1. Ecosystems

2. What is an ecosystem? Ecosystem is a system of living things that interact with each other and with the physical world. A Biome is a collection of related ecosystems.

3. Main Ecosystems: Desert Rainforest Ocean Taiga Tundra Chaparral Grassland Temperate Forrest

4. Major Biomes

5. Savanna comprised mostly of grasses and a few scattered trees. They cover half the surface of Africa, large areas of Australia, South America, and India.

6. Chaparral vegetation consisting chiefly of tangled shrubs and thorny bushes.

7. Tropical Forest The tropical rain forest is a forest of tall trees in a region of year-round warmth. An average of 50 to 260 inches (125 to 660 cm.) of rain falls yearly.

8. Temperate Broadleaf Forest In regions where rainfall is broadly distributed throughout the year, deciduous trees mix with species of evergreens. Species such as oak, beech, birch, and maple.

9. Temperate Grasslands The most important plants in this biome are grasses! Temperate grasslands have some of the darkest, richest soils in the world.

10. Ocean Zones

11. Estuaries Where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the sea.

12. However…….. An ecosystem can be as large as the Sahara Desert, or as small as a puddle!!! Ecosystems are more than just the organisms they contain. Geography,weather,climate and geologic factors also influence the interactions within an ecosystem.

13. Balance Ecosystems will fail if they do not remain in balance. Ecosystems will fail if they do not remain in balance. No community can carry more organisms than its food, water and shelter can accommodate. No community can carry more organisms than its food, water and shelter can accommodate.