Chapter 4 Ecosystems Communities CLIMATE ECOSYSTEMS BIOMES What

Chapter 4 Ecosystems & Communities CLIMATE, ECOSYSTEMS & BIOMES

What Is Climate? Weather is the day-to-day condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place. Climate refers to the average year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region. Copyright Pearson Prentice Hall

What Is Climate? Climate is caused by: trapping of heat by the atmosphere latitude transport of heat by winds and ocean currents amount of precipitation shape and elevation of landmasses Copyright Pearson Prentice Hall

Biotic Factors A biotic factor is any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact, including animals, plants, mushrooms, and bacteria. Biotic factors relating to a bullfrog might include algae it eats as a tadpole, the herons that eat bullfrogs, and other species competing for food and space.

Abiotic Factors An abiotic factor is any nonliving part of the environment, such as sunlight, heat, precipitation, humidity, wind, water currents, soil type, etc. For example, a bullfrog could be affected by abiotic factors, such as water availability, temperature, and humidity.

Biotic and Abiotic A dynamic mix of biotic and abiotic factors shapes every environment. Trees and plants affect the amount of sunlight the shoreline receives, the range of temperatures it experiences, the humidity of the air, and even the chemical conditions of the soil.

Practice Identify the biotic and abiotic factors in the picture below.

Answers Biotic Abiotic Grass Sunlight Bush Soil Flowers Mountain Basset Hound Clouds

Practice Mark each factor below as biotic or abiotic. Rocky soil _______ Vulture ________ Grass _________ Water _________ Bacteria ________ Sand _________ Temperature _______

Answers Rocky soil Vulture Grass Water Bacteria Sand Temperature abiotic abiotic

Ecological Interactions An organism’s energy role is determined by how it obtains energy and how it interacts with other living things in its ecosystem. At the core of every organism’s interaction with the environment is its need for energy to power life. Niche is the role that a species plays in the ecosystem (its job). Habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives.

Ecological Interactions Competition – when two organisms of the same or different species attempt to use as ecological resource in the same place at the same time.

Ecological Interactions Predation – one organism captures and feeds on another organism Predator – one that does the killing Prey – the one that is the food

Feeding Relationships: Symbiosis is any relationship in which two species live closely together. There are three main classes of symbiotic relationships in nature 1. Mutualism – both benefit (lichen =algae and fungus) 2. Parasitism – one benefits and one is harmed (bed bugs and humans) 3. Commensalism – one benefits other is not affected (barnacle and whales)

Practice Identify the symbiotic relationships Insects and flowers Mosquito and humans The Remora fish attaches to the shark and gets a free ride

Identify the symbiotic relationships Insects and flowers Mutualism Mosquito and humans Parasitism The Remora fish attaches to the shark and gets a free ride Commensalism

Ecological Succession Ecological succession is the observed process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. The time scale can be decades (for example, after a wildfire), or even millions of years after a mass extinction. The community begins with relatively few pioneering plants and develops through increasing complexity until it becomes stable or selfperpetuating as a climax community.

Types of Succession Primary succession is one of two types of biological and ecological succession of plant life, occurring in an environment in which new substrate devoid of vegetation and usually lacking soil, such as a lava flow or area left from retreated glacier, is deposited. In other words, it is the gradual growth of an ecosystem over a longer period. In contrast, secondary succession occurs on substrate that previously supported vegetation before an ecological disturbance from smaller things like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires which destroyed the plant life.

Ecological Succession

Major Biomes Desert Tundra Rainforest Taiga (Coniferous or Boreal Forest) Temperate Forest (Deciduous) Grassland

Tundra Climate and Characteristics: permafrost (subsoil always frozen), cold temperatures, little rain Plants/Adaptations: small plants that grow quickly and have short growing season, small leaves, shallow roots Animals/Adaptations: small rodents, musk ox, caribou, some birds, warmblooded, thick fur, body fat, likely to migrate or hibernate Geographic Example: Northern Alaska, Northern Canada, Russia

Desert Climate and Characteristics: hot days, cold nights, little rain Plants/Adaptations: cacti and succulents, store water, spines or small leaves, waxy leaves, deep roots Animals/Adaptations: bobcats, coyotes, owls, hawks, antelope, sheep, rats, lizards, rattlesnakes, likely to burrow, nocturnal, large ears, get water from food Geographic Example: Southwestern United States, Mexico, North Africa

Taiga/Boreal/Coniferous Forest Climate and Characteristics: cool summers and cold winters, plenty of rain Plants/Adaptations: mostly conifers (redwoods, firs, spruces, pine, etc. ), dogwoods, mosses, flowering shrubs, evergreen, waxy, needle-like leaves Animals/Adaptations: bears, deer, elk, squirrels, beaver, bobcat, owls, thick fur, insulating fat or feathers, likely to migrate or hibernate Geographic Example: Northern North America

Temperate/Deciduous Forest Climate and Characteristics: four distinct seasons, warm summers, cool winters, year round rainfall, fertile soil Plants/Adaptations: some conifers, but mostly deciduous trees, wild flowers, broad leaves that shed in autumn Animals/Adaptations: song birds, deer, bear, raccoons, turkeys, squirrels, skunks, insects, may migrate Geographic Example: Mississippi, Eastern United States

Tropical Rainforest Climate and Characteristics: year-around high temperature, high rainfall, poor soil Plants/Adaptations: large, broad leaf, evergreen trees, ferns, large variety of plants, shallow roots, aerial roots Animals/Adaptations: all types of animals in large variety, most biodiversity Geographic Example: near equator, South America

Grassland/Savannah/ Prairie Climate and Characteristics: moderate (low) rainfall, hot summers, cold winters, fertile soil Plants/Adaptations: grasses, few to no trees, colorful wild flowers, deep roots, narrow leaves, flexible stems, drought and fire resistant Animals/Adaptations: insects, reptiles, birds, antelope, buffalo, prairie dogs, coyotes, wolves, form packs or herds, herbivores adapted to eat grass Geographic Example: Midwestern United States, large parts of Africa (Savannahs)

Rivers and Streams General Characteristics: freshwater, flowing water, may be fast or slow moving Types of Plants and Animals: many animals have hooks or suckers to keep them anchored, fish such as trout, have streamlined bodies, little plant life in fast-moving areas

Lakes and Ponds General Characteristics: freshwater, standing water, heat, oxygen and nutrients circulate Types of Plants and Animals: phytoplankton like algae, zoo plankton, fish and other organisms that feed on zooplakton

Aphotic Zone General Characteristics: saltwater, deep in the ocean where it is dark and no sunlight reaches Types of Plants and Animals: chemosynthetic autotrophs

Coastal Ocean General Characteristics: salt water, area from the outer continental shelf to the low-tide mark Types of Plants and Animals: kelp and other producers, fish, snails, sea urchins, whales

Intertidal Zone General Characteristics: saltwater, area between low and high tide, subject to tidal changes Types of Plants and Animals: starfish, sea urchins, organisms that can survive temperature changes and that live in water or out of water

Coral Reefs General Characteristics: made of calcium carbonate formed from corals (cnidarians), warm saltwater, usually no deeper than 40 meters Types of Plants and Animals: very biodiverse, corals, colorful fish, sea anemones, starfish

Estuaries General Characteristics: where fresh water rivers and streams merge with the ocean, varying salt concentrations Types of Plants and Animals: algae, seaweed, marsh grass, oysters, shrimp, worms, crabs, waterfowl, saltwater fish eggs, immature fish Brackish water is water has more salinity (salt) than fresh water, but not as much as seawater.