1. The biosphere

2. biosphere All organisms and the part of the Earth where they exist
Hydrosphere: collection of Earth’s water bodies, ice, and water vapor
Atmosphere: air blanketing Earth’s solid surface
Geosphere: features of Earth’s surface-such as continents and the sea floor-and everything below Earth’s surface

3. Biotic and abiotic factors interact in the biosphere

4. climate Average long-term weather pattern of a region
Microclimate: climate of a specific location within a larger area

5. Climate Temperature Moisture
Most organisms are adapted to live within a particular range of temperatures and will not thrive outside of that range
For example: the growing season of plants is primarily influenced by temperature
Moisture
All organisms require water
On land, water can be scarce and rainfall often determines an area’s life-forms

6. Earth has three main climate zones
Polar
Tropical
Temperate
Influence of sunlight
Air and water movement
Landmasses
Adaptations to climate

7. Earth has 6 major biomes

8. Biome
A large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities

9. Tropical Rainforest biome
Annual rainfall: 450 cm (180 in)
Greatest number of species compared to any other biome
May contain at least ½ all of the Earth’s species of terrestrial organisms (more than 2 million species)
Infertile soils but high primary productivity

10. Grassland biomes Tropical grasslands Temperate grasslands
Temperatures warm throughout the year
Tall grasses, scattered trees and shrubs
Hoofed animals
Temperate grasslands
Dry and warm during summer; snowy winters
Short or tall grasses, depending on precipitation
Many animals live below the surface to survive dry, windy conditions

11. Desert biome Annual rainfall: less than 25 cm (10in) each year
The scarcity of water is the overriding factor influencing most biological processes in the desert
The vegetation is characteristically sparse
Most extensive in the interiors of continents

12. Temperate forest biomes
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate Evergreen/Tropical Forest
Relatively mild climates and plentiful rain
Grow in areas with relatively warm summers, cold winters
Annual rainfall: cm ( in)
Cover much of the eastern USA
Home to deer, bears, beavers, raccoons, etc.
Found in other temperate areas
Drier weather and different soil conditions favor the growth of evergreens
Large portions of the southeastern and western USA have temperate evergreen forests
Where conditions are even drier, forests give way to areas of dry shrubs, such as in the chaparral areas of coastal California and in the Mediterranean

13. Taiga biome
Cold, wet climates promote the growth of coniferous forests
Extends across vast areas of Eurasia and North America
Winters are long and cold
Most precipitation occurs in the summer
Many large mammals, including herbivores such as elk, moose, deer and carnivores such as wolves, bears and lynxes live in the taiga

14. Tundra biome
Between the taiga and the permanent ice surroundings of the North Pole is the open, boggy tundra
Covers 1/5th of the Earth’s land surface
Annual precipitation: less than 25 cm (10 in)
Water is unavailable for most of the year because it is frozen
The permafrost, or permanent ice, usually exists within 1 m (3 feet) of the surface
Foxes, lemmings, owls, and caribou are among the inhabitants

15. Minor biomes
Chaparral: biome characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters; also called Mediterranean shrub-land

16. Polar ice caps and mountains are not considered biomes
Polar ice caps have no soil and no specific plant community
Mountain climate, animals and plants change with elevation

17. Marine ecosystems
The ocean can be divided into zones

18. MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
Intertidal Zone: strip of land between high and low tide lines
Neritic Zone: zone that extends from the intertidal zone out to the edge of the continental shelf
Plankton: microscopic, free-floating organisms, which may be animals or protists
Zooplankton: animal plankton
Phytoplankton: photosynthetic microscopic protists, such as algae
Bathyal Zone: zone of the ocean that extends from the edge of the neritic zone to the base of the continental shelf
Abyssal Zone: depth of the ocean that lies below 2000 meters and is in complete darkness

19. Coastal waters contain unique habitats
Coral reef: ocean habitat found in the shallow coastal waters in the tropical climate
Kelp forest: ocean habitat that exists in cold, nutrient-rich shallow coastal waters, composed of large communities of kelp, a seaweed

20. Estuary characteristics
Estuaries are dynamic environments where rivers flow into the ocean
Estuary Characteristics
Refuge for many species
Spawning grounds
Threats to Estuary Ecosystems
Loss of habitat
Coastal erosion

21. Freshwater Communities
Freshwater ecosystems include moving and standing water
Lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers cover only 2% of the Earth’s surface
All freshwater habitats are strongly connected to terrestrial ones, with freshwater marshes and wetlands constituting intermediate habitats
Many organisms are restricted to freshwater habitats including fish, plants, arthropods, mollusk, and other invertebrates

22. Freshwater Communities
Littoral Zone
A shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reached the bottom and nurtures plants
Inhabitants: Aquatic plants, predatory insects, amphibians, small fish
Limnetic Zone
The area in a freshwater habitat that is away from the shore but still close to the surface
Inhabitants: floating algae, zooplankton, fish

23. Freshwater Communities
Profundal/Benthic Zone
The zone in a freshwater habitat to which little sunlight penetrates
Inhabitants: numerous bacteria, wormlike organisms that eat debris on the bottom
Not all freshwater systems are deep enough to have a profundal zone

24. Wetlands Swamps, marshes and bogs Covered with a layer of water
Contain a variety of water-tolerant plants
Dynamic communities that support a diverse array of invertebrates, birds, and other animals
One of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, exceeded only by coral reefs in diversity and concentration of species
Key role in water storage basins that moderate flooding