Environment Diversity (Outline) (Chapter 34)

1. From the biosphere to the organism2. Compare and contrast ecology, ecosystem, community, and

biome.3. The abiotic chemical and physical factors and the biosphere4. Aquatic biomes and abiotic and biotic factors affecting the

organism in aquatic ecosystems5. Terrestrial biomes and factors contributing to their climates6. The eight major terrestrial biomes and their vegetation7. The water cycle connecting aquatic and terrestrial biomes

Atom

Molecules

Organelle

Cell

Tissue

Organ

Organ system

Organism

Population

Community

Ecosystem

Bioshpere

The Hierarchical Structural Organization of Life

Anatomy&

Physiology

EcologyInteractions of living organisms with their

surrounding environment

Ecology

• The scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environment, such as the interactions organisms have with each other and with their abiotic environment

Environmentalism

• The broad philosophy, ideology and social movement that views living things other than humans, and the natural environment as a whole, are deserving of consideration in reasoning about the morality of political, economic, and social policies.

• The advocacy of the preservation, restoration, or improvement of the natural environment; especially: the movement to control pollution

• Rachel Carson a pioneer who documented her concerns about the global dangers of pesticide abuse in her 1962 book Silent Springwww.rachelcarson.org

Environmental awareness is relatively new

– The biosphere consists of ecosystems composed of • biotic living communities and • abiotic nonliving physical and chemical factors

– Biomes are distinct communities living in a particular climate• Aquatic biomes: fresh water and marine• Terrestrial biomes: 8 eight major ones, each with

own climate and plant life

Abiotic Factors

Determine the biosphere’s structure and dynamics, which include:• Solar energy• Temperature • Water• Nutrients• Other aquatic factors-

• amount of dissolved O2, salinity• Other terrestrial factors- wind

Aquatic Ecosystems

– Oceans cover about 75% of the Earth’s surface– Major factors shaping aquatic communities

Light and the availability of nutrients are the• Salt water (Marine )• Fresh Water

Edge of Continents

Continental Shelves

High waterLow water

Oarweed (to 2 m)

Brain coral(to 1.8 m)Intertidal

zone

Continental shelf

Benthic realm

Photiczone

Apho

tic zo

ne

Pelagic realm

Sea pen(to 45 cm)

(seafloor)

Brittle star(to 60 cm)

Sponges (1 cm to 1 m)

PhytoplanktonZooplankton

Octopus(to 10 m)

Sea spider(1 to 90 cm)

Glasssponge(to 1.8 m)

Sea cucumber(to 40 cm)

Rat-tail fish(to 80 cm)

Tripod fish(to 30 cm)

Man-of-war(to 50 m)

Blue shark(to 2 m)

Turtle(60 to 180 cm)

Sperm whale(10 to 20 m)

Hatchet fish(2 to 60 cm)

Gulper eel(to 180 cm)

Anglerfish(45 cm to 2 m)

200 m

“Twilight”

1,000 to4,000 m

No light

6,000 to10,000 m

Marine Biomes

Marine Biomes: Key Factors• Sunlight and where they live: solid bottom or in open

water• Three ones:

I. Intertidal zoneII. Photic zone (light)

Continental shelf (solid floor)Pelagic zone (open water)

III. Aphotic zone (light)TwilightNo light

Benthic (sea floor) Open water

The intertidal zone: where water meets land – Salt marshes, sand, rocky beaches, and tide pools– Often flooded by high tides and then left dry during

low tides

• The pelagic zone: open ocean– Phytoplankton and zooplankton– Supports highly motile animals such as fishes,

squids, and marine mammals

• The benthic zone: bottom of the ocean– supports organisms based upon water depth and

light penetration

• The photic zone: where light penetrates and photosynthesis occurs

• The aphotic zone: dark region of the ocean – most extensive part of the biosphere– Habitat for a diverse and dense populations

.

• Coral reefs: in warm tropical waters above the continental shelf– support a huge diversity of invertebrates and fishes

• Coral reefs are easily degraded by: – Pollution– Global warming– Native and

introduced predators

– Human souvenir hunters

Freshwater Ecosystems• Include: lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands• Abiotic factors are: Current, sunlight, and nutrients

Wetlands

• Transitional Btwnaquatic & land

• Highly variable• Examples

– Wet mossy bogs and tropical swamps

– Seasonally wet vernal pools

Lost Wetlands of Los Angeles

Estuaries are productive areas where rivers meet the ocean

– The saltiness ranges from <1% to 3% – They provide nursery areas for oysters, crabs, and

many fishes– Rapidly dwindling due to development

Terrestrial Ecosystems• Eight major types of biomes• Distinguished by predominant vegetation• Biomes are influenced by regional climate

Climate• Global climate patterns are determined by

1. Solar energy2. The planet’s movement in space

– The Earth’s tilt causes the seasons– Wind patterns

3. Ocean Currents warms & cools coastal areas- created by winds, planet rotation, unequal heating of surface

waters, and the locations and shapes of continents

4. Mountains

• Regional Climate (temperature and precipitation) influences terrestrial communities

Low angle ofincoming sunlight

Sunlight strikesmost directly

Low angle ofincoming sunlight

Atmosphere60°SSouth Pole

Tropic ofCapricorn30°S

0° (equator)

30°NTropic ofCancer

North Pole60°N

Solar radiation varies with latitude due to the uneven heating of Earth’s surface

23.5°N

23.5°S

Trade winds

Ascendingmoist airreleasesmoisture

Trade winds

Descendingdry airabsorbsMoisture-(westerlies)

Temperatezone

Temperatezone

Tropics

Doldrums0°

Uneven heating causes rain and winds

Descendingdry airabsorbsMoisture-(westerlies)

Prevailing wind patterns – In the tropics, Earth's rapidly moving surface deflects

vertically circulating air, blowing winds from east to west (Trade Winds)

– In temperate zones, the slower-moving surface blows winds from west to east(The westerlies)

Greenland

NorthAmerica

Europe

Africa

Gulf Stream

PacificOcean

AtlanticOcean

South America

Atlantic Ocean currents

EastWinddirection

PacificOcean

CoastRange

SierraNevada

Rain shadowDesert

Rainfall is affected by location of mountains, prevailing winds, and ocean current patterns

If the climate in two geographically separate areas is similar, the same type of biome may occur in both places

Biome Types in relation to temperature and rainfall

http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=4&secNum=2

30°NTropic ofCancer

60°N

Arcticcircle

Equator

Tropic ofCapricorn

30°S

Tropical forestSavannaDesertChaparral

Temperate grasslandTemperate broadleaf forestConiferous forestTundra

High mountainsPolar ice

Major Terrestrial Biomes

www.aresearchguide.com/biomes.htmlhttp://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm

Tropical Rain ForestsSeveral types in the warm, moist belt along the equator– Most diverse ecosystem on Earth– Poor soil growth depend on fast decomposition– Large-scale human destruction of tropical rain forests endangers

many species and may alter world climate

Savannas Drier grasslands with scattered trees in tropical

areas and some non-tropical• Fire-adapted vegetation

DesertsDriest of all terrestrial ecosystems– characterized by low and unpredictable rainfall– Desertification is a significant environmental problem

The Chaparral Biome• Dominated by Spiny shrubs (Southern California) • Characterized by cool, rainy winters and dry, hot

summers• Poor soil low to

moderate diversity– Chaparral vegetation is adapted to periodic fires

Temperate GrasslandsFound in the interiors of the continents, where

winters are cold (croplands of the world)– Excellent soil with moderate to high diversity– Drought, fires, and grazing animals prevent trees from growing– Farms have replaced most of North America’s temperate

grasslands

Temperate Broadleaf ForestsSufficient moisture to support growth of large trees• trees drop leaves in winter• soil excellent with moderate diversity – Almost all the original broadleaf forests in North America

have been drastically altered by agriculture and urban development

Coniferous Forests or Taiga/Boreal• The largest terrestrial biome on Earth• Evergreen with poor soil and low to moderate

diversity (dominated by a few species of trees)• Characterized by long, cold winters and short,

wet summers

The Arctic TundraLies between the taiga and the permanently frozen

polar regions– A treeless biome characterized by long, bitter-cold winters

cold, wind, and permafrost (continuously frozen subsoil)– plants very

low to ground minimal root system

Solarheat Net movement

of water vaporby windWater vapor

over the sea

Precipitationover the land

Water vaporover the land

Precipitationover the sea

Evaporationfrom the sea

Evaporationandtranspiration

Flow of waterfrom land to sea

Surfacewater andgroundwater

Oceans

The global water cycle connects aquatic and terrestrial biomes