E3 - Biomes

Ecologists ex: in aquatic systems you may identify the temperature, number and types of fish

Holistic approach This is when the system as a whole is emphasized In other words emphasis is put on knowing how the parts work together not the tiny detail of each factor

Can be the size of a drop of water or the entire ocean Ecosystems thus can occur within ecosystems

biome

biosphere

• tooth • mouth • lips • stomach

WHOLE planet! The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists—all ecosystems.

Lithosphere Atmosphere Hydrosphere

The lithosphere is the rocky outer part of the Earth. It is made up of the brittle crust and the top part of the upper mantle. The lithosphere is the coolest and most rigid part of the Earth.

Earth’s atmosphere is composed of about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, and 0.1 percent other gases. Trace amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and neon are some of the other gases that make up the remaining 0.1 percent.

A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere includes water that is on the surface of the planet, underground, and in the air. A planet’s hydrosphere can be liquid, vapor, or ice. On Earth, liquid water exists on the surface in the form of oceans, lakes and rivers.

Tundra is the dominant land type of the Arctic and subarctic regions. Tundra along the Colville River, Alaska. Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons. wintery mountains snow deer yellowish-redish-greenish clear land Biotic factors within the Tundra include: low shrubs, carnivores such as polar bears, arctic foxes, wolves, and insects. Abiotic factors include temperature, precipitation, weather, rocks, and snow. The tundra biome is the coldest biome of all biomes. It’s known for its cold temperatures, little precipitation and short growing seasons. In addition, because of the extreme weather, there is a layer permanently frozen beneath the surface called permafrost

Canada’s boreal forest covers almost 60% of the country’s land area Canada’s boreal forest: Is the world’s largest intact forest ecosystem. It stretches across 1.2 billion acres (485 million hectares) of northern Canada, from the Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador. Represents 25 percent of the world’s remaining intact forest, even more than the Amazon rain forest. • GREEN trees • Rivers • Ecosystems • lots of life Biotic and Abiotic Factors within the System Biotic: Trees, moss, beavers, birds, insects, fish Abiotic: Soil, water, weather, sunlight Characteristics of the Biome/Part of the Biosphere Cold winters Moist summers 50 to 100 frost-free days/year Lots of wetland = lots of freshwater Key Facts about System Protected by the government Big part of Canada’s environment Important for the world Purifies water and air Stores carbon Balances climate Any environmental concerns Lots of development happening in southern part (Ex. Oil or gas) Animals lose habitats Climate change Affecting environment and animals - have to try to adapt Logging is a big problem

What’s a temperate deciduous forest? The temperate deciduous forest is an ever-changing type of forest. (RS) Experiences and changes throughout all 4 seasons (RS) Usually gets 30-60 inches of precipitation yearly; they have a plethora of moisture. (RT) Diverse in animals; insects, frogs, turtles, foxes, and deers appear often in this biome (RT) Lichen, moss, ferns, wild flowers, shrubs, maple trees, oak trees, birch trees, spruce trees, pine trees, and many more biotic components make up the biome. (MT) Rocks, soil, water, sunshine, climate, rain, hills, temperature, and air masses are examples of abiotic factors. (MT) Although found in Canada, it’s also found in Eastern United States, Europe, Eastern Australia, China and Japan (SO) To survive, animals in deciduous forests must adapt to the seasons. (SO)

Biotic factors: Grass, trees, bushes, animals etc Abiotic factors: Rocks, dirt, river etc Characteristics of the Biome The grasslands has a lack of rainfall/dry climate throughout the year, leading to lack of nutrients in the soil. With it’s soil it also has poor vegetation growth. Grasslands can have frequent fire due to its climate. Key Facts about System Only 25% of Canada’s grasslands remain Most of Canada’s grasslands are gone due to humans Grasslands are stretched from Alberta to Manitoba Grasslands are found throughout the Earth except Antarctica

Canada has 7% of the world’s renewable freshwater Biotic factors of a freshwater biome can include algae, fisn, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic plants Freshwater biome has less than %1 of salt content Abiotic factors can include temperature, climate, altitude, light, precipitation, and chemicals in the soil and water.