Section 3 : Global Ecology and Climate Change

Climate

The average of the weather of a specific area over at least 30 years

Niche

Interrelationship of a species to environmental and biological conditions

Niche Construction

Feedback by organisms with their environment

Climate Envelope / Niche

range of temperatures organisms are adapted to

Biomes

Similar ecosystems in different parts of the same world - may span several continents

Determined by climate, disturbance, and vegetation types

Tundra

Treeless marshy plains with soil frozen over during most of the year

Short summers, 25% of land surface, located in arctic circle, sea level, or high altitude on mountains

Low temps and low precipitation ~ waterlogged

Small leaves with thick cuticles and dense hairs

Taiga-boreal forest

World’s largest biome that is exclusively in the northern hemisphere and has extreme temperatures

soil is acidic, has poor nutrients and is often frozen over

Conifers, needle leaves, few broadleaf deciduous trees, shallow root systems

Temperate Rainforest

Located at high latitudes in both the northern and southern hemispheres with cool weather, dense fog, and high precipitation

Mostly conifers, epiphytes, and tall trees with thick understories

Temperate broadleaf / deciduous forest

Warm summer and cold winters with longer growing seasons

Deciduous trees are dormant during winter and have a dense understory for plants with low light tolerances

Grasslands

Located interior of continental masses along arid coastlines

Has low precipitation, lacks soil nutrients

Savannas

Found in subtropical areas with seasonal rainfall and dominated by grasses

Scattered acacia trees with reduced leaves and thorns with two layered ecosystems

Deserts and Semi-deserts

North and south of the equator 20 - 30 latitude

Very low precipitation, no trees, succulents, and opportunistic species

Mediterranean Scrub

Hot dry summers and cool wet winters with moist growth

Shrub dominated and has adaptations to fire

Tropical Rainforest

Equatorial and subequatorial regions where rainfall is constant in rainforests while seasonal in dry forests

Little seasonal variation in temperature

Most productive biome

Mangroves

nutrient rich swamps that have shallow water where decomposition is close to the surface

Convergence

similarity of traits, appearance and fuctions