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Unit IIINutrients Biomes
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Nutrient Cycles

• Carbon Cycle
• Based on CO2 cycling from animals to plants
  during respiration and photosynthesis.
• Heavy deposits are stored in wetland soils,
  oceans, sedimentary rocks.
• under right conditions, can become fossil fuels
• Released by combustion and volcanic activity.
• Returns to the soil from the atmosphere through
  rainfall
• Carbonic Acid H20 Rain with a pH of 5.4

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Nutrient Cycles

• Nitrogen Cycle
• Nitrogen Fixation
• Bacteria converts gaseous nitrogen to ammonia
• ex Rhizobium conversion of N to ammonium ions.
• Nitrification
• Plants absorb ammonium ions as a nutrient.
• Passed on to animals.
• Used to make vital organic compounds
• CHON

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Nutrient Cycles

• Phosphorous Cycle
• Based on phosphate ions (PO43-) usually found in
  rock formations and ocean sediments.
• Released by weathering and volcanic activity.
• Plants uptake nutrients and pass them on to
  animals.
• Waste products, animal remains, and runoff return
  phosphate.

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Nutrient Cycles

• Sulfur Cycle
• Most sulfur found in rocks, minerals, and ocean
  sediments.
• Sulfur enters atmosphere through weathering, sea
  spray, and volcanic activity (H2S, SO2).
• Returns to the earth from the atmosphere in the
  form of acid rain.
• Avg. pH is 4.3

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Nutrient Cycles

• Hydrologic Cycle
• (aka) Water Cycle
• Evaporation and Transpiration
• Condensation and Precipitation
• Infiltration and Percolation
• Runoff

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Atmosphere

• Troposphere
• inner layer of the atmosphere
• physical properties include
• temperature
• precipitation
• cloud cover
• wind direction and speed
• these properties (and others) at a given time and
  place are called the weather.
• Stratosphere
• second layer of the atmosphere

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Winds

• Global air circulation patterns are affected by
• uneven heating of the earths surface.
• seasonal changes.
• earths rotation.
• long-term variations in the amount of solar
  energy striking the earth.
• properties of air and water.

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What is the Earths tilt?
23.5º
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Winds

• Warm Fronts
• leading edge of a mass of warm air converging on
  a mass of cool air
• less dense, warm air rises above the cool air
• moisture condenses and produces clouds
• often the clouds will descend and produce
  precipitation

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Winds

• Cold Fronts
• leading edge of a mass of cool air converging on
  a mass of warm air
• denser cool air stays toward the ground
• produces rapidly moving towering clouds called
  thunderheads
• cold fronts bring high surface winds and
  thunderstorms but then cooler, clear skies
  afterward

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Pressure

• Highs
• high pressure air masses that descend towards the
  earths surface
• produces fair weather
• Lows
• low pressure air masses that rises
• rising cools and expands the air causing
  precipitation

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Ocean Currents

• Created by same reasons as winds.
• Distributes heat, nutrients, and DO.
• Upwellings
• occurs from constant trade winds
• They push surface water out which is replaced by
  cool, deep water rich in nutrients.

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El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

• Trade winds normally blow warm water off the
  coast of South America and California (creates
  upwellings).
• When winds fail, weaken, or change direction, the
  waters warm and stagnate.
• Causes less productivity and possibly red tide.
• As the Pacific surface temperature becomes
  warmer, global weather patterns are disrupted
• First seen with wetter weather in eastern Pacific.

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La Nina

• Opposite of El Nino.
• Trade winds will increase in strength
• Weather patterns are also affected
• Opposite effects of El Nino

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Climate and Weather

• Climate
• average long term weather
• 30 years of data
• basically determined by average temperature and
  average precipitation
• Winds
• create climate
• circulate heat, moisture, and nutrients.
• also transport bacteria, viruses, pollution and
  radioactive wastes.

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Rain Shadow Effect

• AKA Orographic Uplift
• warm air rises and releases moisture on windward
  side of mountain.
• air on leeward side is cooler and dry.
• creates a distinctive microclimate on either side
  of mountain.

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Microclimate Factors

• Vegetation
• affects humidity, winds, and creates shadows.
• warmer in winter, cooler in summer.
• Cities
• buildings, asphalt, and vehicles raise
  temperatures and create haze and smog.

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Plate Boundaries

• Divergent

• Convergent

• Transform

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Biomes

• Biome
• A large, relatively distinct terrestrial region
  with a similar climate soil, plants, and animals,
  regardless of where it occurs in the world
• Typically determined by
• Climate
• especially precipitation
• Latitude
• distance from the equator
• Altitude
• elevation above sea level

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Tundras

• Treeless biome in the far north with harsh, cold
  winters and extremely short summers
• Precipitation
• 1025 cm/yr
• Temperature
• Short growing season
• 50160 days

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Tundras

• Nutrient poor soils with little organic material
• Permafrost present
• Low species richness
• Vegetation is mostly grasses shrubs
• Small herbivores
• Occasional Arctic fox wolf
• Low primary productivity

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Boreal Forests

• A region of coniferous forests in the northern
  hemisphere
• Just south of tundra
• Growing Season
• A little longer than
• tundra
• Precipitation
• 50 cm/yr

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Boreal Forests

• Soils are acidic and mineral poor
• Vegetation comprised of drought resistant
  conifers
• Mostly small animals
• Some large animals
• wolves, bear, moose
• Aka
• coniferous forest
• evergreen forest
• taiga

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Temperate Rainforests

• Coniferous biome with cool weather, dense fog and
  high precipitation
• Ex Northwest US
• Precipitation
• gt 127 cm/yr
• Heaviest in winter
• Temperature
• Winters are mild
• Summers are cool

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Temperate Rainforests

• Soils are nutrient-poor, but high in organic
  material (dropped needles)
• Cool temperatures slow decomposition
• Dominant Vegetation
• Large evergreen trees
• Old-growth forest
• Variety of cool climate
  animal life
• Very high species
  richness
• Heavily logged

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Temperate Deciduous Forests

• Forest biome that occurs in temperate areas with
  a moderate amount of precipitation
• Precipitation
• 75150 cm/yr
• Temperature
• Seasonality
• Hot summers and
  cold winters

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Temperate Deciduous Forests

• Topsoil is rich in organic material and underlain
  by clay
• Vegetation is primarily deciduous
• oak, maple, beech
• Animals
• deer, bear and small animals
• Most of this biome land area has been regenerated
  after farming timber harvest

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Grasslands

• Grasslands with hot summers, cold winters and too
  little precipitation to support trees
• Precipitation
• 2575 cm/yr
• 90 of this biome has
  been lost to farmland

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Grasslands

• Soil has thick, organic material rich organic
  horizon
• Periodic fires keep the dominant vegetation
• Animals
• Once covered with bison
• no longer true
• Smaller animals are still present (ex prairie
  dogs)

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Grasslands

• North America
• prairies
• South America
• pampas
• Europe/Asia
• steppes
• Africa
• veld

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Chaparrals

• Also called a Mediterranean Climate
• Ex Southern California
• Ex Greece
• Temperature
• Mild, moist winters
• Hot, dry summers
• Frequent fires
• Crown vs. Surface

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Chaparrals

• Soil is thin and often not fertile
• Vegetation
• Dense growth of evergreen shrubs
• Lush during the growing season
• Animals
• Mule deer, chipmunks, many species of birds

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Deserts

• Biome where lack of precipitation limits plant
  growth
• Temperature
• Can vary greatly in
  24-hr period, as well
  as yearly
  (based on
  location)
• Precipitation
• lt 25 cm/yr

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Deserts

• Soils low in nutrients and high in salts
• Sparse vegetation
• cactus and sagebrush
• Animals are very small to regulate temperature

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Savannas

• Tropical grassland with widely scattered trees
• Temperature
• Varies little throughout the year
• Precipitation
• Seasons regulated by precipitation, not
  temperature
• 76150 cm/yr

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Savannas

• Soil low in nutrients due to leaching
• Vegetation
• Wide expanses of grass, occasional Acacia trees
• Animals
• Herds of hoofed
• animals
• Large predators -
• lions, hyenas, etc.

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Tropical Rainforests

• Lush, species-rich biome that occurs where
  climate is warm and moist throughout the year
• Precipitation
• 200450 cm/yr
• Very productive biome
• Most species-rich biome

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Tropical Rainforests

• Ancient, weathered, nutrient-poor soil
• Nutrients tied up in vegetation, not soil
• Vegetation
• distinct layers
• Canopy
• Understory
• Forest floor
• Animals
• Most abundant insect,
  reptiles and
  amphibians
  on earth

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Freshwater Biomes

• Freshwater comprises 1 of the worlds water but
  has 40 of the worlds fish species.
• Two basic types
• Lentic
• Standing water
• Lotic
• Moving water
• Watershed/Drainage Basin

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Lotic Water

• Source Zone
• low productivity
• water source
• springs, melting snow/ice, surface water/runoff
• Transition Zone
• warmer waters, higher productivity
• Flood Plain Zone
• river empties into the sea
• higher temperatures and variable productivity

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Lentic Water

• Littoral Zone
• shallow water area along the shore
• Limnetic Zone
• open water beyond the littoral zone
• Profundal Zone
• beneath the limnetic zone of deep lakes
• low levels of O2

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Lentic Water

• Thermocline
• Sharp change in temperature with depth
• Only present during warmer months

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Lentic Water

• Thermal Stratification
• Fall Spring Turnovers
• Mixing of upper and lower water brings 02 to the
  depths nutrient rich water to the surface

• Summer Months
• Warm water layers over cooler water
• No turnovers
• O2 depleted water at bottom, nutrient deficient
  water at surface

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Lentic Water

• Oligotrophic Lakes
• low nutrient levels
• low NPP
• Eutrophic Lakes
• high levels of nutrients
• high NPP
• Mesotrophic Lakes
• fall between the two

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Marshes and Swamps

• Lands that shallow, fresh water covers for at
  least part of the year
• Were once regularly filled in
• More recently their ecosystem services have been
  better recognized
• Flood protection, water filtering, etc.

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Wetlands

• P 132 in book
• Wetlands are saturated with water at some point.
  Examples are marshes and swamps.
• READ YOUR BOOK!

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Estuaries

• Where freshwater and saltwater mix
• Highly variable environment
• Temperature, salinity, depth of light penetration
• Highly productive
• Nutrients transported
• from land
• High level of light
• penetrates shallow water
• Natural filtration of water
• Major nursery/spawning
  grounds

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Marine Biomes

• Oceans
• moderate climate
• affect other biomes
• CO2 storage
• Limiting Factors
• temp
• sunlight
• DO
• nutrients

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Marine Biomes

• Coastal Zones
• warm, nutrient rich, shallow water
• extends from beaches to continental shelf
• highly productive
• Sandy/Rocky Beaches
• first defense against the sea
• experiencing heavy erosion
• most are under increased pressure from humans
• Intertidal Zone
• area between high low tides
• home to a special niche of organisms

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Coral Reefs

• Highest biodiversity in the ocean
• Oasis of the ocean
• Very sensitive to rising sea levels and
  temperatures
• Bleaching can occur with an increase of just 1C
• Coastal development and other human activities
  are destroying reefs
• Sedimentation
• Fishing
• Mining of corals as building materials
• Runoff pollution

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Open Ocean

• Overall, lowest productivity of any other
  ecosystem
• Euphotic Zone
• high levels of photosynthesis
• low nutrient levels
• Bathyl Zone
• no photosynthesis
• little to no life
• most migrate to surface to feed
• Abyssal Zone
• typically barren
• high nutrient levels on the ocean floor
• unusual species

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Ocean Pressures

• 40 of the worlds population lives within 100km
  of a coast
• 15 of the 21 megacities are in a coastal zone
• gt10 million people
• Development has destroyed gt50 of coastal
  wetlands and 1/3 of mangroves.
• Fishing has damaged or destroyed habitats and
  severely decreased populations of fishes.
• Global climate change has had an immense impact
  on beach erosion and reef destruction.

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