Download ECOSYSTEMS / BIOMES Ecosystems: In a given area, all living

ECOSYSTEMS / BIOMES
Ecosystems: In a given area, all living things (BIOTIC) interacting with each other and the nonliving things (ABIOTIC) in the same environment. Like a pond, lake, forest, river.
Biomes: Regions where there is similar weather/climate, similar plants & animals, similar
terrain (what the area looks like – mountains, prairie, beaches, etc)
So another way to compare BIOMES to ECOSYSTEMS….
Look at the map below of the United States’ biomes:
North Carolina is on the right side (East side) of the country where that GREEN area is shaded
for the Temperate Forest Biome. We live in a global biome Temperate Forest which covers
many states in our nation.
And there are hundreds of ECOSYSTEMS within this Temperate Forest Biome – just here in
Western NC we have lakes, ponds, rivers, deciduous forests, coniferous forests, etc – all
different ecosystems from each other.
So you see how a BIOME is a much larger region where there is common rainfall amounts and
common climate; similar plants and animals living there. And within the BIOME are numerous
ECOSYSTEMS where these biotic organisms interact with local abiotic (non-living) elements.
SO…In Western North Carolina – a Temperate Forest Biome – we have lakes where fish and
amphibians live in a large collection of fresh water and interact with aquatic plants, algae,
insects, etc. But these fish and amphibians are in a very different ecosystem than the bear,
racoons, skunks, squirrels that live on one of our mountain-top ecosystems where there are
different plants than a lake has; and definitely much less water than a lake.
ECOSYSTEMS & BIOMES
Below are descriptions of the primary
ecosystems and biomes, although there are
many others.
 AQUATIC
o Freshwater: lakes/ponds, streams/rivers
o Saltwater: oceans, estuaries, salt marshes
 TERRESTRIAL
o Grasslands: prairies, savannas
o Forests: tropical rainforests, taiga forests,
temperate forests
o Deserts
o Tundra
AQUATIC Ecosystems
FRESHWATER
LAKES / PONDS
Definition: Almost Closed bodies of water. The water is still (not moving) or if movement it’s
slow. Lakes are larger than ponds. Lakes usually drain into streams or rivers. These hold
FRESH water.
Facts:
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Fresh water
Closed bodies of water – water doesn’t flow, or little flow
Some lakes are very deep
Lakes/ponds have more stable ecosystems than streams/rivers
Ponds are shallower than lakes
Plants and algae grow along the edge (shore) where water is shallow
ORGANISMS:
Animals: freshwater fish, amphibians (frogs, salamanders, etc), ducks, turtles, beavers,
snakes, crayfish, plankton, snails, worms, insects, alligators/crocodiles, beavers, otters
Plants: water lilies, cattail, duckweed
Lake temperatures:
Pond temperatures: usually stay the same from the bottom to surface
RIVERS / STREAMS
Definition: Runoff in established form – running or flowing water that feed lakes, ponds,
oceans, and other rivers. Can be small trickling streams to mile-wide rivers that travel for
thousands of miles.
Facts:
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Fresh water
Water flows and the speed affects what kind of life can exist
Connecting “snakes” of water feeding into others as tributaries
The flow of water caused by gravity is “seeking” to end up at sea level (0 feet of
elevation)
 Can be deep, but most are shallow compared to lakes and oceans
ORGANISMS:
Animals: (most of the same as in freshwater lakes/ponds ) - freshwater fish, amphibians
(frogs, salamanders, etc), ducks, turtles, beavers, snakes, crayfish, plankton, snails, worms,
insects, alligators/crocodiles, beavers, otters
Plants: depends greatly on where the river/stream is flowing
SALTWATER
OCEANS / ESTUARIES / SALTWATER MARSHES
OCEANS
Definition: (a Marine Biome)
The largest bodies of water on Earth divided by continents.
5 major oceans = Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, Southern. All contain saltwater.
Facts:
 Saltwater!
 Many types of Ecosystems in oceans depending on conditions (sunlight, temperature,
depth, salinity (amount of salt in the water)
 70% of Earth’s surface is ocean
 Lots of marine life
 Can’t see across them
ORGANISMS:
 Most organisms live where the ocean is shallow (shoreline to continental shelf)
o More sunlight in shallows (sunlight only reaches 200 meters deep)
o Water is warmer making food abundant (plentiful)
o Organisms:
 Drifters: jellyfish, seaweed
 Swimmers: fish
 Crawlers: crabs
 Anchored: to the sea floor: corals, anemone,
 Some organisms live in the open ocean near the surface to the ocean floor such as
plankton
 Some organisms swim to the surface to find food or breathe
o Whales, sharks, sea turtles, squid
 Some organisms live closer to the ocean floor
o Some fish, octopus, tubeworms
 Some birds are specific ocean dwelling birds
o Pelicans, sea gulls, penguins,
ESTUARY
Definition:
An estuary is an area streams and rivers merge with seawater from oceans. It’s where seawater
mixes with freshwater. Bays, lagoons, harbors, salt marshes and inlets can be types of estuaries. Estuaries
contain the mixture of salt and fresh water resulting in what’s called brackish water.
Facts:
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Where streams/rivers meet oceans
Where fresh meets salt water
They can be saltier than the ocean water
The tide affects the daily cycle of wild life
o Low tide: clams are closed, crabs and worms hide, birds are active digging for
food
o High tide: water protects most animals and the estuary is active
ORGANISMS in Estuaries:
 A lot of wild life in estuaries because the area is usually blocked from the turbulent
ocean surf (calmer waters)
o Clams, fish, turtles, frogs, worms, aquatic birds, insects, algae,
SALT MARSHES (usually in or near estuaries)
Definition:
Salt Marshes are wetlands just like marshes further inland and look similar with tall
grasses/plants growing out of water/mud. The difference from inland marshes is that Salt Marshes are where
salt water is - in places where the land meets the sea, such as barrier islands, estuaries and other coastal
areas.
Facts:
 Ocean tides influence – sometimes the marsh is very full of water, sometimes shallow,
sometimes dry
 Their salinity (salt content in the water) is high, low or in between
o The salinity influences the type of animal/plant life
o The salinity levels depend on where the marsh is located – closer to the ocean,
or upstream in an estuary or sound
o They can be saltier than the ocean water
o They can have brackish (or briny) water (pretty even mix of fresh and salt water)
ORGANISMS:
Like estuaries - A lot of wild life in estuaries because the area is usually blocked from the
turbulent
a SALT MARSH
The difference between an estuary and a salt marsh
TERRESTRIAL Ecosystems
Terrestrial means “LAND-BASED” –
opposite of water-based (aquatic) ecosystems.
4 primary terrestrial ecosystems –
Grasslands, Forests, Deserts, Tundra
GRASSLANDS
Prairie
Savanna
Prairies / Savannas
(also Steppes in Asia and Pampas in South America)
Definition: Large area or region of primarily grass and shrubs– very few trees.
Facts:
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Prairies (temperate zones) (the U.S. has vast prairies in the Midwest)
Savannas (tropical zones) (Africa has some of the world’s largest savannas)
Primarily Flat land (may be short rolling hills)
Have fertile soil (good for growing plants)
Covered with different kinds of grasses
Get a medium amount of rain, but less than forests
Grasslands Food Web:
Prairies: bison, prairie dogs, snakes, gophers, mice, wolves, turkeys, coyotes, wild
horses,
Savannas: lion, elephants, zebras, giraffe, wildebeest, hyenas, wild dogs, cheetah,
gazelle, ostrich
More about – click on links below:
Prairies
Savannas
FORESTS
Tropical Rainforests / Taiga Forests / Temperate Forests
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Have many trees (with needles or leaves), shrubs, grasses, ferns, and a variety
of animals.
Forests usually get more rain than grasslands.
3 major Types of Forests – depend on latitude (north or south from the
equator)
o Tropical Rainforests – near the equator, in Tropical Zones
o Taiga Forests – far north towards or in Polar Zones, or, at high altitudes
atop high mountains
o Temperate Forests – in between the Tropical Rainforests and Taiga –
typically in the Temperate Zones. (there are a few Temperate
Rainforests in the world)
Tropical
Definition:
Rainforests
A rainforest is a type of forest that has a lot of annual rainfall. To be a rainforest the amount of
rain that falls in a year must be between 98 in and 177 in. It has been estimated that there are millions of
species of organisms living in rainforests that have not yet been discovered.
Tropical Rainforest Facts:
 Near the equator
 Temperatures between 70° F and 90° F most of the year
 The most biodiversity of all terrestrial biomes – meaning rainforests contain over half
of the world’s plant and animal types!
 Covers only 6% of land surface
 40% of the oxygen in our atmosphere comes from rainforests
 25% of the world’s medicines get ingredients from the rainforests
 ENDANGERED! Every second, a section of rainforest the size of a football field is cut
down!
Organisms: in general, of most types of animals, there are numerous varieties of each kind
of animal listed below
monkeys, poisonous tree frogs, snakes, tropical birds (very colorful), reptiles, insects,
leopards/panthers, iguanas, bats, deer, tall trees, big plants, mosses, (2,000 types of
butterflies in the Amazon forests)
More about – click on links below:
Tropical Rainforests
Taiga
Forests
Definition: The taiga is the world's largest biome apart from the oceans. These forests
contain primarily coniferous trees (evergreens, pines, spruces, fir)(trees that bear cones –
think pine cones and needle-leaves)
In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme
northern continental United States (northern Minnesota through the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan to Upstate New York and northern New England), where it is known as
the Northwoods or "North woods".
Taiga Forest Facts:
 Taiga means “land of the little sticks” in Russian
 Moderate (medium) to high amounts of annual precipitation
 Colder than average temperatures – either near polar regions or high altitude (in high
mountains) – longer winters
 Taiga Forests are endangered and diminishing due to logging
Taiga Organisms:
Animals: snowshoe rabbit, lynx, moose, owls, wolves, reindeer, mink, marten, beaver,
muskrat, hawks, songbirds, ravens, woodpeckers, insects (but find more insects in other
biomes), grizzly bear, mountain goat, mountain lion,
Plants: various coniferous trees, short grass, lichens, mosses,
More about – click on links below:
Taiga Forests
Temperate
Forests
Definition: A variety of Forests that are located in the Temperate Zones of Earth. Where
temperatures are moderate and all 4 seasons are experienced.
Facts:
 3 types:
o Deciduous forests: most trees lose their leaves in the colder seasons and grow
new leaves in the spring
o Coniferous Forests: although not as large as Taiga Forests, there are coniferous
forests in Temperate Zones where temperatures are moderate
o Mixed: most Temperate Forests have a mixture of deciduous and coniferous
trees (like here in Southern Appalachia where we live)
 Deciduous is a Latin word meaning “to fall off”
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Organisms:
Animals: owls, wolves, beaver, hawks, songbirds, ravens, woodpeckers, insects, racoon,
squirrels, fox, opossum, skunk, bear, deer, porcupines, eagles, turkeys, mountain lions
Plants: various deciduous and coniferous trees, short grass, mosses, wild flowers,
mushrooms, herbs,
More about – click on links below:
Temperate Deciduous Forests
DESERTS
Definition: many think that deserts are defined by lots-of-sand, heat, and no plants. But there
are many types of deserts, some with a lot of plants and some with snow. What defines a
desert is the LACK OF WATER – BEING DRY – getting 10 or less inches of annual precipitation.
Facts:
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Dry
Hot deserts have hot days and cool nights
Typically, not many plants
Dust storms
Currently deserts cover 20% of Earth but they are growing for several reasons
including human activity
 Animals burrow to survive extreme and harsh conditions in deserts
Organisms:
Animals: owls, coyote, scorpions, camel, horned toad, meerkats, various reptiles,
grasshoppers, hawk, snakes
Plants: cactus, various shrubs (short plants), grasses, short trees
More about – click on links below:
Deserts
POLAR DESERT
Sand Dunes in a hot desert
Sand Storm (in Iraq)
TUNDRA
Definition: Tundra is the coldest biome, a mostly treeless plain where harsh conditions make
it hard for organisms to survive. Tundra biomes are located in the farthest North regions.
Facts:
 Average annual temperature is 18° F
 Practically as dry as deserts – 10 inches of precipitation each year – mostly snow
 PERMAFROST – below the very top soil on the ground (topsoil) is frozen ground! AND
this permafrost-frozen-ground never melts! (Many scientists are convinced that Global
Climate Change is gradually melting permafrost in tundra biomes.)
 Permafrost (frozen ground) prevents trees from growing that need deep soil to spread
their roots
 Most tundra is Arctic Tundra – located in North Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Northern
Europe, Northern Asia
 Very high mountains, above the tree line is also considered tundra, “Alpine Tundra”
 2 seasons – long winters (8 months), short summers
 “Tundra” is a Finnish word for “treeless plain or barren land”
Organisms:
Animals: caribou, artic hare, lemmings, polar bear, ermine, artic fox, snowy owls, musk
oxen; insects only during the short summer seasons; birds may be present during summer
seasons, but migrate south during winters
Plants: not much – grasses, lichens, shrubs, herbs – no trees (or very very few)
More about – click on links below:
Tundra
TUNDRA
SOURCES:
http://www.ducksters.com/science/ecosystems/world_biomes.php
http://www.mbgnet.net/index.html
https://www.ck12.org/user%3Aynjpyw4ubwfjy2fyzwxsaubiy3nlbwfpbc5vcmc./book/Buncomb
e-County-Schools-5th-Grade-Science-Flexbook/r198/section/7.4/