BIOMES CONTAIN MANY ECOSYSTEMS REGIONS OF EARTH ARE

BIOMES CONTAIN MANY ECOSYSTEMS • REGIONS OF EARTH ARE CLASSIFIED INTO BIOMES – Biome=large geographic areas that are similar in climate & have similar plants & animals – 6 major biomes on Earth – Climate (long term weather pattern of region) is important factor in land biomes, so is available water, temperature and soil type. • WATER COVERS MOST OF EARTH’S SURFACE – About 75% of Earth is covered by water – Freshwater & saltwater biomes – Plants are producers for water near land; while deep ocean water relies on tiny photosynthetic microorganisms called phytoplankton

TAIGA & TUNDRA • These are characterized by long, cold winters and short summers. (Arctic tundra can be – 50 o. C) • Tundra gets little rain (<25 cm/yr), but is wet because cold keeps water from evaporating; permafrost(deep frozen soil) keeps trees from taking root, so just little moss, grass, lichen & shrubs. Find rodents, caribou, musk ox, grizzly bears, foxes, & owls. • Taiga has more rain, more snow on ground insulating soil from permafrost. • Have CONIFEROUS trees (needlelike leaves making food all year). Wood & leaves of trees feed insects, seeds feed birds & squirrels. • Deer, elk, snowshoe hare, beavers, lynx, owls, bears & wolves live here.

Desert & Grassland • Found in middle latitudes; not much precipitation to support trees for either. • Some deserts are cold, some hot but all have dry soil; desert plants (cacti) & animals (lizards) can get by on very little water. Also have kangaroo rat, snakes, foxes & owls. • Grassland had moderate rainfall (50 -90 cm/yr); enough for grasses but not forests. Warm summers & may have cold winters. • Seed-eating rodents, bison, horses, gazelles, zebras, wolves, tigers & lions are found in grasslands.

Temperate & Tropical Forest • Temperate forest grow where winters are short & 75 -150 cm of water/yr. Most made of Deciduous trees (broad leaves, drop in winter-oak, maple). Supports wide variety of forest animals. Some have coniferous trees (Pacific Northwestredwoods & spruce: wet winter & dry summer). • Tropical forests near equator, warm all year and wettest biome (250 -400 cm/yr). Leaves all year & soil is poor in nutrients. More animals & plants than anywhere else. Trees grow close together & support many tree dwelling animals (monkey, snakes, birds) & plants (orchids & vines).

• FRESHWATER BIOME Ecosystem of freshwater biomes affected by quality of landscape around them. (depth of water; how fast water runs, etc. , determines types of plants & animals) • Ponds & lakes have still water; Ponds have many plants, deeper lakes have more phytoplankton. Insects, shellfish, fish and land animals feed within them. • Estuary: water ecosystem that’s a transition between fresh & saltwater biomes. Lower end of river that feeds into ocean, where fresh & salt water mix. Marshes & wetlands are both estuaries. (nurseries of sea: calm waters attract marine animals to reproduce here). Seaweed, marsh grasses, shellfish, & birds thrive here.

FRESHWATER BIOME

MARINE BIOMES • Saltwater biomes: coastal ocean, open ocean, and deep ocean. Beaches & tidepools are part of coastal ocean biome. Crabs & clams thrive in ever-changing conditions of coastal areas. • Open ocean gets less sunlight & has cooler temperatures. Many fish, marine animals, and floating seaweed live in upper ocean. No plants in open ocean, producers are phytoplankton. • Deep ocean is much colder & darker. Animals feed on each other or on material falling down from upper levels of ocean. Many of deepest organisms are microscopic and many are still unknown.

MARINE BIOME