AP Biology Earth’s biomes

AP Biology Environmental factors  Abiotic factors  non-living chemical & physical factors  temperature  light  water  nutrients  Biotic factors  living components  animals  plants

AP Biology Marine intertidal coral reef benthos

AP Biology Tropical rainforest distribution: equatorial precipitation: very wet temperature: always warm characteristics: many plants & animals, thin soil

AP Biology Savanna distribution: equatorial precipitation: seasonal, dry season/wet season temperature: always warm characteristics: fire-adapted, drought tolerant plants; herbivores; fertile soil

AP Biology Desert distribution: 30°N & S latitude band precipitation: almost temperature: variable daily & seasonally, hot & cold characteristics: sparse vegetation & animals, cacti, succulents, drought tolerant, reptiles, insects, rodents, birds

AP Biology Temperate Grassland distribution: mid-latitudes, mid-continents precipitation: seasonal, dry season/wet season temperature: cold winters/hot summers characteristics: prairie grasses, fire-adapted, drought tolerant plants; many herbivores; deep, fertile soil

AP Biology Temperate Deciduous Forest distribution: mid-latitude, northern hemisphere precipitation: adequate, summer rains, winter snow temperature: moderate warm summer/cool winter characteristics: many mammals, insects, birds, etc.; deciduous trees; fertile soils

AP Biology Coniferous Forest (Taiga) distribution: high-latitude, northern hemisphere precipitation: adequate to dry (temperate rain forest on coast) temperature: cool year round characteristics: conifers; diverse mammals, birds, insects, etc.

AP Biology Arctic Tundra distribution: arctic, high-latitude, northern hemisphere precipitation: dry temperature: cold year round characteristics: permafrost, lichens & mosses, migrating animals & resident herbivores

AP Biology Alpine Tundra distribution: high elevation at all latitudes precipitation: dry temperature: cold year round characteristics: permafrost, lichens, mosses, grasses; migrating animals & resident herbivores

AP Biology What have we done!

AP Biology Impact of ecology as a science  Ecology provides a scientific context for evaluating environmental issues  Rachel Carson, in 1962, in her book, Silent Spring, warned that use of pesticides such as DDT was causing population declines in many non-target organisms

AP Biology Barry Commoner’s Laws of Ecology  Everything is connected to everything else  Everything must go somewhere  there is no such place as “away”  Nature knows best  There is no such thing as a free lunch Laws of Unintended Consequences

AP Biology Acid Precipitation  nitrogen oxides  sulfur dioxide  power plants  industry  transportation

AP Biology Acid rain

AP Biology BioMagnification

AP Biology BioMagnification  PCBs  General Electric manufacturing plant on Hudson River  PCBs in sediment  striped bass nesting areas

AP Biology Carbon Dioxide Global Warming

AP Biology CO 2 NO x methane

AP Biology Ozone Depletion protects from UV rays

AP Biology Ozone Depletion

AP Biology Ozone Depletion  Loss of ozone above Antarctica

AP Biology Bad ozone vs. good ozone

AP Biology Deforestation  Loss of habitat  Loss of biodiversity

AP Biology Loss of Diversity  3 levels of biodiversity  ecosystem diversity  different habitats across landscape  community diversity  mix of species  genetic diversity  inbreeding with shrinking populations  All decreased by human activity

AP Biology Driven to extinction

AP Biology Introduced species  Introduced species  transplanted populations grow exponentially in new area  non-native species out-compete native species  lack of competitors & predators  reduce diversity  examples  African honeybee  gypsy moth  zebra mussel  purple loosestrife kudzu gypsy moth

AP Biology Zebra mussel ~2 months

AP Biology Purple loosestrife

AP Biology Purple loosestrife  Non-native species out-compete native species  lack of competitors & predators  reducing diversity  causing loss of food & nesting sites for animals  Video Video

AP Biology Overexploitation North Atlantic bluefin tuna

AP Biology Biodiversity hot spots

AP Biology Restoration projects

AP Biology Think Globally, Act Locally Any Questions??