1. Biome
Biome - A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
When we talk about biomes, we typically mean LARGE areas.

2. Living or Nonliving? Biomes are determined by two factors:
Abiotic: non-living
Biotic: living
Is it living or nonliving?
temperature,
rainfall,
type of plant,
altitude,
latitude,
type of animals

3. Major Biomes
Tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, tropical savanna, desert, temperate grassland, temperate woodland and shrubland, temperate forest, northwestern coniferous forest, boreal forest, and tundra
Each biome is defined by a unique set of abiotic (nonliving) factors- particularly climate- and characteristic plants and animals

4. Tropical Rainforest Has more rain than all other biomes combined
Hot and wet year round
Species: ferns, woody vines, orchids, sloths , tapirs, jaguars, anteaters, monkeys, parakeets, piranhas , anacondas

5. Tropical Dry Forest Rainfall is seasonal rather than year round
Generally warm year-round, alternating wet and dry seasons
Species: tall deciduous (leaves fall off ) trees, dense canopy, tigers, monkeys, elephants, termites, snakes, monitor lizards

6. Tropical Savanna Also called Grassland
Spotted with isolated trees, small groves of trees, and shrubs
Frequent fires, large animals
Species: tall grasses, shrubs, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, antelopes, zebras, baboons, ostriches

7. Desert Dry-annual precipitation of less than 25cm
Organisms can tolerate extreme conditions
Extreme temperature changes during the course of a day (very hot during the day and very cold at night)
Species: cacti, mountain lions, gray foxes, mule deer, kangaroo rats, roadrunners, owls, hawks, tortoises, rattlesnakes, lizards

8. Temperate Grassland Rich mix of grasses, plains and prairies
Periodic fires and heavy grazing by large herbivores
Warm to hot summers, cold winters, fertile soils
Species: coyotes, badgers, wolves, grizzly bears, rabbits, prairie dogs, cattle, owls, snakes, grasshoppers

9. Temperate Woodland and Shrubland
Semi-dry climate and a mix of shrub communities and open woodlands
Large areas of grasses and wildflowers and a lot of oak trees
Fires are a constant threat
Species: evergreen shrubs, coyotes, deer, rabbit, squirrels, hawks, lizards, snakes, butterflies, bobcats

10. Temperate Forest Mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees
Deciduous trees lose their leaves in fall, cold winters
Species: deer, black bears, bobcats, conifers, flowering shrubs, herbs, mosses, ferns, raccoons, skunks, songbirds, turkeys, squirrels

11. Northwestern Coniferous Forest
Mild temperature, moist air from the Pacific Ocean provides abundant rainfall
Conifers, moss and flowering trees and shrubs are abundant
Species: fir, spruce, hemlock, and redwood trees, bears, elk, deer, owls, bobcats, weasels

12. Boreal Forest
Dense evergreen forests of coniferous trees-also called taiga
Bitterly cold winters, mild summers, high humidity
Mostly in the Northern Hemisphere
Species: lynxes, wolves, weasels, moose, beavers, migratory birds

13. Tundra
Characterized by permafrost-a layer of permanently frozen subsoil
Short, cool summers, small and crushed/short plants due to cycles of thawing and freezing
Cold temperatures, high winds, short growing season
Species: mosses, lichens, short grasses, shore birds, musk ox, arctic foxes, caribous, small rodents (can withstand harsh conditions)

14. Adaptations in plants and animals help different species survive under different conditions in different biomes
Plants and animals also exhibit variations in tolerance, or ability to survive and reproduce under conditions that differ from their optimal conditions

15. Tolerance
Plants and animals in Arizona for example, can tolerate temperatures that range from very very hot to below freezing
Rain forest plants and animals will die if the temperature drops below freezing or rises above 34 degrees Celsius

16. Regions of North Carolina
Different parts of our state do have different soil, landforms, river water, and temperatures.
Because of the differences in these abiotic factors, there are differences in the biotic factors- what can live in each one
So we divide North Carolina into three regions
Coastal Plain is divided into more groups, including inner and outer (and then Tidewater and Outer Banks).

17. Landforms Mountains: …Mountains!
Piedmont: Rolling hills (means “foothills” in French)
Coastal Plains: Low, flat to gently sloping land
Elevation also affects temperature
Higher elevations are typically colder

18. Soil Mountains: Rich, rocky soil Piedmont: Clay soil
Coastal Plain: Rich, sandy soil

19. River Water Mountains: Fast, cold water
Piedmont: Somewhat slower and warmer water
Coastal Plain: Slow, warm, sometimes brackish water

20. Ecosystems
Soils, water, and temperature combine to create various places where certain plants will grow (and others won't)
That determines what animals can live there.
An ecosystem is a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment

21. Biodiversity
Biodiversity - The number of different species in a given area
The more diverse plant communities an area is able to support, the more diverse animals can live there too
Think less competition for everyone
North Carolina is also at the upper and lower ranges of many animals (Not too hot, not too cold)
Because of this, North Carolina has a HUGE diversity of species
In fact, we have more species of salamander than anywhere in the world!

22. Coastal Plains
Sandy soil of the Coastal Plain is a great place for Longleaf Pine, and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers will only create their nesting cavities in mature Longleaf Pine forests.

23. Mountains
Cold tops of our mountains is where spruce forests can grow, and that is the only place where you will find the Northern Flying Squirrel in our state

24. Biodiversity of the biosphere …biome …ecosystem/community …population
However, we can look deeper into the diversity of different types of areas...
Biodiversity of the biosphere
All the species on Earth
…biome
All species in similar areas on Earth
…ecosystem/community
All species in a smaller area on Earth
…population
All the individuals of one species in an area on Earth

25. Genetic Diversity
Genetic Diversity - The total number of genetic characteristics in a given population
These variations serve as a way for a population to adapt to changing environment.
Greater variation increases the chance that some individuals of that population will possess variations that are suited to the new environment.
They’ll live and pass on those traits to the next generation, preventing extinction of their species!

26. Imagine:
One individual has a mutation that makes it darker color than the rest of the population.
After a volcanic eruption, so the cover is no longer pale yellow, but a dark.
The darker individual will then survive in the new environment and reproduce more than the other individuals, passing on “dark color” genes to the next generation.

27. Variation in an Ecosystem
Every organism has a role to play in its environment.
This role, which includes where it lives in the environment, what it uses, what it eats, and who eats it, is called its niche.
No two species can ever share the SAME niche.

28. Variation in an Ecosystem
When a species is lost in a diverse ecosystem, then another species may take over its role…
Or all the organisms that depend on it may die if there is not a diversity of organisms already in that ecosystem.
But it takes a LONG time.

29. Loss of Biodiversity
The greatest threat to biodiversity is habitat loss.
Habitats (places where organisms live) are “lost” due to land use changes
Agriculture
Urbanization

30. Habitat Alteration
As the human population grows, habitats are altered

31. Habitat Fragmentation
Fragmentation is the process that divides large ecosystems into smaller, isolated parts.
As a habitat gets smaller, more and more species are affected.
Smaller habitats -> less diversity -> less of a chance to recover from changes in the ecosystem

32. Overharvesting
Overharvesting is the catching or removing from a population more organisms than the population can replace

33. Overharvesting: Plants
Long leaf pine and white cedar forests were decimated in our state for the lumber industry.
Photo actually from WA state… gets the point across. ☺

34. Overharvesting: Animals
Market hunting (commercial hunting) at the turn of the century exploited natural resources for profit.
For instance, beaver were completely exterminated from the state, river otters were no where to be found in the western part of our state, it's estimated that only 10,000 deer were left, very few wild turkey were left, and black bear were found only in the deepest mountain valleys or thickets in Pocosins near the coast.

35. Overharvesting: Animals
Then game laws were enacted to protect our game animals from over hunting by creating hunting seasons and limits.
Black bear and white tailed deer have rebounded naturally, while river otter, beaver, and wild turkey were brought in from other states to repopulate areas of our state.

36. Invasive Species Native species
Organisms that naturally live in a certain area.
Evolved in that area over time
Typically co-evolved with other species that keep its population in check through predation, competition or disease.
Non-native species (exotic or alien species)
Organisms introduced or moved to an area by humans where they don’t naturally occur.
Not necessarily harmful…
Harmful ones are called invasive species
Outcompete native species in a natural community or cause ecological or economic problems
No natural controls to limit their population
Typically have a high rate of reproduction and tolerate a large variety of conditions
Take over!