1. The World’s Biomes

2. What is a Biome? Areas of the Earth that are defined by: Climate
Geography
Precipitation
Vegetation
Species variety

4. Tropical Rainforest Dense vegetation Wide variety of species
Tall trees
Little light reaches forest floor
Hot, humid climate
Rainfall: 155 in./yr.
Temp: 34°C

5. Grassland Also called prairies or plains Wide variety of grasses
Limited variety of species because of protection
Rainfall: 20 in./yr.
Temp: 30°C

6. Desert Rainfall: less than 10 in./yr. Temp: 38°C
Very limited species and vegetation variety
Cacti and reptiles

7. Deciduous Forest
Hardwood trees, that shed their leaves in autumn (Why?)
Four distinct seasons
A fair variety of species
Rainfall: 40 in./yr.
Average temp: 28°C

8. Tundra Permafrost Extremely cold winter climate Very little vegetation
Limited species variety
Rainfall: 15 in./yr.
Temp: 12°C – (-26°C)
Alpine: above tree line of very high mts.

9. Coniferous Forest (Taiga)
Coniferous trees
Fairly limited variety of plants and animals
Very cold winters, warm summers
Wet climate all year round
Rainfall: 23 in/yr
Temp: 14°C

10. Savanna Dry winters, wet summers Warm temps, but not extremely hot
Limited plant and vegetation variety
Good species variety
Rainfall: 59 in./yr.
Temp: 25°C

11. Make a Graph!
Create a bar graph of the average rainfall of each biome.
Use proper graphing skills!

13. What is Antarctica?

14. What is Minnesota?

15. Introduction to Ecology

16. What is Ecology?
Ecology – study of interactions between living organisms and the other living and non-living components of their environment
Biotic Factors – living components
Abiotic Factors – Non-living components

17. Levels of Organization
Cell
Tissue
Organ
Organ System
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem

18. Levels of Organization
Organism – a single individual animal, plant, fungus, or other living thing Population – a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area Community – a group of populations that live in the same area Ecosystem – all of the living and non-living things that interact in an area

24. Levels of Organization
Biosphere – the part of Earth where life exists, includes all living organisms on earth

25. How is energy distributed throughout the ecosystem?

26. What is a producer?
A producer is an organism that makes (produces) its own food through the process of photosynthesis.
Also known as an Autotroph

27. What is a consumer?
A consumer is an organism that gets its energy by eating (or consuming) other organisms.
Makes energy through cellular respiration

28. What are primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers?
Primary consumers eat producers (ex. grasshoppers, antelope)
Secondary consumers eat primary consumers (ex. meadowlarks, wolves)
Tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers (ex. prairie falcon)

29. What is a decomposer?
A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead plant and animal matter into simpler compounds.
Release the last bit of energy from once-living matter and return it to the soil.

30. Food Chain vs. Food Web
Food Chain – a pathway that tells what eats what
Ex.
Food Web – the connection of all food chains in a community
Ex.

31. Let’s look at an example…

33. Food Webs Necessary as a system of checks and balances
Population control is important for ecosystem balance

34. Community Interactions
Competition – two or more species compete for the same resource
Intraspecific – between members of same species
Interspecific – between different species
Reasons for competition:
Food
Mating
Living space

35. Community Interactions
Predation – the act of one organism consuming another organism
Predator – the hunter
Prey – the organism being hunted
Symbiosis – close relationship that exists between two or more species (3 types)

36. What is mutualism?
Mutualism is a relationship between two species in which both species benefits from the relationship.

37. What is commensalism?
Commensalism is a relationship where one species benefits while the other neither benefits nor harmed by the relationship.

38. What is parasitism?
Parasitism is a relationship between two species in which one species benefits while the other is harmed by the relationship.

39. Population size Mortality Natality Immigration Emmigration
The death rate of a population
Natality
The birth rate of a population
Immigration
When organisms of the same species move into an area where others of their type can be found
Emmigration
When organisms of the same species move out of an area where others of their type can be found

40. Population Fluctuation
Population Growth =
immigration + nataliy > emmigration + mortality
Population Decline =
immigration + nataliy < emmigration + mortality