Download Biomes - Cabarrus County Schools

Ecology and Energy Unit
Biomes
Background
• Biome: A large
geographical area of
distinctive plant and
animal groups, which are
adapted to that particular
environment
– Biomes are largely
determined by…
• Climate
– Rainfall
– Temperature
• Geography
– Landforms
– Altitude
Biomes of the world
• There are 3 broad biome classifications of the
world, which can each be further subdivided:
– Marine biomes
– Freshwater biomes
– Land biomes
•
•
•
•
•
•
Taiga
Rainforest
Tundra
Desert
Temperate
Grasslands
North Carolina
• North Carolina is in the
temperate deciduous
biome
– 4 seasons every year
– Relatively large amounts
of rain
– Animals and plants with
special adaptations for
changing seasons
Adaptations
• Animals and plants need to
make adaptations in order
to survive in their
environment
– Plants: Deep or shallow
roots, different types of
needles, different types of
bark
• Plant adaptations
– Animals: Hibernation, active
during day or night, different
coloring in different seasons
• Predator adaptations
• Prey adaptations
Biotic and Abiotic Features
• Biosphere: All life on Earth
– The biosphere is made up of
two major parts
• Biotic factors: Any living
component that affects other
living organisms
– Predators, Prey, Plants
– Human influence
• Abiotic Factors: Non-living
components of an organism's
environment
– Sunlight, nutrients, rainfall, soil
– Geology of the area
– Biomes are made up of and
influenced by biotic and abiotic
factors!
Biodiversity
Biodiversity
• Biodiversity: The degree of
variation of life forms within a
given species, ecosystem,
biome, or an entire planet.
– Biodiversity is a measure of the
health of ecosystems
• Greater biodiversity means the
ecosystem has greater access to
nutrients
– Biodiversity is partly a function of
climate.
• In terrestrial habitats, tropical
regions are typically rich while polar
regions support fewer species.
Positive aspects of biodiversity
• Biodiversity is good for
humans!
– Provides raw materials
• Minerals, building materials, food,
etc.
– Contributes to health
• Potential source of new
medicines
• Access to clean water
• Recreation
Loss of Biodiversity
• A loss of biodiversity can
happen in many ways
– Human population growth
– Habitat destruction
– Overpopulation of a
particular species, which
leads to resource
competition
– Agriculture
– Pollution
– Climate change
– Overhunting
– Invasive species
Populations
• Carrying capacity: The
maximum population
size of a species an
ecosystem can support
– If the population gets
too large, it will crash
Limits to population size
• Limits on population size
– Competition for
nutrients/food/water
– Predators
• Keeps population in check
– Disease
• Larger populations can spread
disease more easily
– Habitat constraints
• There may just not be enough room
for all the organisms in a species
Invasive species
• Invasive species: Non-native
animals and plants that
have been introduced to an
area and adversely affect
the habitats they invade
– May be introduced on
purpose or accidentally
– Compete with native animals
for resources
• Since they have no natural
predators in the new area, they
grow uncontrolled
Several common Invasive Species of
North Carolina
• Dutch Elm disease
– A fungus introduced on
infected logs from Europe—
has killed more than 100
million trees
• Fire Ants
– Accidentally introduced to
Alabama in 1930, has spread
to 57 counties in southern
NC
• Kudzu
– Invasive climbing, rapidly
growing vine that will kill
trees, accidentally
introduced in 1876, now very
common in SE United States
Large Scale Loss of Biodiversity
• There have been 5 major
mass extinctions since life
began on Earth that have
led to large and sudden
drops in biodiversity.
– In each case, 50-90% of all
species on Earth died off
– The causes of these mass
extinction events are
unknown
• Volcanic eruptions and the
impacts of large asteroids or
comets are suspected
Large Scale Loss of Biodiversity
• Today, many scientists think
the evidence indicates a sixth
mass extinction is under way.
– The rate of species extinction
may be the fastest it ever has
been in Earth’s history
– The cause? Humans!
• By the year 2100, human activities
such as pollution, land clearing,
and overfishing may have driven
more than 50% of the world‘s
species to extinction
Human Impact
Humans have a huge impact on Earth
• No other species
in the whole
history of Earth
has ever
impacted the
planet as much
as humans
– We use land in
ways animals and
plants never
could
Human impacts on Biodiversity
• Humans can and do change
biodiversity, and usually not
for the better
– Key reasons: Plowing under
forests to build houses,
farming, overfishing, climate
change
Land Use
• Ways humans alter
the land
– Agriculture
– Urbanization
– Deforestation
Agriculture
• While agriculture is extremely
important for growing food for
human (and livestock)
consumption, it takes away
habitat for native plants and
animals
– Pesticide uses pollute
environment
– Changes how much water absorbs
into the ground
• Dust Bowl!
• However, without widespread and
wide-scale food growing, food
prices would be high, or there
would be food shortages
Urbanization
• Urbanization: A process in
which an increasing % of an
entire population lives in
cities and the suburbs of
cities
– About 5% of the US
population lived in cities in
1800
– 50% of the population lived in
cities by 1920
– Today about 80% of the US
population lives in cities and
suburbs
Urbanization, continued
• Urbanization goes
hand-in-hand with
industrialization
– Leads to increase in
human population
density
• This means more
resources are
consumed
• Native habitats are
demolished to make
way for more roads
and houses
Deforestation
• Deforestation: The
removal of a forest or
stand of trees where the
land is afterwards
converted to a nonforest
use
– Forests cover about 30% of
the world’s land area, but
swaths the size of Panama
are lost each year
– Rain forests could
completely vanish in 100
years at the current rate of
deforestation.
Reasons for Deforestation
• Forests are cut down for
many reasons, but most
have to do with money
or providing for families
– Agriculture
– Logging
– Wildfires
– Overgrazing of livestock
Effects of Deforestation
• Deforestation has many negative
effects on the environment.
– Loss of habitat for millions of species.
• 70% Earth’s land animals and plants live
in forests
– Climate change
• Trees help run the water cycle through
transpiration
– Without trees, many former forest lands
can quickly become dry deserts
• Trees also play a critical role in absorbing
the greenhouse gases that fuel global
warming
– Fewer forests means larger amounts of
greenhouse gases entering the
atmosphere—and increased speed and
severity of global warming
Solutions
• Agriculture, urbanization, and
deforestation cannot just be
stopped
– Each play a critical role in the
human life
– However, there is a balance
that can be struck
• Forest management, which
leaves forest environments intact
rather than clear-cut
• Replanting young trees to replace
what was lost
• Protect ecologically rich and
sensitive areas
– Rainforests, wetlands
Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
• Fossil Fuels: Fuels formed
from the remains of
buried dead organisms
– Fossil fuels formed
millions (or hundreds of
millions) years ago
– Three major fossil fuels
• Coal
• Natural gas
• Oil
How fossil fuels form
• As the trees and plants died they
sank to the bottom of the swamps or
oceans.
– They formed layers of a spongy
material called peat.
– Over many hundreds of years, the
peat was covered by sand and clay,
which became sedimentary rocks
• More rock formed on top of the
sedimentary rock, piling on weight
– The peat was squeezed until the water
came out of it and it
– Over the course of millions of years, it
turned into fossil fuels
Oil
• Basics of Oil
– Dark liquid fossil fuel
• Also known as petroleum
– Obtained by drilling
– Major source of energy
– Used to make a variety of
products
• Raincoats, plastic chairs,
parts of your computers,
children's toys, CD/DVDs
Uses of Oil
• Uses of oil
– Source of fuel used for most
forms of transportation
– Heating homes
– Our gas prices are directly
related to oil prices
• When price of gas goes up so do
airplane tickets, bus fares, etc. all tied into gas prices
– U.S. is highly dependent on oil
Finding Oil
• Finding Oil
– Oil is found by drilling,
many times in the ocean
– America is basically tapped
out
• We rely on other countries
for our oil - which is why
Iran/Iraq/Saudi Arabia
relations are so important
• This shift occurred in the
1970s - we became oil
dependent instead of
independent
Advantages and Disadvantages of Oil
• Advantages
– Relatively easy to transport
– Oil is cleaner and easier to
burn than coal
– Oil is probably the world’s
most versatile fuel
– Most of our existing
structures and machines
already run on oil
• Disadvantages
– While oil spills are rare,
they are catastrophic when
they happen
– Burning increases amount
of greenhouse gases in air
– Limited reserves around
the world
• We may have already
reached most of the easily
accessible oil
– Much of the world’s oil
(70%) is found in the
Middle East, which is
politically unstable
Gas
• Basics of Natural Gas
– Consist of gas methane
mixed in with small
amounts of other gases
– Most gas is inaccessible we need pipelines
• We are still dependent on
places like Tobago, Qatar,
Algeria for gas
Uses of Gas
• Uses of Natural Gas
– Use is growing faster than
most other fossil fuel used
today
– Can be used to generate
electricity
• Heats homes
• Appliances can also use gas water heaters, stoves, and
clothes dryers
– Found in paints, plastics,
dyes, and fertilizers
Finding Gas
• Finding Gas
– Pockets are found in oil
deposits both on and off
shore
– Coal deposits may have
natural gas above them
– We use pipelines around
the U.S.
• Total amount of pipelines
would go to the moon and
back twice
Advantages and Disadvantages of Gas
• Advantages
– Cheaper than oil
– Known US reserves 65-80
years; World 125 years
– Easily transported over
land
– High net energy yield
– Produces less air pollution
than other fossil fuels
– Damages environment
much less
– Easier to process than oil
• Disadvantages
– Greenhouse gases are
released when processed
– Must be converted to
liquid (expensive and
dangerous) when shipped
• Conversion to liquid
reduces net energy yield
– Can leak into atmosphere
and dramatically increase
the rate of heating of the
atmosphere
Coal
• Basics of Coal
– Solid, rock-like fossil fuel
– Formed in several stages as
buried remains of ancient
swamp plants that died
• Mostly made of carbon (4098%); small amount of water,
sulfur, and other materials
How we get coal
• How do we get coal:
– Subsurface mining
• Labor intensive,
world's most
dangerous occupation
because of accidents
and black lung disease
– Surface mining
Uses of Coal
• Uses of Coal
– Provides 25% of world's
commercial energy
– Used to make 75% of
world's steel
– Generates 64% of
world's electricity
• World's Coal Supply
– US - 66% of world's
proven reserves
– Identified reserves
should last 220 years at
current usage rates
– Unidentified reserves
could last 900 years
Advantages and Disadvantages of Coal
• Advantages
– World's most
abundant fossil fuel
– High net energy yield
• Disadvantages
– Harmful environmental effects
• Harms the land and causes water
pollution
– Mining is dangerous
– Coal is expensive to transport
– Cannot be used in cars (must be
converted to gaseous or liquid
form)
– Dirtiest fossil fuel to burn and
releases
– Burning releases 1000x
radioactive particles into the
atmosphere per unit of energy
than a nuclear power plant
– Accelerates global climate change
– Severe threat to human health
Alternative Fuels
Basics of Alternative Energies
Basics of Alternative Energy Sources
• All energy sources have pros and cons
– Fossil fuels biggest con is that they will eventually run out
• Types of alternative fuels
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Solar
Wind
Biofuels
Nuclear fusion
Hydrogen fuel cells
Hydropower
Geothermal
Solar Power
• Solar Power:
Converting the sun’s
energy directly into
electricity
– Who doesn't want solar
energy?
• Oil companies
• Utility companies
Solar Power
Pros
• Energy source is already
present
• Renewable
• Products are not
radioactive
• Will lessen our use of
fossil fuels
• Especially good for power
generation in rural areas
and developing countries
Cons:
• Expensive
– But the price is still
declining
• Requires a backup for
nighttime or overcast
conditions
• Climate may not be sunny
enough during the winter
for practical use in some
parts of the world
– Alaska
Wind Power
Wind Power:
• Occurs when a wind turbine
is hooked up to a generator
– Residential turbine
• Wind speed averaging 12 mph,
is enough to produce energy
for a typical household
– Large scale Turbine
• Enough to power more than
1,400 households
– Wind Farm - area of
thousands of wind turbines
Wind Power
Pros:
• Unlimited source at
favorable sites
• Land underneath can be
used for grazing cattle
or farming
Cons:
• Need steady winds
• Damaging to scenery
• Can harm migratory
patterns of birds,
causes lots of bird
death
• Low-level frequency
noises could be
disturbing to people
Biofuels
Biofuels:
• Liquid fuels from plant sources
- help provide power to
millions of vehicles
– Ethanol - produces by
fermentation of starches or
sugars
• Can be used by itself or as a
supplement to gasoline to power
cars
• Produced mainly from corn in the
US
– Biodiesel - produced from
vegetable oil such as soybean
Biofuels
Pros
• The amount of carbon
released into the
atmosphere is the same
amount that is
absorbed to produce it
• Reduce dependence of
nations on imported
fuels
Cons
• Biofuel crops take up
land that could be used
for food or not used at
all
– Contributes to rising
food costs
• Not renewable
• Not efficient source of
energy
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power
• Atomic fusion releases
energy that is converted
into high-temperature heat
– The heat generated can
produce high-pressure
steam that spins turbines
that generate electricity
– Electricity is generated and
water cooled
• 20% of US electricity comes from
nuclear energy
Nuclear Power
Pros
• Doesn’t release air
pollutants
• Water pollution and
land disruption is low
Cons
• Safety
– While there is a low risk of
exposure, there has been
accidents
• Waste
– Low level radioactive waste must
be stored for 100 years
– High level radioactive waste must
be stored for 240000 years
• Costs
– Extremely high costs of making it
a safe technology
– All traditional energy methods
have average costs well below the
costs of nuclear power plants
Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Hydrogen Fuel Cells
• Produces energy from the
breakdown of water or
other hydrogencontaining compounds
– These compounds must be
forced to released their
hydrogen atoms
• Requires an input of
energy to occur
Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Pros
• H2 burns clean and releases
water vapor, no CO2
produced
• Cars have been developed
to run on H2
• Solar power cells in desert
areas can be used to obtain
power for the reaction
• Underground pipelines for
transport are already in
place
Cons
• There is very little H2 gas on
Earth
• Production of H2 gas is
expensive
HydroPower
• Hydropower: Energy
from water
– Generally dams fitted
with turbines
– Can come from the
motion of waves in the
ocean
Hydro Power
Pros
• Nonpolluting - no fuel burned
• Renewable energy source
– hold water in reservoir
• Relatively low operations and
maintenance costs
• Technology is reliable and
proven over time
Cons
• High investment costs
• Depends on rainfall
• Possible flooding of land and
wildlife habitat
– Fish are incredibly susceptible
• Possible changes in stream
water quality
• Possible displacement of local
populations
• Changing a cold-flowing river
into a warm-water reservoir
changes humidity, increases
decomposition/disintegration
Geothermal
Geothermal
• Heat energy generated
and stored in Earth
– Hot water and steam from
underground create hot
springs and geysers
• Can use this naturally heated
water for steam turbines to
produce electricity
Geothermal
Pros
• No radioactive waste
produced
• Can aid agriculture in cold
climates
– Iceland!
• Helpful to areas without
access to fossil fuels
• Some scientists believe we
have barely tapped into this
power supply
Cons
• Water issues - depleted water
and water taken from reservoirs
• Land issues - loss of vegetation,
soil erosion/landslides; possible
seismic activity
• Air emissions - fogging of the
area, slight heating of the area,
biological and chemical efforts
• Takes up a relatively large
amount of land and creates a
large amount of noise
For the lab
• Part 1
– Warm the test tuber (In a
PG way!) for 3 minutes
– Only use the thermometer
after the 3 minutes are up
– DO NOT BREAK THE TEST
TUBE!
– Start over with new water
each time
• Part 2
– Get 5 mini marshmallows
for each trial
– Allow the marshmallows to
burn completely and TIME
how long it takes
– Do not put the
thermometer in the water
while heating, and use the
tongs while heating the
test tube
– Clean your burning dish
and test tube between
each trial
– Start over with new water
each time
Ecofootprints
Human Population
• The root of almost all environmental
problems comes down to human population
– Currently at 7.1 billion
– How much more can we grow?
Human population
• Problems associated with human population
–
–
–
–
Pollution
Climate change
Water shortages
Greater demand on resources (renewable, non
renewable, energy)
– Loss of biodiversity
– Habitat loss
• Nearly all earth’s surface has been affected in
some way by human activity.
Farming and biodiversity
• Conventional farming:
Normal planting and
using fertilizer
– Pros: Cheaper, higher
amounts of food
produced
– Cons: More pesticides,
may decrease the
amount of nutrients in
the soil, loss of
biodiversity
• Sustainable farming:
Organic farming with little
or no pesticides, rotating
crops
– Pros: Less pesticides,
better for the Earth,
healthier food?
– Cons: More expensive,
not as much food
produced, more labor
intensive
Ecological Footprint
• Ecological Footprint: A
estimate of the amount of
land and ocean area
required to support human
consumption patterns and
absorb human wastes on an
annual basis
– Ecological footprint varies
greatly on where you live, on
how eco-conscious you are!
Ecological Footprint
• In 2010, the world’s ecological
footprint was estimated at
needing 1.4 Earths in order to
maintain the given lifestyle
– In other words, we are using
Earth’s resources 1.4 times faster
than it can renew them
• The US has the largest ecological
footprint of any other country in the
world
– If everyone lived like we do, we’d need
5.3 Earths to support us
– Afghanistan has the lowest ecological
footprint, which isn’t even large enough
to meet basic human needs like shelter
– Check for yourself!
Ways to reduce our impact
• Human have a large impact
on the biosphere. To
reduce our effect…
– Prevent pollution
– Reduce waste
– Use water and energy
efficiently
– Support environmental
education and training
– Protect and respect the
diversity of life