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Chapter Outline
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Biosphere Ecosystem
Parts of the earth's air,water, and soil where life is found A community of different species interacting with one another and with their nonliving environment of matter and energy Populations of different species living in a particular place, and potentially interacting with each other A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular place An individual living being. It is the most fundamental unit of ecology
Community
Population Organism
Cell Molecule
Water
The fundamental structural and functional unit of life Chemical combination of two or more atoms of the same or different elements Smallest unit of a chemical element that exhibits its chemical properties Stepped Art
Fig. 3-5, p. 58
Atom
Hydrogen Oxygen
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and the abiotic conditions that this community lives upon. It is a community where populations of different species interact with one another and with their nonliving environment.
Humans are an integral part of ecosystems Components of an Ecosystem: Biotic community or a biota is a grouping of
physical factors that support and limit the growth of a community. Ex: water, moisture, climate, salinity
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Make their own food from compounds and energy obtained from their environment. Are the basic source of all food Mostly green plants on land, algae in water Capture sunlight to produce their food through photosynthesis Some organisms such as deep ocean bacteria draw energy from hydrothermal vents and produce carbohydrates from hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas through chemosynthesis .
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on other organisms, i.e. organic matter, as a source of nutrients and energy. Primary consumers: herbivores Secondary consumers: carnivores Third and higher level consumers: carnivores that feed on other carnivores Omnivores: feed on both plants and animals
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Decomposers:
Mostly
some bacteria and fungi, known also as primary detritus feeders, are specialized in recycling nutrients in ecosystems, i.e. feeding on dead organisms and their products. Degrade organic matter into simpler and inorganic compounds through a metabolic activity called rotting Secondary detritus feeders, such as insects, mites and worms, feed on primary detritus feeders. Without the decomposers the planet would be knee-deep in plant litter, dead animals, animal wastes and garbage
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Detritus feeders
Decomposers
Carpenter Termite Bark beetle ant galleries engraving carpenter ant work
Time progression
Fig. 3-10, p. 61
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All the earths ecosystems together constitute the biosphere, the global ecosystem where all life is interconnected Ecosystems are not isolated from each others, and rarely have boundaries between each others. Species can move and live in more than one ecosystem at different times, like migrating birds This transitional region between one ecosystem and the other is called an ecotone It is the study of ecosystems and how living organisms interact with each others and with their non-living environment.
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Earth has just the right physical and chemical conditions to allow the Development of life as we know it:
Temperature Water Size of the earth Gravity Atmospheric oxygen Biodiversity Sustainability.
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What is Biodiversity
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Terrestrial Biomes
The Earth Major Biomes: A simplified diagram explaining how climate determines the types and amounts of natural vegetation found in our planet:
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Terrestrial Biomes
Biomes: are large terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate, soil, plants, and animals; regardless of where they are found in the world. Each biome consist of different ecosystems. land biomes: desert, grassland, chaparral, forest and mountain biomes. Aquatic biomes: saltwater and freshwater biomes
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Terrestrial Biomes
Similar changes occur in vegetation type when we travel from the equator to the poles (latitude) or from low lands to mountains (altitude).
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A.
Terrestrial Biomes
Desert Biomes: A desert is an area where evaporation exceeds precipitation. Annual precipitation is low Deserts cover about 30% of the earths land and are found mostly in tropical and sub-tropical regions, in the interiors of the continents.
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Grasslands have enough precipitation to support grasses but not enough to support large stands of trees. They are found in tropical, temperate, and polar regions, mostly in the interiors of the continents
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B.
Terrestrial Biomes
Chaparral Biomes:
Chaparral biomes have a moderate climate but their dense vegetation and spiny shrubs are subject to periodic fires. It is located in many coastal regions Soil is thin and very fertile Chaparral has a nice climate but is a risky place to live.
Forests have enough precipitation to support dense vegetation and trees. Forests are found in tropical, temperate, and polar regions.
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C.
Terrestrial Biomes
V. Aquatic Biomes
We live on a water planet; most of it is saltwater: about 71% of the earths surface Aquatic life zones are classified in to two major types according to their salinity: 1. Marine or saltwater (estuaries, coastlines, coral reefs, oceans, mangrove swamps) 2. Freshwater (lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, wetlands) These aquatic systems play a major role in earths biological productivity, climate, biochemical cycles and biodiversity. They provide us with fish, oil, natural gas, minerals, Ocean Landocean recreation, transportation routes, and many other hemisphere hemisphere economically important goods and services.
Fig. 8-2, p. 169
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Aquatic Systems
V.
Aquatic Biomes
Life in aquatic zones in layers: Aquatic zones are divided into three layers: surface, middle , and bottom depending on important environmental factors that determine type of living organisms in each layer. These factors are:
Temperature Access to sunlight for photosynthesis Dissolved oxygen content Availability of nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus)
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Aquatic Biomes
Saltwater Life Zones Oceans occupy most of the earth surface and provide many ecological and economic services. Oceans have two major life zones: a) Coastal zones (most of the action is) Estuaries and coastal wetlands (centers of productivity) Mangrove forests Rocky and sandy shores (living with the tides) Coral reefs (biological treasures) b) Open sea (light rules)
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Aquatic Biomes
Saltwater Life Zones: a) Coastal Zones. They make up less than 10% of the worlds ocean area but contain 90% of all marine species. They are warm, nutrient-rich, with ample supplies of sunlight, shallow waters that extend from the high-tide mark on land to the gently sloping shallow edge of the continental shelf
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Euphotic Zone
50 100 200
Bathyal Zone
Water temperature drops rapidly between the euphotic zone and the abyssal zone in an area called the thermocline .
Aquatic Biomes
0 5 10 15 20 Water temperature (C) 25 30
10,000
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Aquatic Biomes
Madagascars River as it flows into Mozambique Channel
a) Coastal Zones: Estuaries Estuaries are coastal zones where rivers meet the sea. They are enclosed water bodies where sea water mixes with fresh water as well as nutrients, pollutants, and runoff from land. Among the most productive ecosystems in the world because of high nutrient inputs from rivers and nearby land, rapid circulation of nutrients from tidal flows, presence of many plants, and ample sunlight penetration. Life in estuaries adapt to significant daily and seasonal changes in tides and river flows.
Darkness
Abyssal Zone
2,000
Twilight
Photosynthesis
Depth in meters 0
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Aquatic Biomes
Saltwater Life Zones: a) Coastal Zones: Mangrove They are found in tropical and subtropical regions Mangrove trees grow in saltwater and have extensive roots growing above the water where they can get oxygen.
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Aquatic Biomes
Saltwater Life Zones: a) Coastal Zones: Mangrove Importance of these coastal aquatic ecosystems: Filter toxic pollutants, excess plant nutrients, sediments, and other pollutants Reduce storm damage by absorbing waves Store excess water produced by tsunamis Provide food, habitats, and nursery sites for a various aquatic species. More than a third of the worlds mangrove forests are destroyed for aquaculture (Bangladesh)
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Aquatic Biomes
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Aquatic Biomes
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Aquatic Biomes
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Aquatic Biomes
Coral reefs provide numerous free ecological and economic services: Ecologically: -Help moderate atmospheric temperatures by removing CO2 -Act as natural barriers to protect 15% of the coastlines from erosion -Provide habitats for a variety of marine organisms. Economically: Produce >1/10th of the global fish catch Provide jobs and building materials for the worlds poorest countries Support touristic industries worth billions of dollars each year. One major problem facing coral reefs: Coral Bleaching
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Aquatic Biomes
Saltwater Life Zones: b) Open Sea: On the basis of the penetration of sunlight, the open sea is divided into three zones:
The euphotic zone is the brightly lit upper zone where floating phytoplankton carry out photosynthesis The bathyal zone is the dimly lit middle zone. No photosynthesis occurs there. Organisms populating this layer migrate to feed on the surface at night. The abyssal zone is the lowest zone. It is dark, cold and has little dissolved oxygen; yet contain enough nutrients to support the life of a large number of species.
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Some
Aquatic Biomes
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2.
Aquatic Biomes
Freshwater Life zones Freshwater life zones include standing bodies of freshwater like: lakes, ponds, wetlands; and flowing bodies like: rivers, and streams. Freshwater life zones constitute only 1% of the earth surface They provide a number of ecological and economic services
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Aquatic Biomes
Freshwater Life zones: lakes. lakes are large natural bodies of standing freshwater formed when precipitation, runoff, and groundwater seepage fill depressions in the earths surface. Lakes vary in size, depth, and nutrient content. Deep lakes consist of four distinct zones:
Littoral zone (near shore, shallow, with rooted plants) Limnetic zone (open, offshore area, sunlit) Profundal zone (deep, open water, no photosynthesis) Benthic zone (bottom of lake, dead matter)
Pond snail
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Littoral zone
Northern pike
Bloodworms
Fig. 8-16, p. 182
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Aquatic Biomes
With time, sediments, excessive supply of nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) form: eutrophic lakes
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Aquatic Biomes
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Aquatic Biomes
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Aquatic Biomes
Marshes
Swamp
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