1. 15.3 KEY CONCEPT Biomes are land-based, global communities of organisms.

2. 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)

3. Tropical rain forest biomes produce lush forests. (plant life)
Source: World Meteorological Organization
warm temperature
abundant precipitation all year
The tropical rain forest can be found in three major geographical areas around the world.
- Central America in the Amazon river basin.
- Africa - Zaire basin, with a small area in West Africa; also eastern Madagascar.
- Indo-Malaysia - west coast of India, Assam, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and Queensland, Australia.

4. Grassland biomes are where the primary plant life is grass.
Temperate grasslands are dry and warm during the summer; most precipitation falls as snow.
Tropical grasslands are warm through the year,
with definite dry and rainy seasons.
Rapid City, South Dakota

5. very low amount of precipitation
Desert biomes are characterized by a very arid climate. Cacti common plant (not a lot of plant life)
Tucson, Arizona
Source: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
very low amount of precipitation
four types: hot, semi-arid, coastal, and cold

6. Temperate forest biomes include deciduous forests and rain forests.
Temperate deciduous forests have hot summers and cold winters.
Deciduous trees are the dominant plant species.
The temperate rain forests have a long wet season and relatively dry summer.
Ferns and moss cover the forest floor. 

7. The taiga biome is located in cooler northern climates.
Source: Environment Canada
Banff, Canada
boreal forest (Artic)
long winters and short summers
small amount of precipitation

8. limited precipitation Permafrost (moss and low lying plants)
Barrow, Alaska
Source: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
The tundra biome is found in the far northern latitudes with long winters.
winter lasts 10 months
limited precipitation
Permafrost (moss and low lying plants)

9. 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.

10. Marine Ecosystems A. Ocean Zones 1. Intertidal zone: 2. Neritic 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 16.1 KEY CONCEPT As the human population grows, the demand for Earth’s resources increases.

14. 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.
gas-powered farm equipment
medical advancements

15. The growing human population exerts pressure on Earth’s natural resources.
Nonrenewable resources are used faster than they form.
Coal
Oil
Natural Gas
19.2 million barrels per day are used (2010)
Our dependency on these resources is depleting them.

16. Renewable resources cannot be used up or can replenish themselves over time.
wind
water
sunlight

17. 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.

18. 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

19. Ecological Footprint 9.7 hectares = 24 football fields
Hectare = 10,000 square meters

20. 16.2 KEY CONCEPT Fossil fuel emissions affect the biosphere.

21. 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
pollutants produced by fossil fuel emissions
made of particulates and ground-level ozone
Smog can be harmful to human health.

22. 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

23. 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.

24. sunlight penetrates Earth’s atmosphere
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
methane (CH4)
water (H2O)
carbon dioxide (CO2)

25. Global warming refers to the trend of increasing global temperatures.
North Pole

26. 16.4 KEY CONCEPT The impact of a growing human population threatens biodiversity.

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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.

30. 16.5 KEY CONCEPT Conservation methods can help protect and restore ecosystems.

31. Sustainable development manages resources for present and future generations.
Sustainable development meets needs without hurting future generations.
resources meet current needs
resources will still be available for future use

32. 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
The National Park Service helps manage public lands.

33. There are several ways that people can help protect the environment.
control population growth
develop sustainable technology and practices
protect and maintain ecosystems