Ch 46 Major Ecosystems of the Biosphere

Climate

prevailing weather conditions in a region over a long period of time

weather

consists of environmental conditions that occur over a short period of time

What determines weather

• temperature

• rainfall

• solar radiation

• land or water bodies

Northern Hemisphere winds bend

clockwise

Southern Hemisphere winds bend

counterclockwise

topography

refers to the physical features of the land

coastal side

windward side of the mountain

leeward side

interior side of the mountain range

rain shadow

a dry area on the leeward (downwind) side of a mountain range where there is little precipitation.

Monsoon climates

• ocean winds blow on shore

• land heats quicker than water making large air circulations

• seen in Southern Asia

Tundra

• Northern Hemisphere

• Cold and dark

• Low rainfall

• no trees

Taiga

• coniferous forests

• bears, deer and large mammals, large rodents and wolves

• Northern Hemisphere

• rainfall

Temperate rain forest

• Costal redwood trees

• lots of rain and rich soil

• smaller mammals, lynx, amphibians, reptiles and birds

Temperate deciduous forest

• moderate climate and lots of rain

• well defined seasons

• deciduous trees

• deciduous trees

trees that lose their leaves in fall, change color and regrow them in spring

Tropical Rain Forest

• near the equator

• warm and lots of rain

• complex’s structure

• Epiphytes

Shrublands

• dry summers and wet winters

• shrubs

• seasonal fires

• highly flammable

• mule deer, rodents and lizards

Grasslands

• cannot support trees

• Texas

• tolerate grazing

• adapted to changing environments

Savana

grassland with a cool, dry season and hot rainy season also have large expanses of grasses with few trees

Prairies

temperate grasslands with very cold winters and hot dry summers.

Deserts

• dry winds

• hot days and cold nights

• little rain and long droughts

• burrowing or nocturnal animals

Water table

rain water sinking into the ground forming a layer

Aquafire

underground river

Mountain streams and rivers

• frozen water at high elevations melts

• high elevation

• cold

• low nutrition

olgiotrophic

small amount of organic matter and low productivity

eutrophication

process in which a body of water receives a large input of nutrients in a short amount of time

eutrophic

plentiful organic matter and high productivity

temperate zone lakes

stratified in summer and winter and have distinct vertical zones

Epilimnion

surface layer of lake that is warmed from solar radiation

Thermocline

middle layer cooler than surface layer of lake

hypolimion

bottom and coldest layer of lake

fall overturn

epilimnion water is cooler than water in hypolimnion; causes water to sink and deep water to rise until lake is uniform

Spring overturn

as ice melts, cool water on top sinks below warm water on the bottom. Temperature is uniform in lake; thermal stratification occurs when surface waters absorb solar radiation

Littoral zone

closest to shore

• inverts, fish, reptiles

Limnetic zone

sunlit body of the lake

• small fish that feed larger fish

Profundal zone

below light penetration

• zooplankton, inverts, scavenger fish

Benthic zone

sediment at soil water interface

• bottom dwellers eating detritus, decomposers

Wetlands

areas that hold water during part of the year and classified by their vegetation

Marshes

wetlands frequently inundated by water

• rushes, reeds, other grasses for waterfowl and small animals

Swamps

wetlands dominated by woody plants and shrubs

• alligator

Bogs

wetlands with acidic waters, peat deposits, and shag num moss

• receives water from rain and nutrient poor

• moose

Estuaries

where fresh water and sea water meet

• diverse and productive

• nutrients

• nursery of the sea

Intertidal zone

between the low and high tide marks

• attached organisms like barnacles

Coral reefs

areas of biological abundance and primarily in shallow, warm, tropical waters

• zooaxanathelle

Epipelagic zone

surface to max. depth of photosynthesis

• lacks inorganic nutrients resulting in low concentration of phytoplankton but many zooplankton

Mesopelagic zone

deeper waters that contain many carnivores adapted to the absence of light

Bathypelagic zone

deepest waters where there is complete darkness except bioluminescence

abyssal zone

deepest part of the sea

• high pressure and extreme cold

• hydrothermal vents for chemoautotrophs

• organisms depend on falling debris