Download The Earth`s Ecosystems: Biomes, Energy Flow

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The Earth’s Ecosystems: Biomes, Energy Flow, and Change
I.
Biomes and Ecosystems are divisions of the biosphere.
A. Biomes:
Biomes are the largest divisions of the biosphere.
Æ in other words biomes have similar plants, animals, temperature, and
amount of rainfall.
B. Types of Biomes:
1.
: Land based biomes
2.
: water based biomes.
Types of Biomes within the two major types:
1.
Ælocated in Russia and Finland, 30-85 cm of precipitation,
temperatures are below freezing half the year
2.
Hot (Sahara Desert)
Rainfall is less than 25 cm annually
Hot days are about 38 degrees and
cold nights of 7 degrees
Cold (Canada’s Pocket Desert)
Rainfall is less than 25 cm annually
3.
Æthey are mostly flat lands and the soil is rich and fertile, with very sparse
trees because of the lack of rainfall.
Temeperate (Praries of Canada)
Tropical
Precipitation is 25 to 100cm annually Precipitation is 50 to 130 cm annually
Summers are 30 degrees and
Temperatures range from 20 to 30
Winters are -10
degrees
4.
Æ Annual precipitation is less than 50 cm. Temperature ranges from -89 to 30 in the summer
5.
Æ Eastern forests in Canada (NOT HERE). Annual precipitation is 75 cm to
180cm. Temperatures range from -30 degrees to 30 degrees in the summer
6.
Æ We live here! Rainfall exceeds 200 cm a year. Temperature range from 5
degrees to 25 degrees in summer
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Æ Rainfall is about 250 cm a year. Temperature is 20- 25 degrees year round.
The soil is poor in nutrients but it is recycled very quickly before rain can wash
it away
.
8.
Æ Precipitation is less than 25cm a year. Summers rainge from 3 to 12
degrees. Winter temperatures range from -20 to -30 degrees. Contains a
layer of frozen soil called permafrost. When it melts in the summer it creates
pools.
C. Things that contribute to distribution of biomes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Æ
are graphs of climate data for specific region
obtained over 30 years from local weather stations. Climatographs give us a
better understanding of the temperature and precipitation pattern within the
biome.
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SAMPLE PROVINCIAL EXAM QUESTIONS
D. Adaptations and Biomes:
1
: physical feature of an organism’s body which
contributes to the survival
Æ Example: Porcupines Spines
: Is a physical or chemical event that occurs
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within the body of an organism that enables survival.
Æ Example: Wolves Body temperature.
3
: what an organism does to survive in the
unique conditions of its environment.
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Including: feeding, mating, nurturing young, migrating, hibernating, and
burrowing to escape predators.
When water temperatures are cooler, sea otters have been shown to reduce
heat loss due to convection by floating on their backs with their feet out of the
water.
E. Ecosystems:
Biomes can be subdivided into smaller divisions called ecosystems.
Ecosystems have abiotic components:
oxygen, water, nutrients, light, and soil
Ecosystems have biotic components:
plants, animals, and microorganisms.
It is the balance of these interactions which is what makes the ecosystem
work. An ecosystem could be a few hectares, or as small as a rotting log or a
small pond.
1. Abiotic factors:
I.
Most living things contain about 50 to 90% water. Without
water no organisms could live.
II:
Nitrogen and phosphorus are chemicals that are required
for animal and plant cell growth.
III:
Photosynthesis would not occur without light. Without
photosynthesis what would we not be able to do?
IV:
Soil is important part of terrestrial ecosystems. Several
thousand species live below ground.
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Soil organisms maintain the soil structure, break down
pollutants and other detritus to contribute to the carbon
cycle.
2. Biotic Factors:
I:
:
A group of closely related organisms that can reproduce
II:
:
All the members of a particular species within an ecosystem
III:
:
All of populations of different species that interact in an ecosystem.
IV: Ecological Hierarchy
OrganismÆ populationÆ community Æ Ecosystem
F. Biotic Interactions/Relationships
Symbiosis: refers to the interaction between members of 2 different species
that live together in a close association.
I:
:
A relationship that benefits one species but does not harm the other
ExamplesÆ hermit crabs-abandoned shells; spiders-trees; remora fish
and hosts
:
II:
A relationship that benefits both species
ExamplesÆ clownfish-sea anemone; bee-flower; humansbacteria
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III:
:
A relationship that benefits one species and harms the other
ExamplesÆ flee-animal; tapeworms-animal; mistletoe-tree or shrub
Sample Provincial Exam Questions
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G. Niche:
All of the physical, chemical, and biological interactions required for a species
to survive, grow, and reproduce are part of the organism’s niche.
H. Competition:
Competition is a harmful interaction between two or more organisms that can
occur when organisms compete for food.
I. Predation:
1. Predator-prey interaction are part of food webs. Predators eat prey, so this
works out really well for the predator and really bad for the prey.
and other adaptations that keep them from
2. Prey use
being eaten.
3. Predators and prey are directly influenced by each other. When the
predators numbers are low, the prey numbers go up. When they get too high
the predator numbers increase.
II: Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycles Support life in Ecosystem
A. How Energy Flows in Ecosystems
Definitions:
Refers to the total mass of living plants, animals, fungi,
and bacteria in a given area
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Flow of energy from an ecosystem to an organism and
from organism to organism
Produce food in the form of carbs during photosynthesis
Eat food produced by consumers. Consumers can
become energy for other consumers if they are eaten
Breaking down of organic wastes and dead organisms
The action of living organisms such as bacteria to break
down dead organism.
Changes waste and dead organisms into useable
nutrients.
B. Energy Flow and Energy Loss in Ecosystems:
We use different models to show the how energy flows through ecosystems
Models which show the flow of energy from plant to
animal and from animal to animal.
Each step in the food chain
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Primary Consumers
Tertiary Consumers
Herbivores
Omnivores
The first trophic level which produce food for other
organisms.
Eat Primary producers
Eat primary consumers
Eat secondary consumers
Consumers that obtain energy from eating nutrients
bodies of small dead animals, dead plant matter, and
animal wastes.
Eat plants
Eat animals (primary consumers)
Eat Both plant and animals
Food Pyramids show the energy flow from one trophic level to another.
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Sample Provincial Exam Question:
C. Nutrient Cycles in Ecosystems
There are three different Cycles which we will focus on to help us understand
nutrient cycles:
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1. The Carbon Cycle:
a. How is Carbon Stored:
i. Carbon Dioxide is found in the middle of the deep ocean waters.
If the water gets cold enough the carbon will sink and be stored there
for many years.
ii. Carbon is also found in sedimentation of rock. Soil particles,
dead organic things, and sediments make up rock formations.
b. The carbon cycle:
Natural Processes move carbon though the ecosystem like:
Photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, ocean processes, and
events like volcanic eruptions and large scale forest fires.
i.
Photosynthesis:
ii.
Cellular Respiration:
iii.
Decomposition:
Break down of dead organic matter
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iV. Carbon Cycle an Overview:
C. Human Activities and the Carbon Cycle:
The more carbon we add to the atmosphere the more reflection we will
have and it will effect the global climate.
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2. The Nitrogen Cycle:
Major nitrogen include oceans and organic matter in soil
is the process in which nitrogen gas is
converted into compound that contains nitrate or ammonium. This process is
done by Nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
The more fertilizer we use to grow our plants, the more nitrogen we are
releasing into the atmosphere.
3. The Phosphorous Cycle:
In plants phosphorus contributes to root growth, stem strength and seed
production.
In humans phosphorous works with calcium in the development of bone
tissue.
a. Storage:
Phosphorous is stored as phosphate rock and sediment of ocean floors.
b. Human Activity and The Phosphorous Cycle:
fertilizers, detergents, animal wastes, industrial waste and untreated
human waste add additional phosphate to the phosphorous cycle.
Too much phosphorous can cause death in some animals.
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Sample Provincial Exam Questions:
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D. Effects of Bioaccumulation on Ecosystems
Bioaccumulation is chemicals that are stored in the fatty tissue or herbivores
and carnivores. These can cause major problems for animals.
Build up of chemicals in living organisms
Species that can greatly affect population numbers and
the health of an ecosystem
Process in which chemicals not only accumulate, but
become more concentrated at each trophic level.
Example: PCBs and the Orca,
Even though Polychlorinated Biphenyls enter the food chain at small levels,
there effect is magnified as they are passed up the food chain. PCBs were
used in the 1930s- 1970s for heat fluids, paints, and plastics.
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Mud/water Æ Microscopic Plants and Organisms Æ Small invertebrates --.
Small FishÆ SalmonÆ Orca
1. POPs.
are carbon containing compounds that
remain in the soil for many years. DDT was used to control mosquitoes but it
biomagnifies and hurts plant and animal life.
:
2.
Some heavy metals are good for human health in small quantities, but if they
are released in our atmosphere they can biomagnifies and be harmful. Three
most harmful metals are lead, cadmium and mercury
3.
:
Electronic wastes makes up 40% of lead found in landfills. It is extremely toxic
and can cause anemia, nervous system damage, sterility in men, low fertility
rates in women, impaired metal development and kidney failure.
4.
Released in the manufacturing of plastic and rechargeable batteries. It effects
organism growth and raises death rates.
In humans it comes from cigarette smoking. Cadmium has a half life or 30
years and can damage your immune system, nervous system and DNA
5.
:
Mercury poisoning can affect nerve cells, the heart, kidneys, and lungs. It can
also suppress the immune system.
6 Reducing our Effects of Chemical Pollution:
A. One way we can reduce our effect on chemical pollution is not to buy
products which produce some chemical pollutant.
: Microorganisms and Plants do the clean up for us,
B.
by eating the chemicals.
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Sample Provincial Exam Questions:
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