CTY Honors Biology Unit Lesson 8.2

- Climate - Niches - Succession - Biodiversity and Biomes - Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems

climate

conditions for long periods of time

weather

conditions for short periods of time

microclimate

small areas that are different from surrounding climates

ex: southern mountainsides have more sun, western mountainsides have more rain

energy factors

solar energy, latitude, heat transport (wind+water)

solar energy

• absorbed+reflected by Earth

• greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, water vapor) trap heat in the atmosphere

latitude

distance from the equator

• equator: more solar energy than poles

• temp ranges between equator and poles

• tropical, temperate, polar

*axis tilt varies solar energy intensity/polar zones (seasons)

wind

air moving from cold to warm areas

wind heat transport

*warm air expands+rises, cool air is denser

heat in the form of hot air is moved around

trade winds

blows towards equator

westerlies

air from west to poles

easterlies

air from east to equator

surface currents

• flow for 1000’s of km

• depths up to 100’s of m

• from wind patterns, earth’s tilt, ocean basin shape

• distribute heat, affect weather and climate

deep currents

• from temp and salinity differences in ocean

• colder, denser water displaces deep water, moving it to warmer areas

niche

an organisms role+how it obtains resources

• what/how is consumed

• abiotic+biotic factors

habitat

physical place for food, water, shelter, etc

• specie’s tolerance of environment

• maximizes tolerance

competition

when 2 organisms need the same limited resource in the same habitat

intraspective

members of same species

• adaptive changes (natural selection) over time

interspecific

members of different species

• extinction/specialization of competing species

competitive exclusion principle

*each species needs a diff niche, otherwise, competition of resources will follow

• one species wins, replacing other (goes extinct)

specialization

• co-existing with the same resources by dividing resources with diff niches

• competition+slight adaptations

ex: some lizards eat insects on ground, some eat insects on elaves

relationships

require a constant balance of organisms being consumed and the consumers

predator/prey

predator eats prey

herbivore/plant

animal eats plants

keyston species

critical species within communities

*when population changes, there are many impacts

Ex: sea otters eat sea urchins, protecting kelp forests (sea otters decrease, the sea urhchiciens begin eating the kelp, damaging other’s habitat)

symbiosis

2 organisms lice in close association with each other

mutualism

both organisms benefit from association

• lichens (algae - photosynthesis+fungi - protection)

• pollinators - pollination+flowers - food

• clownfish - protection+sea anemones - shelter

parasitism

parasite benefits at host organism’s expense

• atheles’’s foot fungus, tapeworms+heartworms, ticks

*sickens, but not usually kills

commensalism

one organism benefits, other is unaffected

• baranacles+whales (barnacles get food+fresh water)

• birds+cattle (birds get food)

ecological succesion

process of entire community changing over time

ex: annuals, perennials from enriched soil, shrubs/softwoods, hardwood trees

primary succession

plant community develops from previously barren habitats

• volcanic rock/newly exposed rock

pioneer organism

first organism to inhabit ecosystem

• lichens on rock: prepare (photosynthetic algae, mineral dissolving, soil deposition) conditions for advanced organisms

secondary succession

return of natural negetation after disruption

• flood, fires, human activity

*quicker: some of community left to restart (spores+seeds in soil)

climax community

complete community restoration after succession

• the complete restoration is often the same

human impact on climax communities

• human activity alter/prevent recovery (logging, pollution, deforestation)

  • frequent disruptions majorly alter ecosystems

• microclimates disappear entirely, making diff climax community

major biomes

tropical rainforest, tropical dry forest, temperate deciduous forest, temperate grasslands, temperate wood/shrub land, coniferous forest, boreal forest, tundra

biome

ecosystem groups with shared climates+locations

• span large geophysical areas (multiple continents)

• dominant plant (flora) and animal (fauna) types

deciduous

sheds leaves

tropical rainforest

• temp: high

• precip: height

• plants: diverse, dense, tall tree canopy, evergreen (broad leaves for sunlight absorptions) in understory

• animals: ~45% of earth’s species

• near equator (central+south america, africa, asia)

*camouflage/poison color

tropical dry forest

• temp: warm

• precip: falls in one season

• plants: deciduous, thick cuticles (water conservation), stomata in tissues

• animals: arboreal animals (monkeys) ground-dwelling rodents *migrate or estivate (hibernate) for dry season

• centra;+south america, africa, india

tropical grasslands

• temp: high

• precip: low *seasonal

• plants: mostly grass, some trees, *drought resistant

• animals: large herbivores, large carnivores *migrate/estivate from low precipitation

• africa (savanna)

causes for desert

dry air masses, rain shadows

desert

• temp: high (day), low (night)

• precip: very low < 25

• plants: sparse, extreme dryness (CAM/C4 photosynthesis) for keeping stomata closed

• africa, austrailia, asia, americas

*water obtained through food

temperate grasslands

• temp: warm/hot (summer, cold (winter)

• precip: moderate (spring+fall)

• prairies, outback, plains

• plants: mostly grasses/shrubs *strong winds for seed dispersal

• animals: herbivores, some carnivores *camouflage

• inland continent parts (north+south america, austrailia, asia)

temperate wood/shrubland

• temp: hot (summer), cool (winter) *no freezing

• precip: dry (summer), moist (winter)

• plants: dense evergreen shrubs, small trees

• animals: small herbivores (insects, birds, small mammals)

• central/southern CA, mediterranean sea, austrailia

temperate deciduous forest

• temp: warm/hot (summer), cool/cold (winter)

• precip: frequent

• plants: deciduous+conifer trees

• animals: hibernate/migrate for winters (insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals)

• north america, europe, asia, australia

coniferous forest

• temp: mild

• precip: dry (summer), frequent (fall-spring)

• plants: evergreen trees, mosses, lichens, ferns

• animals: adapted seasonal diets (insects, reptiles, birds, amphibians, many mammals)

boreal forest (taiga)

• temps: long, cold (winter), short/warm (summer)

• preicp: moderate

• plants: conifers

• animals: cold temp adaptations

• northwest coast of US, canada

*snow covers ground (no insects/reptiles)

permafrost

frozen soil year-round

tundra

• temp: long, cold, dark (winter), short/warm (summer)

• precip: low

• plant: 6-10 week growth season *no tall plants, peanuts/legumes

• animals: most migrate, some adapt to extreme cold+lack of water

• norht america, europe, asia

mountain ranges

• rockies, andes, alps, himalayas

• flora, fauna, abiotic (base to top change)

• animals: terrestrial mammals+insects *adapted to cold

polar ice caos

• below freezing year-round

• snow+ice covered

• plants: mosses+lichens

aquatic biomes

• 70% of earth’s surface is water

• fresh: 2% and salt: 98%

• sunlight, temp, current, dissolved nutrient concentration affect lift

water depth

sunlight differs depending on depth of the water

photic

• top layer

• sunlight+oxygen+nutrients

• photosynthesis

*no deeper than 200 m because that’s as far sunlight as penetrates

aphotic

• middle layer

• no sunlight, low oxygen

• no photosynthesis

benthic

• bottom layer

• usually no light, no oxygen

• photosynthesis (shallow bodies), chemosynthesis (deep water)

temperature

• warmer (equator), colder (poles)

• deeper usually colder

nutrient concentrations

• dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus

• widely varies between/within based on depth, land distance, etc

currents

• transports heat, nutrients, sediments, other organisms *alters ecosystems

rivers+streams

bodies of running freshwater

• small runoff/underground springs merging

• continuous nutrient supply from erosion *limited near source, more in flat/slow sections from

• primary producers: algae, some plants

• consumers: invertebrates (crayfish, insects, snails), vertebrates (fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds)

lakes+ponds

bodies of still freshwater

• nutrients accumulate at bottom (summer) upper+lower levels mix (winter)

• primary producers: phytoplankton (green algae)

• consumers: invertebrates (zooplankton, insects, snails, crayfish), vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals)

ponds

smaller, shallower *sunlight benthos

lakes

larger, deeper *some no sunlight benthos

peat

dead plant material

freshwater wetlands

areas covered with water for at least one season

• bogs, march (herbaceous plants), swamps (trees)

• store excess flood/runoff water

• filter excess nutrients from runoff with soils+plants

• provides animal habitat

esutaries

where rivers empty into oceans

• nutrient-rich, photosynthesis in benthos *semi-diverse organisms

salt marshes

• between high/tow tide

• grasses rushes, sedges

mangrove swamps

• tropical/sub-tropical areas

• mangroves tolerate salt water

intertidal zones

narrow coastline strips between high/low tide

• submerge/exposed to atmosphere

• large temp changes

• strong waves+currents

• producers: seaweed, algae *attached to rocks

• consumers: barnacles attach, crabs burrow

coastal ocean

low tide- continental shelf

• sunlight at benthos

• high organism diversity (coral reefs+kelp forests)

*ocean floor doesn’t exceed 200 m

open ocean

between continental shelves

• photic zone: photosynthetic shelves (phytoplankton *photosynthesis)

  • low nutrients from land distance

• aphotic zone: chemosynthesis, consuming dead organism from photic zone

  • marine snow: detritus

  • slowed metabolism+low energy

  • cold temps+high pressure