APES UNIT 04 Energy, Succession & Biomes

Chapter 8 Biomes

Earth’s Biomes The Earth has 17 major biomes, each with its own characteristic dominant shapes and forms of life. Most biomes have been heavily altered by human action. People have introduced exotic species ( invasive species ) to new habitats – sometimes creating benefits, most often creating problems.

Earth’s Biomes

Biome Handout Please use the biome handout with your text to help you to understand and memorize the characteristics of each biome. Remember to color/mark where each biome is on the world map. Please also make sure that you also research at least TWO human impacts on each biomes as well as endangered species in each area. This will replace questions 8 & 9 in your study guide.

17 Major Biomes 1.Tundras - treeless plains that occur in the harsh climates of low rainfall and low average temperature - two types: artic tundra and alpine tundra - parts have permafrost: permanently frozen ground 2. Taiga or Boreal Forests - includes the forests of the cold climates of high latitudes and high altitudes - dominant life forms including moose and other large mammals, small flowering plants and coniferous trees 3.Temperate Deciduous Forests - occur in warmer climates than the boreal forest - bread leaved trees as opposed to confers 4. Temperate Rainforest - moderate temperatures, over 250 cm/year of rain

5. Temperate Woodlands - slightly drier climate that the deciduous forests - fire is common and species adapt to it 6. Temperate Shrublands - also called chaparral: miniature woodlands - fire is also common here and vegetation is well adapted to it. 7. Temperate Grasslands - include many North American prairies - too dry for forests, but too moist for deserts. Fire is common. 8. Tropical Rain Forests - high average temperature and rainfall -largest amount of diversity of any biome 9. Tropical Seasonal Forest and Savannas - high average temperature, low latitudes, abundant but seasonal rainfall, fire is also seen here. 10. Deserts - The driest region that vegetation can survive. Less than 50cm/year rainfall.

11. Wetlands Include freshwater swaps, marshes and bogs All have standing water 12. Freshwaters Have phytoplankton and estuaries 13. Intertidal Areas Areas exposed to alternately to air during low tide and high tide 14. Open Ocean Also called the pelagic region 15. Bethos Bottom portion of the ocean 16. Upwellings Upward flows of ocean water 17. Hydrothermal Vents Occur in the deep ocean were plate tectonic processes create vents

Chapter 9 Biological Productivity and Energy Flow

Biological Production Biomass - the total amount of organic matter on Earth or in any ecosystem. Measured in terms of mass per unit of space. Examples: kg/hectare or MT (metric tons)/hectare or g/m 2 (square meter). Biological Production - the capture of usable energy from the environment to produce organic compounds in which that energy in stored. Two types. Measured by the amount of food produced per area per time period. Examples: gram/m2/day or kg/ hectare/day.

Two Kinds of Biological Production 1. Primary Production Make their own organic matter from a source of energy and an inorganic compound Carried out by autotrophs and chemoautothrophs Examples: photosynthesis & chemosynthesis 2. Secondary Production Cannot make their own organic compounds and therefore must feed on other living things Carried out by heterotrophs

Respiration: –the use of biomass to release energy that can be used to do work –In other words, the use of energy from organic matter by most heterotrophic and autotrophic organisms is accomplished through respiration. –An organic compound such as sugar is combined with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water. – Compare to photosynthesis. Do you remember the formula for photosynthesis and the formula for respiration? Respiration

Energy Lost as Heat

Gross and Net Production The production of biomass and it’s use as a source of energy by autotrophs includes three steps: 1.Gross Production : An organism produces organic matter within it’s body 2.It uses some of this new organic matter as a fuel in respiration 3.It stores some of the newly produced organic matter for future use The amount left over after utilization is called Net Production Net Production (NPP) = Gross Production (GPP)- Respiration (R a )

Energy Flow Ecosystem Energy Flow –The movement of energy through an ecosystem from the external environment through a series of organisms and back to the external environment

The Laws of Thermodynamics 1 st Law of Thermodynamics - (the law of conservation of energy ) - Energy is neither created nor destroyed. It is merely changed from one form to another 2 nd Law of Thermodynamics - Energy always changes from a more useful, higher quality from to a less useful, lower quality form Thermodynamic System - Formed by an energy source, ecosystem and energy sink, where the ecosystem is said to be an intermediate system between the energy source and the energy sink (degraded heat energy)

Energy Efficiency and Transfer Efficiency Energy Efficiency -the ratio of output to input, or the amount of useful work obtained by some amount of available energy. Trophic-level efficiency - Also known as food chain efficiency. - It is an ecological measure of energy efficiency - the ratio of production of one trophic level to the production of the next lower trophic level

Energy Pyramid of Trophic- Level Efficiency 10 percent of the energy at one level of a food web is transferred to the next, higher, level. The other 90 percent of the energy is used for the organism's life processes or is lost as heat to the environment. Question: How many kcals would transfer to the 4 th order consumer if there was one? QUESTION: Why are there so few organisms at the top of the pyramid? See page 173

Energy Pyramids Continued The organisms at higher feeding levels of an energy pyramid do not necessarily require less energy to live than organisms at lower levels. Since so much energy is lost at each level, the amount of energy in the producer level limits the number of consumers the ecosystem can support. As a result, there usually are few organisms at the highest level in a food web and increasingly more organisms as you move down the energy pyramid to successively lower feeding levels.

Critical Thinking Questions Apply what you have learned: Please read the article on page 173 and answer the 5 critical thinking questions.

Chapter 10 Ecological Restoration

The Balance of Nature –An environmental myth that states that the natural environment, when not influenced by human activity, will reach a constant status, unchanging over time. –Biomes have reached some consistency and this is known as a climax community, but this is different from climax state, which according to the Balance of Nature would continue indefinitely. –In truth ecosystems do change – think about the biomes that require fire.

What needs to be restored? As we have been studying, biomes and the ecosystems within have been undergoing degradation and are in great need of restoration. Examples from your text: 1.Wetlands, Rivers and Streams (Ex: Kissimmee River, Everglades National Park) 2.Prairie Restoration (Ex: Allwine Prairie)

When Nature Restores Itself: The Process of Ecological Succession Ecological Succession: The process of the development of an ecological community or ecosystem. Two Types : 1.Primary Succession: The initial establishment and development of an ecosystem. No previous life exists. Pioneer species are the first. 2.Secondary Succession: The reestablishment of an ecosystem where there are remnants of a previous biological community

Which is which and why?

Patterns in Succession 1.An initial kind of vegetation specially adapted to the unstable conditions 2.Small plants and other early-successional species grow and seeds spread rapidly. 3.Larger plants and other late successional species enter and begin to dominate the site. 4.A mature forest develops. Examples of Succession: Dune Succession, Bog Succession, Old-Field Succession

Bog Succession

Reproductive Strategies R-strategists –Many offspring, low parental care, reproduce rapidly –Read reproductive age early, low survival rate, short lifespan, short generation time –Seen in unstable environments – often pioneer species –________ successional species, opportunists, type _______ –Generalists, Also prone to population crashes when competitive species move in. –Example: dandelions K-strategists –Few offspring, reproduce late –Mature slowly –High survival rate –High parental care –Seen in stable environments –Specialists –__________ successional species –More prone to extinction –Example: gorilla Survivorship curve

Survivorship Curve Type I survivorship curves are for species that have a high survival rate of the young, live out most of their expected life span and die in old age. –Humans are a good example of a species with a Type I survivorship curve. Type II survivorship curves are for species that have a relatively constant death rate throughout their life span. Death could be due to hunting or diseases. –Examples of species exhibiting a Type II survivorship curve are coral, squirrels, honey bees and many reptiles. Type III survivorship curves are found in species that have many young, most of which die very early in their life. –Plants, oysters and sea urchins are examples of species that have Type III survivorship curves.

Species Change in Succession Earlier and later species in succession may interact in three ways: If they do not interact, the result is termed chronic patchiness – where the species that enters first remains until the next time the ecosystem is disturbed.

1. Facilitation During succession, one species prepares the way for the next (and may even be necessary for the occurrence of the next) Example: The pine tree provides the shade to allow the oak to grow.

2. Interference During succession, one species prevents the entrance of a later species into an ecosystem. Ex) Some grasses produce dense and thick mats so the seeds of trees cannot reach the soil to germinate

Life History Difference The difference in the life histories of the species allow some time to arrive first and grow quickly, while others arrive late and grow more slowly.