ECOSYSTEMS (BIOMES) PP

TWO TYPES TWO TYPES Terrestrial Aquatic

TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

TUNDRA Cold with really long winters Very little rain Permafrost, nutrient poor from slow decay Treeless and small plants

TAIGA Cold with long winters Soil is low in nutrients Evergreen trees

RAINFORESTS Warm to hot Moist soil but low in nutrients Year round growing Very diverse Near equator Contains 1/5 of world’s species

TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST Seasons Warmer winters and longer summers as compared to Taiga Broad leaved trees and dense shrubs

TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS Rich and fertile soil/ farmland Mostly grasses Same latitude as TDF but Interior of continents

SAVANNAS warm to hot More rain than deserts Low in nutrients and thin topsoil Tall grasses and scattered trees alternating wet and dry seasons

CHAPPARAL Mild rainy winters and dry hot summers Middle latitudes near coasts (Southern CA) Dense shrubs and scattered trees

DESERTS Extremely cold to extreme hot Dry, sandy, and nutrient poor soil Sparse, small plants Plants modified with waxy leaves

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

OCEANIC Photic vs Aphotic : sunlight vs no sunlight in areas with sunlight organisms can undergo photosynthesis and therefore are the most productive Pelagic: open ocean Benthic: bottom of ocean with many decaying organisms and detritivores

NERITIC Rich in plankton photic Nutrient rich due to upwelling from the bottom of the ocean

INTERTIDAL Organisms adapted to air exposure Animals: sea stars, urchins, mussel etc.

ESTUARIES Where rivers flow into the ocean Plenty of light River deposits lots of minerals and nutrients Rich in species

RIVERS and Streams Freshwater that flows down a gradient Organisms adapted to withstand current Slow moving rivers are richer Supports fish, amphibians, mammals, and birds

Lakes and Ponds Eutrophic- rich in organic matter, murky water, eventually leads to low O2 levels Oligotrophic- little organic matter, water is clear Animals: fish, muskrat, turtles, snakes, and birds