Ecosystems on Land To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle, every cubic inch of space is a miracle, every square yard of the surface of the Earth is spread with the same. - Walt Whitman

Organization of the Environment The biosphere is the part of the Earth that supports life. Scattered throughout the biosphere is a wide range of habitats– dry deserts, lush rainforests, even dark caves. Each of these areas, called biomes, has its own unique geography and climate.

What is a Biome? Biome – group of ecosystems that share similar abiotic and biotic factors Share a primary climate Have plants and animals with similar adaptations

Climate vs. Weather Climate – the average conditions over long periods in a given area Includes temperature and precipitation Climatograph – pictorial representation of an area’s climate Weather – the day-to-day conditions in Earth’s atmosphere “Sunny and humid” or “partly cloudy and cold” are examples of weather statements

Climatographs A climatograph is a combination precipitation and temperature graph for a given biome. The average monthly precipitation for the area is displayed as a bar graph. The average monthly temperature is displayed as a line graph.

Abiotic Influences of an Ecosystem The two most significant abiotic factors that influence life in a biome are temperature and precipitation.

As the latitude, or distance away from the equator, increases, average temperature tends to decrease.

Latitude is measured in degrees north or south of the equator.

As the altitude, or elevation from sea level increases, average temperatures decrease.

Biomes and Organisms The same biome tends to have the same organisms living in it – regardless of location on Earth This is the result of natural selection – the same types of organisms are likely to adapt to similar climate conditions