TERRESTRIAL

ECOSYSTEMS
Prepared by:
ARJUNE A. LUMAYNO, LPT, MAST
Faculty, Environmental Science Program
TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is an Types of Terrestrial

01 ecosystem? 03 Ecosystem.

Threat Faced by
02 What is a Terrestrial
ecosystem?
04 this Ecosystem
Ecosystem
• Ecosystem is a geographic area where plants,
animals, and other organisms, as well as weather
and landscape, work together to form a bubble of
life.

• Ecosystems contain biotic and abiotic factors.

• Every factor in an ecosystem depends on every

other factor, either directly or indirectly.

• Ecosystem can be very large or very small.

 TERRESTRIAL
ECOSYSTEM

• Land-based community ecosystem

and the interaction of biotic and
abiotic components in a given area.
• Examples of terrestrial ecosystems
include:
• FORREST, GRASSLAND, TUNDRA, and
DESERT.
 TYPES OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM

FOREST TUNDRA

DESERT GRASSLAND
FOREST
• The forest ecosystem comprises of soil, trees, insect,
animals birds, and a man as its interacting units.
• It plays a significant role in controlling the water cycle,
stabilizing soils, levelling of the climate, and providing a
habitat for wildlife.
• The forest also are a sources of wood, food, and
medicines.
• Types of Forest:
• The Tropical Forest, The Temperate Forest, The Boreal or
Taiga Forest.
01

• The Tropical Forest – exist in places like south

America, Africa, Amazon region, and Southeast
Asia.

• It is characterized by two seasons.

• The temperature, rainfall and twelve hours of

daylight stimulate the growth of up to 100
different species of trees.
Sub-categories:

1. Evergreen Forest
– these forests have 3. Dry Forest –
rains throughout these forest Have
the year and have a log dry season.
no dry season.

2. Seasonal Forest –
In theses forests the 4. Montane
vegetation is Forests – these
evergreen but these are also known as
experience a short cloud forests.
dry season.
5. Tropical and subtropical coniferous forest – the
climate is dry and warmth with conifers adapting to
variable weather conditions.

6. Sub-tropical – found mostly in north and south of

tropical forest, trees are adapted to resist summer
drought.
02

• The Temperate Forest – can find in places like North

America, Northeastern Asia, and Europe.

• There are four season ( mild wet winter, dry summer,

rainy, and frost-free winter.) temperature ranges
from -30 to 30C or -22 to 86 F.

• The soil of these forests is fertile due to combination

of decaying fallen leaves and the moderate
temperature.

• Some of the common trees are oak, beech, elm,

maple birch, willow and hickory.
Sub-categories
1. Moist Conifer and evergreen broad-leaved forest – have
mild wet winters and dry summers.
2. Dry Conifers Forest – exist at higher elevation and have
little rainfall
3. Mediterranean Forest – located on the south of temperate
regions around the coast and has almost all evergreen
trees.
4. Temperature broad-leaved rainforests – have mild, frost-
free winters and experience lots of rain.
03

• The Boreal or Taiga Forest – can find in the sub-

arctic zone which comprises of Siberia, Scandinavia,
Alaska, and Canada. These have two seasons namely,
a short, moist and mildly-warm summer and a long,
cold and dry winter.

• The temperature here ranges from -40 to 20 C. One

can find evergreen conifers here with needle leaves
that are capable to stand the cold, such as pine, fir,
and spruce trees.
DESERT
• Desert ecosystem is the driest ecosystem of the
earth and this is the reason it has less vegetation
and less diversity of life.
• The plants and animlas of the desert ecosystem
have mastered the art of survival in harsh
condition. A desert ecosystem is basically devoid
of any rainfall or precipitation.
Hot and dry dessert – These kinds of desert ecosystem have
hot and dry climatic condition through the air and have very
low annual rainfall.

Semi-arid desert – This kind of ecosystem has hard rocks, stable

ground, less sand dunes. Temperature is not as extreme as a hot
and dry desert ecosystem since it receives a lot of rain than
normal desert’s ecosystem.

Coastal Desert – Found near the coastal lines of big water

bodies like ocean and seas and are generally affected by the
ocean current.
Cold desert – comprises of abundant rainfall throughout the
winters and less in summer and generally has chilling winters
with snowfall. These are usually covered with snow dunes.
TUNDRA
• Tundra is a vast and unique biome that
covers a significant portion of the earth's
surface. It is characterized by its cold and harsh
climate, with long winters and short summers.
• The tundra is found in regions with low
temperatures, such as the:
• Arctic and subarctic regions of the world.
Grassland is divided into two main
types:

Alpine tundra is found Arctic tundra is found

in mountainous areas at in the northernmost
high altitudes regions of the world
• Permafrost - one of the defining features of the tundra, it is a
layer of permanently frozen soil that can be up to several
hundred meters deep.
• The vegetation in the tundra is mostly made up of low-growing
shrubs, grasses, and mosses.
• There are also some animals that live in the tundra and these
animals have learned to adapt to the harsh environment.
Some examples of tundra are:
1. Arctic tundra: Found in the northernmost regions of the Earth, including
Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia.
2. Alpine tundra: Found in high-altitude mountain regions, such as the Rocky
Mountains and the Himalayas.
3. Antarctic tundra: Found in the southernmost regions of the Earth,
including Antarctica and some sub-Antarctic islands.

What is the importance of Tundra?

• The tundra is an important biome for the global ecosystem, as it plays a
crucial role in regulating the earth's climate.
GRASSLAND

• Grasslands are a type of terrestrial ecosystem

that is characterized by the dominance of
grasses and other herbaceous plants. These
ecosystems are found in regions where there
is not enough rainfall to support forests, but
where the climate is not dry enough to
support deserts.
Grassland is divided into two main types:

Tropical grasslands: also known as savannas, are found in

regions close to the equator. These ecosystems are
characterized by tall grasses and scattered trees and are home
to a wide variety of wildlife, including elephants, lions, and
giraffes.

Temperate grasslands: are found in regions with colder climates.

These ecosystems are characterized by shorter grasses and fewer
trees than tropical grasslands. They are home to a variety of
wildlife, including bison, pronghorns, and coyotes.
Examples of grassland
1. African savannas, home to elephants, lions, and giraffes.
2. North American prairies, home to bison, pronghorns, and coyotes.
3. South American pampas, home to guanacos, rheas, and capybaras.

The Importance of Grassland

1. It provides habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal species
2. It plays an important role in carbon sequestration, which helps to
mitigate climate change.
3. It is important for agriculture, providing grazing land for livestock and
fertile soil for crops.
Major Threats
to Terrestrial
Ecosystem
 Major Threats to
Terrestrial Ecosystem

• Habitat Loss and Degradation

• Primarily occurs due to agricultural expansion, conversion to
pasture, and logging for hardwood, paper pulp, fuel, and
other uses, as well as infrastructure development.

• The Unsustainable Harvesting of Species

• Through hunting and for activities such as wildlife trade and
bushmeat hunting ( hunting of wildlife for food)
• Climate Change
• Having an impact on many terrestrial species.

• Invasive Species
• Species that are intentionally or accidentally introduced into
a geographic area that is outside of their natural range.

• Pollution
• Particularly nitrogen deposition from fertilizer use.
• Other pollutants include heavy metals such as lead and mercury.
• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as dioxin and
pesticides.