Ecosystem ecology studies all organismal, population, and community components of an area, as well as the
non-living counterparts.
A region , much larger than an ecosystem, characterized by a specific kind of
climate and certain kinds of plants and animal communities
Biomes are very diverse but can be categorized into major groups.
The first condition to define a biome is by how
close to the equator it is.
Give us three major categories:
- Tropical
- Temperate High Latitude Biomes
- High-latitude
Temperate Biomes
Tropical Biomes
Temperate Biomes
High Latitude Biomes
distinguished by their dominant vegetation and
associated with particular climates
Tropical Biomes
Because they are located at low latitudes near the
equator, all tropical biomes are warm.
TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS
250C –270C ; 200 –400 cm rainfall
SE Asia, West Africa, South and Central America
100 latitude N and S of equator
soil: thin, nutrient-poor, acidic, low organic matter
receive large amounts of rain and are warm all
year.
They have the greatest biodiversity of any land
biome.
SAVANNAS
100 –150 cm rainfall
within 100 - 200 of the equator
Central and Eastern Africa, South America,
Australia
are tropical grasslands that have long dry
seasons and shorter wet seasons.
wandering animals are kangaroos, giraffes,
zebras, elephants, wildebeests
TROPICAL DESERTS
get very little rain. Because deserts are
drier, they have fewer plants and
animals than other biomes.
< 25 cm rainfall
Gobi of Central Asia, Great Basin Desert
of N. America, Tibetan, Bolivian
plants: annuals, succulents, desert
shrubs
animals: tenebrionid beetles, kangaroo
rats, pocket mouse
Temperate Biomes
Biomes at mid-latitudes have a wide range of temperatures throughout the year.
TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS
have moderate precipitation and cooler
temperatures than savannas do. Temperate
grasslands are often used for agriculture.
25 –75 cm rainfall
cold winters and hot dry summers
largest biome in N. America, southern
Canada, eastern China, Argentina, Uruguay,
southern Brazil
highly fertile soils
perennial grasses: big bluestem, switch
grass, Indian grass; needle grass, dropseed,
wheatgrass, June grass; buffalo grass,
gramas, cheat grass
TEMPERATE FORESTS
grow in mild climates that
receive plenty of rain.
75 –150 cm rainfall
400 to 500 latitude
Japan, eastern China, Korea,
Siberia, Scandinavia, New
Zealand, southern Australia;
most of Europe
plants: pulpy fruits and nuts
animals: foxes, bear, bobcat,
wild turkey, squirrel
TEMPERATE FORESTS
Deciduous –long warm summers; cold winters but not Coniferous –winters severe; summers are drier
severe
evergreen spruce, fir, hemlock, arborvitae, redwoods
beech maple, maple basswood, oak hickory, oak
chestnut, pine edaphic
High-Latitude Biomes
Biomes at high latitudes have cold temperatures.
Coniferous forests in cold, wet
climates are called taiga.
Winters are long and cold.
Most of the precipitation falls in the
summer.
boreal forest
20-60 cm rainfall
500 to 650 N latitude
11% of earth’s land area
Scandinavia, Russia, Siberia, central
Alaska and central Canada
The tundra gets very little rain, so
plants are short.
Much of the water in the soil is not
available because the water is
frozen for most of the year.
Winters are extremely cold with
temperatures typically below -
340C
The summer last only about two
months and the temperatures are
still very cold ranging from 30 to
120 C
200 mm –600 mm rainfall
south of arctic polar ice cap /
alpine
treeless plains
bitterly cold, frigid winds and
covered with ice and snow
caribou, reindeers, wolves, ox,
arctic foxes, lemmings, snowy owl
permafrost
Freshwater ecosystems are located in bodies of
fresh water, such as lakes, ponds, swamps,
marshes, streams, creeks, brooks, springs,
and rivers. These ecosystems have a variety
of plants, fish, arthropods, mollusks, and other
invertebrates.
Marine ecosystems are the largest ecosystem
with coverage of nearly 71% of the Earth’s
surface and containing 97% of the planet’s
water. The water in marine ecosystem has
salts and minerals dissolved in them in high
amounts.
a. ocean ecosystem
b. coral reef ecosystem
Natural disturbances
earthquakes, various types of volcanic eruptions, drought, tsunami, impact events, climate
change, forest
fire, wind throw, and insect and disease outbreaks can be important drivers of ecosystem
dynamics.
Devastating effects of human impacts on the environment (Anthropogenic
disturbances)
the changes in climate with industrialization, logging, over fishing, clearcutting, forest
clearing,
mining, introduction of invasive species, accidental and intentional introduction of
plants, and
land use changes, also greatly affect ecosystem dynamics and can be considered
major
disturbances.
Whether the disturbance is fire, logging, wind, insect and/or disease outbreaks, or
invasive species; disturbance changes forest structure and alters species
composition and can accelerate succession.
