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15.3 KEY CONCEPT Biomes are land-based, global communities of organisms.
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Earth has six major biomes. Rainforest Grassland (tropical and temperate) Desert Temperate Forest (deciduous and rain) Taiga Tundra There are a variety of ecosystems in each biome. The biomes are characterized by abiotic factors The same biomes in different areas of earth have similar plant and animal species. Ex: tropical rainforest (Brazil and Madagascar)
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Tropical rain forest biomes produce lush forests. –warm temperature –abundant precipitation all year Source: World Meteorological Organization
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–Temperate grasslands are dry and warm during the summer; most precipitation falls as snow. Grassland biomes are where the primary plant life is grass. –Tropical grasslands are warm through the year, with definite dry and rainy seasons. Rapid City, South Dakota
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Desert biomes are characterized by a very arid climate. –very low amount of precipitation –four types: hot, semi- arid, coastal, and cold Tucson, Arizona Source: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
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–Deciduous trees are the dominant plant species. –The temperate rain forests have a long wet season and relatively dry summer. Temperate forest biomes include deciduous forests and rain forests. –Temperate deciduous forests have hot summers and cold winters. –Ferns and moss cover the forest floor.
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The taiga biome is located in cooler northern climates. –boreal forest –long winters and short summers –small amount of precipitation Source: Environment Canada Banff, Canada
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The tundra biome is found in the far northern latitudes with long winters. –winter lasts 10 months –limited precipitation –permafrost Barrow, Alaska Source: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
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Polar ice caps and mountains are not considered biomes. Polar ice caps have no soil, therefore no plant community. The climate and organisms found on mountains change as the elevation changes.
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Marine Ecosystems A. Ocean Zones 1. Intertidal zone: Area of beach that you walk on. 2. Neritic Zone: Coral Reefs and Kelp Forests. A few cm – 200 meters deep; intertidal zone out to continental shelf 3. Bathyal Zone: 200 – 2000 meters; turbid murky water due to silt; includes mostly burrowing animals. 4. Abyssal Zone: Below 2000 meters, complete darkness, deep sea vents and chemosynthetic organisms.
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Estuaries and Freshwater Ecosystems Estuary: A partially enclosed body of water formed where a river flows into an ocean. Ex: San Francisco and Chesapeake Bays, Everglades. Includes harbors, sounds, and inlets. Mixture of freshwater and salt water. High level of nutrients, life thrives here. Lots of biodiversity
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Freshwater Ecosystems River, streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands (bogs, swamps, marshes): all originate from watersheds. Watershed: a region of land that drains into a river, river system, or another body of water.
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16.1 KEY CONCEPT As the human population grows, the demand for Earth’s resources increases.
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Earth’s human population continues to grow. Earth’s human carrying capacity is unknown. J or S? Technology has helped to increase Earth’s carrying capacity. Examples: gas- powered farm equipment, medical advancements
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The growing human population exerts pressure on Earth’s natural resources. Nonrenewable resources are used faster than they form. –Coal –Oil –Natural Gas –Nuclear (uranium) 77 million barrels of oil per day are used (2006) (2015 – 94 million) Our dependency on these resources is depleting them.
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HOW IS COAL MADE ???
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HOW ARE OIL AND GAS MADE ???
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Renewable resources cannot be used up or can replenish themselves over time. –wind –Water (hydropower) –solar –geothermal –biomass
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STOP & REVIEW What has increased the carrying capacity of Earth? –Technology, such as gas-powered farm equipment & medicine What is a non-renewable resource? What is one example? –A resource that is being used faster than it can be replenished. Oil, natural gas, coal, uranium What is a renewable resource? What is one example? –A resource that can be reused or replenished. Wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, biomass
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Effective management of Earth’s resources will help meet the needs of the future. Earth’s resources must be used responsibly. Careless use of resources makes them unavailable to future generations. Easter Island is an example of irresponsible resource use.
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An ecological footprint is the amount of land needed to support a person. The land must produce and maintain enough –food and water –shelter –energy –Waste Several factors affect the size of the ecological footprint. –amount and efficiency of resource use –amount and toxicity of waste produced
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Ecological Footprint of the average US citizen: 9.7 hectares = 24 football fields Hectare = 10,000 square meters
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16.2 KEY CONCEPT Fossil fuel emissions affect the biosphere.
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Pollutants accumulate in the air. Pollution is any undesirable factor added to the air, water, or soil. Smog is one type of air pollution. –sunlight interacts with pollutants in the air produced by fossil fuel emissions –made of particulates and ground-level ozone –Smog can be harmful to human health.
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Acid rain is caused by fossil fuel emissions. –produced when pollutants in the water cycle cause rain pH to drop –can lower the pH of a lake or stream –can harm trees
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Air pollution is changing Earth’s biosphere. The levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide rise and fall over time. High levels of carbon dioxide are typical of Earth’s warmer periods.
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The greenhouse effect slows the release of energy from Earth’s atmosphere. –sunlight penetrates Earth’s atmosphere –energy is absorbed and reradiated as heat –greenhouse gases absorb longer wavelengths –Greenhouse gas molecules rerelease infrared radiation –More CO 2 = more heat reradiated methane ( CH 4 ) water (H 2 O ) carbon dioxide (CO 2 )
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Global warming refers to the trend of increasing global temperatures. –Sometimes referred to as “climate change” –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJAbATJCugshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJAbATJCugs North Pole
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STOP & REVIEW What is a specific environmental consequence of humans using fossil fuels? –Smog, acid rain, global warming What is the difference between the greenhouse effect and global warming/climate change? –Greenhouse effect is necessary for keeping Earth at a livable temperature, global warming is the trend of increasing global temperatures/extreme weather caused by human activities and is associated with too much of the greenhouse effect.
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16.4 KEY CONCEPT The impact of a growing human population threatens biodiversity.
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Preserving biodiversity is important to the future of the biosphere. The loss of biodiversity has long-term effects. –loss of medical and technological advances –extinction of species –loss of ecosystem stability https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_vRtHJZu4
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Loss of habitat eliminates species. Habitat fragmentation prevents an organism from accessing its entire home range. –occurs when a barrier forms within the habitat –often caused by human development –Habitat corridors are a solution to the problem. –allow species to move between different areas of habitat
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Introduced species can disrupt stable relationships in an ecosystem. An introduced species is one that is brought to an ecosystem by humans. –accidental –purposeful Invasive species can have an environmental and economic impact. Invasive species often push out native species.
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STOP & REVIEW What are possible consequences of decreased biodiversity? –loss of medical and technological advances –extinction of species –loss of ecosystem stability This prevents an organism from accessing its entire home range, occurs when a barrier forms within the habitat & could lead to speciation. habitat fragmentation What is a consequence of invasive species? –Push out native species, which could have a ripple effect throughout the ecosystem
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16.5 KEY CONCEPT Conservation methods can help protect and restore ecosystems.
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Sustainable development manages resources for present and future generations. Sustainable development meets current needs without hurting future generations. –Natural resources meet current needs –Natural resources will still be available for future use
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Conservation practices focus on a few species but benefit entire ecosystems. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in 1970. The EPA develops policies and regulations to protect the environment. Legislation helps to protect the environment and endangered species. –Clean Air Act –Clean Water Act –Endangered Species Act Umbrella species: protection of this species means a wide range of other species will also be protected. The National Park Service helps manage public lands.
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How do scientists determine the health of an ecosystem? One way is through the study of indicator species (bioindicators) –Provides a sign or indication of the quality of the ecosystem’s environmental conditions. –Especially used in the study of aquatic ecosystems.
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There are several ways that people can help protect the environment. –control population growth –develop sustainable technology and practices –protect and maintain ecosystems
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STOP & REVIEW This meets current needs without hurting future generations. –Sustainable development Protection of this type of species means a wide range of other species will also be protected. Umbrella species Studying this type of species provides a sign or indication of the quality of the ecosystem’s environmental conditions. Indicator species What is one way that people can help protect the environment? –control population growth, develop sustainable technology and practices, protect and maintain ecosystems
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