1. Chapter Fifteen: The Biosphere

2. Section One: Life in the Earth System
Biosphere: part of the Earth where life exists
Biota: the collection of living things that live in the biosphere
Hydrosphere: all of Earth’s water, ice, and water vapor
Atmosphere: the air blanketing Earth’s solid and liquid surface
Geosphere: features of the Earth’s surface

3. Section Two: Climate
Climate: the long-term pattern of weather conditions in a region
Affected by temperature, sunlight, water, and wind
Microclimate: the climate of a small specific place within a larger area
Earth has three major climate zones
Polar
Temperate
Tropical

4. Section Two: Climate What determines climate? Sunlight
Seasons are determined by the tilt of the earth
Air and Water Movement
Heating causes movement of air and water
Landmasses
Are they near the ocean, mountains, lakes or rivers

5. Section Two: Climate Animal Adaptations
Some animals have adaptations that allow them to live in specific climates
Ex: Water holding frogs

6. Section Three: Biomes The Earth has six major biomes Tropical
Grassland
Desert
Temperate
Taiga
Tundra

7. Section Three: Biomes Tropical Biomes Tropical Rain Forest
Warm temps with lots of precipitation
Canopy: the uppermost branches of the trees

8. Section Three: Biomes Grassland
An area where the primary plant life is grass
Tropical grassland (savannas)
Temperate grassland

9. Section Three: Biomes Desert
Receive less than 10 inches of precipitation a year
Hot
Semiarid
Coastal
Cold

10. Section Three: Biomes Temperate Forest Temperate deciduous
Deciduous: trees have adapted to winter temperature by losing their leaves and going dormant in winter
Temperate rain forest
Coniferous: trees retain their needles all year

11. Section Three: Biomes Taiga Biome with long and cold winters
Also called boreal forest

12. Section Three: Biomes Tundra
North of the taiga where winters last up to 10 months of the year

13. Section Three: Biomes Minor Biomes
Chapparal: hot dry summers and cool moist winters
Mediterranean shrubland

14. Section Four: Marine Ecosystems
Ocean Zones
Intertidal: the strip of land between high and low tides
Neritic: from the intertidal to the edge of the continental shelf
Bathyal: from the neritic to the base of the continental shelf
Abyssal: below 2000 meters and is completely dark

15. Section Four: Marine Ecosystems

16. Section Four: Marine Ecosystems
Neritic Zone
Where most of the biomass in the ocean is located
Plankton: tiny free-floating organisms
Zooplankton: animal plankton
Phytoplankton: photosynthetic plankton
Carryout the bulk of photosynthesis on Earth

17. Section Four: Marine Ecosystems
Coastal Waters
Coral Reefs: found in the tropical climate zone where corals serve as the foundation
Kelp forests: found in cold nutrient rich waters where kelp serves as the foundation

18. Section Five: Estuaries and Freshwater Ecosystems
Estuary: partially enclosed body of water formed where a river flows into the ocean
Where freshwater mixes with saltwater
Highly productive ecosystems
Thriving detritivore communities
Plankton primary food source for most animals
Provide refuge for many species and breeding ground
Threats
Habitat destruction by human land developments

19. Section Five Estuaries and Freshwater Ecosystems

20. Section Five: Estuaries and Freshwater Ecosystems
Includes rivers, streams, wetlands, ponds, and lakes
Watershed: region of land that drains into a river, river system, or other body of water
Freshwater organism adaptations
Trout are adapted to swim against fast moving currents
Some organisms have suckers or hooks to attach themselves to things in fast water currents

21. Section Five: Estuaries and Freshwater Ecosystems
Ponds and Lakes
Littoral zone: between the high and low water marks along the shoreline
Snails, water lilies, dragonflys
Limnetic zone: open water located further from shore
Plankton and fish
Benthic zone: lake or pond bottom
Decomposers