Communities

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Communities Biomes

• What determines what lives in a specific area?

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Limiting factors

• Def any environmental factor (whether abiotic
  or biotic) that restricts the existence, numbers,
  reproduction, or distribution of organisms in an
  ecosystem.
• (Ex. Amount of food, predators, temperature)
• Factors that limit one population may also have
  an indirect effect on another population.

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Biomes

• A large group of ecosystems that share the same
  type of climax community

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Types of biomes

• Aquatic 1. marine biomes (saltwater)
• 2. freshwater biomes
• Terrestrial 3. tundra
• 4. taiga (coniferous forest)
• 5. desert
• 6. grassland
• 7. temperate forest (deciduous forest)
• 8. tropical rain forest

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Marine Biomes

• Oceans contain the largest amount of living
  material (biomass) of all of the biomes but
  most of them are microscopic orgs!!!
• Photic Zone Light
• Aphotic Zone No Light

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Freshwater Biomes

• EX. Lakes, ponds, rivers, streams
• Light penetration affects productivity
• (amount of life present)
• But, bottoms of lakes and ponds have decay taking
  place (dead orgs drift to bottom, bacteria break
  them down and form detritus),

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Figure 50.24 The distribution of major
terrestrial biomes
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Figure 20.25h Tundra
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Tundra Abiotic Factors

• strong winds low precipitation
• short and soggy summer season, but long days
  (Short Growing Season)
• long, cold, dark winters with short periods of
  winter sunlight
• Permafrost permanently frozen ground under the
  topsoil
• poorly developed soil with very little nutrients
  (Slow Decay Process) - Cycle of freezing and
  thawing rips and crushes plant roots, so plants
  are small and stunted

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Tundra

• Geographic distribution northern N.A., Asia and
  Europe, One of two biomes that circle poles,
  closest one to poles
• Dominant Plants TREELESS LAND mosses, lichens,
  sedges, short grasses (ground-hugging)
• Dominant wildlife birds and mammals that can
  withstand harshness migratory waterfowl, shore
  birds, musk ox, Arctic fox, caribou small
  rodents

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Figure 20.25g Coniferous forests
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Taiga/Boreal/Coniferous Forests

• Abiotic factors
• long, cold winters short, mild summers
• moderate precipitation high humidity
• acidic, mineral-poor soil
• Geographic distribution N.A., Asia, Northern
  Europe (Circles the poles)

13
Tiaga, Boreal or Coniferous Forest

• Dominant Plants
• needleleaf coniferous trees, broadleaf deciduous
  trees small, berry-bearing shrubs
• Dominant Wildlife
• predators like lynx and timberwolves weasel
  family herbivorous mammals (large and small)
  beavers migratory songbirds

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Figure 20.25f Temperate deciduous forest
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Temperate/Deciduous forest

• Abiotic factors
• 70-150 cm annual precipitation (Year Round)
• cold to moderate winters, warm summers,
• Soil has top layer that is rich in humus, deeper
  layer of clay. If minerals are not taken up by
  plants roots, the minerals get into clay and are
  trapped
• Geographic distribution eastern U.S.,
  southeastern Canada, most of Europe, parts of
  Japan, China, and Australia

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Temperate/Deciduous Forests

• Dominant plants broadleaf deciduous trees, some
  conifers, flowering shrubs, herbs, mosses and
  ferns
• Dominant wildlife deer, black bears, bobcats,
  nut and acorn feeders, omnivores (raccoons and
  skunks), songbirds, turkeys
• Many animals live here year round

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Figure 50.25b Savanna
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Figure 50.25bx Savanna
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Savanna

• Abiotic factors warm temps, seasonal rainfall,
  compact soil, frequent fires due to lightning
• Dominant plants tall, perennial grasses,
  drought- and fire-resistant shrubs and trees
• Dominant wildlife predators (lions, leopards,
  cheetahs, hyenas, jackals), herbivores
  (elephants, giraffes, antelopes, zebras), birds
  (eagles, ostriches, weaver birds, storks),
  insects (termites)
• Geographic distribution large parts of eastern
  Africa, southern Brazil, northern Australia

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Figure 50.25e Temperate grassland
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Grasslands

• Abiotic factors
• warm to hot summers, cold winters
• moderate, seasonal prec (25 and 75 cm )
• fertile soils (Good humus content in soil)
• fires
• Geographic distribution central Asia, N.A.,
  Australia, central Europe, upland plateaus of
  S.A.
• Other names prairies, steppes, savannas, pampas
• Occupies more area than any other terrestrial
  biome

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Grasslands

• Dominant plants lush, perennial grasses and
  herbs, resistant to drought and fire.
• Dominant wildlife predators (coyotes, badgers,
  wolves, grizzly bear) herbivores (deer,
  antelope, rabbits, prairie dogs, bison) birds
  (hawks, owls, bobwhite), insects (ants and
  grasshoppers)

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Figure 50.25c Deserts
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Deserts

• Abiotic factors
• Hot days and cold nights
• Soil rich in minerals BUT poor in organic
  material
• Driest of all biomes -- lt 25 cm rainfall per
  year but, other than this, deserts vary greatly
  
• Geographic distribution Africa, Asia, Middle
  East, U.S., Mexico, S.A., Australia

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Deserts

• Dominant plants
• Little to no plant life Adapted for holding on
  in shifting sand and with little water available
  has a short life cycle
• Cacti and succulents, creosote bush
• Dominant wildlife
• predators (mtn lions, fox, bobcats, coyote, hawk,
  scorpion, snake, lizard, bats, insects)
• herbivores (deer, antelope, sheep, rats)
• Rodents are present, but these small herbivores
  stay hidden in day, come out at night nocturnal

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Figure 50.25a Tropical forests
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Tropical Rain Forests

• Abiotic factors
• Hot and wet year-round, thin, nutrient-poor soil
• Nutrients are tied up in living material very
  few nutrients are held in the soil because
  decomposers break down dead stuff very quickly
• Geographic distribution Near the Equator
• Parts of South and Central America, Southeast
  Asia, parts of Africa, southern India,
  northeastern Australia

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Tropical Rain Forests

• Home to more species than any other biome on
  earth (lots of different habitat possibilities)
• Dominant plants
• Broad-leaved evergreen trees, ferns, large woody
  vines, climbing plants, orchids and bromeliads
• Dominant wildlife
• Mammals (jaguars, sloth, monkeys)
• lots of birds (parrots, toucans)
• insects (butterflies, ants, beetles)
• piranhas and other freshwater fishes, reptiles,
  and snakes