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Wildlife Studies- Summary
Lecture 1: BIOMES:
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Environment- all living and non-living things in a place- surroundings, air, orgs etc.
o 1 environmentmany habitats
Habitat- place where org lives and grows, finds food, water shelter
BIOME- large geographic region characterised by certain type of ecosystem
o Ecosystem structure- soil, climate, flora, fauna
Terrestrial, Marine, freshwater
Terrestrial:
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Determined by climate determines flora
Plants
o Xerophyte- adapted to very dry habitats
o Hydrophyte- very wet
o Mesophyte- moderate
Keystone species- many other species depend on it for survival
Indicator species- whose no.’s tell us about health, e.g. corals. Sensitive
Polar (N/S poles):
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Above 60° N/S latitude
Technically arid
Extremely cold
Day length varies- 24hrs at solstices
Low animal diversity
Most photosynthetic orgs are marine
Penguins, seals, polar bears, whales, fish, marine inverts
Arctic Tundra:
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Just south of north polar regions
Arid
ABIOTIC FACTORS
o Rain- lack of
o Permafrost- permanently frozen layer of soil, prevents growth of large trees with
deep roots
o Short growing season
o High wind, cold
o Varying daylight
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
o Mostly scrubby/small plants
o Lichens (symbiosis of algae and fungus) major photosynthetic food source
o Grow close to ground
o Shallow roots absorb limited water resources
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o Tress <1m
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
o Small ears, insulation, thick coat
o Many visitors/migrators
o Few predators
o Little competition
o Caribou, snowy owls, bears, wolves, arctic fox, migratory birds, lemmings
THREATS- very fragile, slow to recover from damage. Oil drilling, global warming
Boreal/Coniferous Forest:
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Taiga
Northern hemisphere, south of tundra
ABIOTIC FACTORS
o Lots of snowfall in winter
o Relatively high rainfall, short winter days, most precipitation snow
o Higher diversity than tundra
o Long cold winters
o Soil poor in nutrients, acidic
o Short growing season
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
o Evergreen conifers- pines, firs, spruce
o Shrubs, mosses, ferns grow under trees
o Pine’s conical shape helps remove snow
o Long roots to anchor trees
o Needles long, thin, waxy
o Low sunlight, poor soil inhibits growth on floor
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
o Adapt for winter- burrow, hibernate, warm, coat, insulation
o Deer, wolves, bears, foxes, migratory birds, squirrels, rabbits
THREATS- mining, logging, pollution
Temperate Deciduous:
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ABIOTIC FACTORS
o South of coniferous forest, NE US, Europe
o Relatively high rainfall, elevation, longer days than coniferous
o 4 seasons- all forms of precipitation (rain, snow, hail, fog)
o Deep soil layers, rich in nutrients
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
o Deciduous trees, flowering trees, shrubs
o Higher diversity than coniferous- more sunlight
o Adapt to climate by dormancy in winter
o Grow in layers- more sunlight reaches ground more ground dwelling plants
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
o Deer, wolves, foxes, etc.- many hibernate
o Lose winter coat, adapt to seasons, feed in different layers
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THREATS
o Deforestation- housingsustainability
Temperate Grassland/Prairie:
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Everywhere except Antarctica
Big open spaces, not many bushes, trees found near water
Pampas (ARG), plains of US, steppes of central Asia
ABIOTIC FACTORS
o Distinct seasonal changes, moderate rainfall, rich organic soil, high winds
o Fertile land- harsh seasonal variations (hot summers, cold winters)
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
o Grasses, flowering plants, marshes in areas of standing water (Willows)
o Sod-forming grasses that won’t dry out or be blown away
Mostly agricultural
ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS- adaptations to survive extremes
o Bison, prairie dog, coyote, deer, hawks, falcons, grazing animals (zebra)
Tropical Grassland/ Savannah:
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Near equator, tropics
ABIOTIC FACTORS
o Distinct seasonal changes, moderate rainfall, rich organic soil
o Very fertile- harsh seasonal changes- very wet season followed by extremely dry
season (animals migrate away)
o Wet season- lush grass and shrubbery growth- ample food for large animals
o Fire- important role
o Lots of precipitation supports tall grasses, occasional trees
PLANT ADAPTATIONS
o Grow in tufts
o Grasses, flowering plants, drought tolerant trees with high canopies (giraffes), fire
resistant plants
o Thorns, sharp leaves to protect against predation
ANIMAL ADAPTATONS
o Adapt to short rainy season- migrate as necessary
o Limited foodvertical feeding
o Reproduce during rainy season- more young survive
o Grazing ungulates, big cats, rhinos etc.
THREATS- invasive species, changes in fire management (animals used to seasonal
fires); low elevationsome threatened by rising sea levels
Chaparral/ Mediterranean Scrub Forest:
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ABIOTIC FACTORS
o Arid regions with Mediterranean climate (SW AUS, CAL)
o Rainy/mild winters, long hot dry summer days- slight seasonal variations
o Periodic, seasonal fires