The Biosphere - ecosystems, ecological succession - land and water biomes -energy nutrients cycle through the biosphere

Earth: A Living Planet Ecology-the study of the interactions of organisms with one another and with their physical surroundings

Biosphere the part of the Earth in which life exists includes all areas of land, air, and water on the planet and life 8 km above Earth’s surface to 8 km below ocean surface

Ecosystems biosphere large, complex, difficult to study Ecosystem-given area’s physical features and living organisms abiotic and biotic factors ecosystems are connected by both living and nonliving features

Community organisms living together in an ecosystem

Ecological Succession ecosystems change over time every organism affects environmental conditions around it ecological succession-an existing community of organisms is replaced by a different community over periods of time

Ecological Succession pioneer species-species that colonize in a place where no living community existed before

Ecological Succession Each species that moves in changes the environment in its own way Succession often leads to a fairly stable collection of organisms-climax community

Land Biomes biome- an environment that has a characteristic climax community land and aquatic

Tundra Northern North America, Asia, Europe Northern most land biome nearly treeless covered by mosses, lichen, grasses few stunted trees

Tundra animals migrate here during summer Caribou, reindeer, wolves, foxes, mosquitoes, birds

Tundra Permafrost permanently frozen subsoil thawing and freezing keeps plants small and stunted

Taiga North America and Asia, part of Norway and Sweeden Mountain ranges

Taiga Giant Red Woods

Taiga winters are cold summers are mild allow animals and plants to reproduce black bears, grizzlies, wolves, moose, elk, voles, wolverines, grouse