of bacteria growing. The bacteria use up
the oxygen dissolved in the lakes waters
80What does the benthic zone have lots of?
- C.R.A.P.
- Carbon
- Rich
- Anaerobic
- Product
81Plant and Animal Adaptations
- Floating plants in deeper waters
- Trapped air in the hairs of some insects
- Whiskers on catfish help sense food in the dark
82(No Transcript)
83Questions
- What process allows an abundance of life near the
surface of a lake? - Photosynthesis
- If light never penetrates into the deepest of
lakes, how can life exist? - Bacteria and decomposers feed on debris from
above - In the picture, the benthic zone is larger than
the littoral zone. Is this always the case? - Usually it is.
84- Explain how the benthic zone can be located in
areas where light does and does not reach. - It is primarily located at the bottom, but some
lakes are shallow enough that light penetrates to
the bottom - Which of the following bodies of water would
contain a benthic zone where light does not
reach Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, Mississippi
River, Walden Pond, Great Salt Lake, Lake
Okeechobee? - They all do
852. Wetlands
- Areas of land that are covered with water for at
least part of the year - marshes contain non-woody plants
- swamps contain woody plants and shrubs
- Many fish use freshwater wetlands for breeding
and feeding
86- Wetlands are home for migrating and native
wildlife - Wetland vegetation traps carbon, decreasing
atmospheric carbon dioxide and global warming - Wetlands remove pollutants from the water and
control flooding
87(No Transcript)
88Marshes
- Shallow water, rich bottom sediment
- Nesting birds attracted to marshes
- brackish marshes slightly saline water
- tidal marshes contain saltier water
- Everglades is the largest freshwater marsh in the
U.S.
89Swamps
- Occur on flat, poorly drained land
- Often located near streams
- Dominated by shrubs or water-tolerant trees
Cypress Swamp
90Mangrove Estuarine Forests
91Values of Wetlands
- Purifiers of wastewater and absorbers of
hazardous flood waters - Important habitats for wildlife
- Wetlands are threatened by development today
92(No Transcript)
933. Rivers
- Usually originate from snowmelt in mountains
- Headwaters are cold and highly oxygenated
- Varies with changes in land and climate through
which it flows - Slows down with deeper, less oxygenated water as
it gets further from its origin
94River Plant and Animal Adaptations
- Churning headwaters support mosses which can
anchor to rocks - Fishs streamlined bodies present less resistance
to strong currents - Long, thin-leafed plants near the faster moving
headwaters
95Threats to Rivers
- Industries and people use rivers as waste dumps
- Run-offs from land put in pesticides and other
poisons - Dam-building alters flow and destroys fish
habitats
96Marine Ecosystems
- Ocean environment
- Lack of water is not a problem
- Temperature and amount of sunlight and nutrients
are the determining factors
971. Estuaries
- An ecosystem in which fresh water from rivers
mixes with salt water from the ocean - The waters trap nutrients, which fall to the
bottom - Very nutrient-rich ecosystem
98Plant Animal Adaptations
- Light and rich nutrients support large
populations of plants, phytoplankton and
zooplankton - All organisms are adapted to tolerate variations
in salinity - Find lots of filter feeders in this biome
99Threats to Estuaries
- Large ports often result in dumped wastes and
small oil leaks/spillage - Fill-ins from building sites
- Sediments and run-offs
1002. Coral Reefs
- Limestone islands in the sea built by coral
animals - One of the most diverse ecosystems
- Only in salt water with enough sunlight for
photosynthesis - Found in shallow tropical seas
- Cover less than .2 of the ocean floor, yet it
contains 25 of its species
101Animal Adaptations
- Parrotfish have beaklike teeth to scrape algae
and corals off - Anemonefish have slime resistant to sea anemone
poison
102Threats to Coral Reefs
- Temperature, salinity changes and pollutants
decrease limestone production - Overfishing upsets the balance of a reefs
ecosystem - Oil spills, sewage, and pesticide silt runoff
- Muddy or polluted water prohibits sun from
reaching the algae - Coral grow very slowly
- Dropped anchors, tourism
1033. The Ocean
- Covers nearly 75 of the Earths surface
- Plants grow only where there are nutrients and
enough light for photosynthesis - Much of the life is concentrated in shallow water
around the edges of the continents - Open ocean is one of the least productive of all
ecosystems
104(No Transcript)
105Plant Adaptations
- Flowering plants are absent from oceans except
around the edges (no pollinators) - Phytoplankton provides food for herbivores
- Buoyancy devices prevent sinkage into deep water
106Kelp Distribution
107Animal adaptations
- Zooplankton are the smallest herbivores
- Many creatures evolved sleek, taper shapes for
moving through dense water - Sharks have oily livers to float, fish have
gas-filled swim bladders - Sound carries very well over long distances, so
creatures use it for communication
108(No Transcript)
109Threat to the Oceans
- Pollution increasing, including radioactive
wastes, industrial pollution and plant nutrient
run-off - Overfishing and nets reduce reproduction
110(No Transcript)
1114. Polar Ecosystems
- Ice-covered polar caps at both Poles
- Considered marine ecosystems as nearly all the
food is provided by phytoplankton in the ocean
112The Arctic
- The Arctic Ocean is relatively shallow, so rich
in nutrients from the surrounding land masses - Rich diversity of fish
113The Antarctic
- Only continent never colonized by humans
- Fish feed on plankton
114(No Transcript)
115Threat to Polar Ecosystems
- Reserves of minerals (like oil) would cause
disruption of untouched ecosystems is extracted - Increase in tourism threatens wildlife with
garbage
116(No Transcript)
117Test Review
- Know the vocabulary terms
- Know the distinctive characteristics of all the
major ecosystems around the world, including
savannas, grassland, tropical rain forests, open
ocean, deserts, tundra, taiga, rivers, estuaries,
and temperate deciduous forests
118- Know how animals and plants adapt for survival in
some of the harshest biomes - Know how human activities threaten some of the
more fragile biomes - Be prepared to give examples of countries that
contain biomes often found between 24º N latitude
and 24º S latitude, as well as between 55º and
70º N latitude - Be prepared to write about one particular biome
in detail
119References
- Pearson Environmental Science
- Environmental Science Holt
- Environmental Science Enger Smith
- Florida Wildlife magazine
- National Geographic magazine
- Google images