Download MORE BIOMES 27 AUGUST 2014 Lesson

MORE BIOMES
27 AUGUST 2014
Lesson Description
In this lesson we:
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Focus on key concepts and questions relating to aquatic biomes.
Summary
The Biosphere
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The part of the planet that supports life e.g. atmosphere(air), lithosphere (land) and
hydrosphere(water)
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The atmosphere is the body of air which surrounds our
planet. Most of our atmosphere is located close to the
earth's surface where it is most dense. The air of our
planet is 79% nitrogen and just under 21% oxygen; the
small amount remaining is composed of carbon dioxide
and other gasses.
The lithosphere is the solid, rocky crust covering entire planet.
This crust is inorganic and is composed of minerals. It covers
the entire surface of the earth.
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This is where terrestrial organisms live
The hydrosphere is composed of all of the water on or near the
earth. This includes the oceans, rivers, lakes, and even the
moisture in the air. Ninety-seven percent of the earth's water is in
the oceans. The remaining three percent is fresh water; threequarters of the fresh water is solid and exists in ice sheets
Aquatic organisms depend on the hydrosphere for life
Interconnections of the Spheres
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The lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere form the biosphere.
The soil, water and air support life on earth.
Life on earth is linked in each of the three spheres.
All four spheres can be and often are present in a single location. For example, a piece of soil
will of course have mineral material from the lithosphere. Additionally, there will be elements
of the hydrosphere present as moisture within the soil, the biosphere as insects and plants,
and even the atmosphere as pockets of air between soil pieces.
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There are two components to the biosphere
o A biotic or living component – animals, plants microorganisms etc.
o An abiotic or non-living component – water air temperature, soil etc.
o The biotic and abiotic factors of the biosphere form the global ecosystem
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Living organisms are not evenly distributed throughout the biosphere.
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Scientists have divided the earth into regions according to their climate, soil, plants and
animals that live their – these
regions are called biomes
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Biomes are sub-divided into
ecosystems.
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Ecosystems are communities
of organisms that interact in a
particular environment.
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An organism lives in a certain
place where it gets its food,
space and where it reproduces
– this is called its habitat
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Scientists divide biomes into :
o
Terrestrial biomes that
occur on land –
grasslands, savannah,
fynbos
o
Aquatic biomes - marine, wetlands, coastal
South African Biomes – Terrestrial
Biomes
Savannah
Grassland
Characteristics
•
Savannas are the wooded grasslands of the
tropics and subtropics that account for 46% of
the South African landscape.
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Stretches from the Kalahari in the west into the
north and north-east of Limpopo
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Rainfall2oo-1000mm
•
Summers hot and wet
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Winter cool and dry
•
Soil fertile
•
Vegetation: Grasses, thorn tress, large shrubs,
trees (marula, baobab)
•
Animals:‘Big 5” blue wildebeest, eland, hippo,
kudu, cheetah, zebra, giraffe, wild dogs
•
The grasslands cover the high central plateau
of South Africa, inland areas of Kwazulu-Natal
and the mountain areas of the Eastern Cape
Province
•
Variety – rainfall varies, thunderstorms and
hailstorms
•
Winters cold with or without frost, fires
common
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Summer – hot and wet
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Soil type- fertile
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Plants - Grasses (rooigras)
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Animals - Blesbok, black wildebeest, springbok
Nama-Karoo
Succulent Karoo
Fynbos
•
The Nama-Karoo covers most of the vast
central plateau region of the Western and
Northern Cape Provinces.
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Semi-desert – flat and rugged
Ground dry and rocky
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No permanently flowing rivers (no rain)
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Rainfall less than 500mm
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Summer high temp
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Winter freezing cold
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Soil – rich in lime, thin layer of soil over rock,
infertile
•
Plants – xerophytes, low bushes, grass and
shrubs - Stone plant, sweet thorn, Karoo daisy
•
Animals - black-eared jackal, leopard, baboon,
vervet monkey, tawny eagle
•
This biome occurs mostly west of the western
escarpment through the western belt of the
Western Cape and inland towards the Little
Karoo.
•
The succulent Karoo is restricted to the yearround and winter rainfall areas and have the
greatest summer aridity
•
Rainfall - dry, 50mm-350mm rainfall
•
Summers – hot and dry
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Soil – rich in lime, infertile and erodes easily
•
Plants – xerophytic, Namaqualand daisies,
succulents, lichens
•
Animals – small rodents- mice squirrels, Bateared fox, suricate, barking gecko
•
Fynbos occupies 5,3 % of South Africa,
occurring almost exclusively in the southwestern and southern parts of the Western
Cape Province.
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Winters cold and wet – 210-3000mm
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Summers hot and dry
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Soil – infertile soil that is leached of all its
nutrients – inhibits growth of larger plants
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68% of plants endemic to the fynbos biome
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One of the six floral kingdoms in the world
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Fires common in summer – needed to stimulate
germination
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Plants- Proteas, shrubs and trees, rooibos tea,
buchu, olives, table wine, thatching reed
•
Animals - Klipspringer, Cape mountain zebra,
leopard, geometric tortoise, baboons,
porcupines, lynxes , Cape sugar bird
Forests
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Thickets
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Smallest biome. Mountainous forests along the
Southern Cape coastline – Knysna and
Tsitsikamma
Rainfall – throughout year, mainly winter
Forests cool and moist, humid
Soil deep and fertile
Plants - Outeniqua Yellowwood, epiphytes,
herbaceous and bulbous plants
Animals - Blue duiker, bush-pig, Knysna Lourie
and woodpecker , paradise flycatcher
Along the coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern
Cape
Rainfall fairly high but not sustainable for
forests
Soil – shallow and varies from sandy loam to
sandy clay that is rich in lime
Plants – varies, shrubland to low forests,
evergreen and succulent trees and shrubs,
plants have thorns. Short trees, spekboom,
Cape honeysuckle, Plumbago
Animals - Elephants, antelopes, monkeys,
squirrels, bushbuck , African python
South African Biomes – Aquatic
Marine and Coastal Biomes
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Include – oceans, coral reefs and estuaries
Biomes include salty water.
Algae live in the water and produce oxygen and food
South African marine biome contains 12% of the worlds fish species. Our coastline is 3000km
long
Water on the east coast is warm because of the warm Indian current and the water on the west
coast is cold because of the Benguela current.
The west coast water are rich in nutrients which provides food for plankton and fish
Organisms
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Plankton- phytoplankton (algae), zooplankton (microscopic crustaceans) – fish and large fish –
sharks, dolphins, whales – animals living on the bottom – crabs, oysters, sponges, lobster etc.
Concentration of nutrients
Coral Reefs
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Shallow waters off the northern coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal
Coral reefs are formed from calcium carbonate of tiny
corral animals
Large biodiversity
Animals – micro-organisms, invertebrates, fish, sea
urchins, sea-stars, octopusi
Open Sea Zone
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Open ocean
Temperature is generally cold
Plankton main food provider for fish, dolphins and whales
Wetlands
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Area of land which is covered predominately by shallow
water.
Include mountain springs, marshlands, flood plains,
estuaries to swamp forests that are linked by river and
streams.
Rich in biodiversityo Birds
o Large amount of carbon
o These wetlands share common and
important functions in river catchments by
providing a regular water supply, by filtering the water naturally
o By reducing the effects of floods and droughts.
Estuaries
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Are areas where freshwater of streams or rivers meet
with the salt water of the sea
Water conditions, temperature and salt content, change
constantly with the tides
Rich in nutrients
Plants – algae, seaweed, marsh grass and mangroves
Animal – prawns, sponges, mussels, barnacles, crabs
Test Yourself
Question 1
A population is made up of
A.
Individuals
B.
Communities
C.
Ecosystems
D.
Different species
Question 2
The food chain that is represented by the pyramid of numbers below is …
A.
grass → cows → man
B.
tree → aphids → ladybirds
C.
plankton → fish → fish eagle
D.
grass → buck → ticks
Question 3
The effect of the length of day on plants is called:
A.
Phototropism
B.
Photoperiodism
C.
Aestivation
D.
Migration
Question 4
Why is it difficult to incorporate nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into the nitrogen cycle of the
biosphere?
A
Nitrogen is not very abundant in the atmosphere.
B
Few organisms can directly utilise atmospheric nitrogen gas.
C
Most plants do not require organic nitrogen compounds for survival.
D
Oceans quickly absorb nitrogen gas.
E
Living organisms quickly absorb nitrogen gas.
Question 5
Organisms that use inorganic nutrients and an outside energy source to produce sugars and other
organic nutrients for themselves and other members of the community are…
A
autotrophs
B
saprophytes
C
heterotrophs
D
herbivores
Question 6
In an ecosystem, bacteria and fungi are the …
A.
omnivores
B.
herbivores
C.
producers
D
decomposers
Question 7
Which of the following food chains is correct?
A.
Producers → carnivores → herbivores
B.
Plants → secondary consumers → tertiary consumers
C.
Producers → herbivores → secondary consumers
D.
Plants → herbivores → primary consumers.
Improve your Skills
Question 1
Use the map below to help answer the questions that follow:
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
Name the two types of forest found in South Africa. Describe the soil and climatic conditions of
these biomes.
What influence could the cold Benguela current on the west coast of South Africa have on the
vegetation?
In what way is the fynbos region not suitable to the growth of plants?
Why is fire important for the fynbos vegetation?
What is the difference between the vegetation of the grasslands and savannah?
Describe the effect elephants will have on the savannah during times of drought.
How are plants adapted to survive the harsh Karoo regions?
How are animals adapted to withstand the extreme high temperature conditions in the Karoo?
What is the importance of fog from the Atlantic ocean in the succulent karoo
Question 2
2.1
In African grasslands impala, giraffe and zebra feed on Acacia trees. Impala and zebra also
graze on grasses.
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.2
State ONE way in which competition for food is reduced between zebras
and giraffes.
(1)
The Acacia tree is adapted to withstand long periods of drought.
Suggest an adaptation the Acacia tree may show that allows it to survive.
(1)
In South African grasslands, cattle are often found as grazers. A very large flock of cattle was
introduced into an area of ungrazed grassland. Explain what their effect would be on the
biodiversity within this area.
Question 3
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Scientists have been monitoring the release of CO2 and methane from
tundra in Alaska. A recent estimate suggests that the perennially frozen ground is melting, releasing
large amounts of these gases.
3.1
Provide two characteristics of the tundra biome.
(2)
3.2
What is the name given to permanently frozen ground in the tundra?
(1)
3.3
Much of the organic matter in the frozen layer does not decompose normally. Explain why
there is so much undecomposed organic matter in the frozen ground in the tundra.
(1)
3.4
Why is there so much carbon dioxide and methane released after this ground melts?
(2)
3.5
What is the effect of releasing methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?
(1)
Question 4
In the Arctic, snowy owls are predators of lemmings. The lemmings eat arctic plants.
The graph below shows the changes in the populations of snowy owls and lemmings over a threeyear period.
4.1
During the first 10 months of year 1, the lemming population increases slowly at first and then
more rapidly. Suggest why the rate of increase becomes greater.
(1)
4.2
Using information in the graph, suggest why the lemming population falls during year 2.
4.3
Using information in the graph, describe and explain how changes in the lemming population
affect the snowy owl population.
(3)
4.4
If all the snowy owls were removed from the arctic ecosystem, suggest and explain what
effect this would have on the lemming population in the following years.
(3)
4.5
Lemmings and snowy owls get their energy from the food they eat.
(1)
(a)
What is the original source of all the energy in this ecosystem?
(1)
(b)
Name the process that first traps this energy.
(1)
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Links
Clear Diagram and Summary:
http://cnx.org/contents/fe5ee9f2-7357-4d82-8fc3-44da2ac322e8@1