1. 1 Chapter 5: Biomes and Biodiversity Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

2. 2 Relative abundance of plant life

3. 3 Part 1: Biomes Biomes Broadly defined life zones Environments with similar climates, topographies, soil conditions, and biological communities Distribution mainly dependent on temperature and precipitation

4. 4 ADD FIG. 5.1 157” 118 79 39 86 68 50 32 14 F

5. 5 Biomes of the World

6. 6 ADD FIG. 5.4 (note that hotter months more representative of northern hemishpere)

7. 7 Tropical rainforestsavannah Desert

8. 8 GrasslandsTemperate forest

9. 9 Temperate rainforest Tundra Boreal forest

10. 10 Coral reefs – warm, shallow water with little suspended material (not a great photo of a reef) - colonial animals living symbiotically w/algae - high biological productivity; coral structures shelter fish, worms, crustaceans, etc.

11. 11 Mangroves – salt-tolerant trees along warm, shallow, tidal mudflats - stabilize shorelines, take force of storms, trap sediments & organic matter; nurseries for young fish, crab, etc. - many being cleared for fish & shrimp farms

12. 12 Estuaries – where rivers enter the ocean; mixed fresh & salt water Salt marshes – shallow wetlands regularly flooded by salt water About 2/3 all marine fish & shellfish rely on these areas for spawning & juvenile development Estuaries near Boston, New York, & Baltimore once provided extensive oyster beds & clam banks

13. 13 Tidal pools – depressions in rocky shorelines; flooded at high tide, some water retained at low tide

14. 14 Lake environments

15. 15 Wetlands Shallow ecosystems whose surface is saturated or submerged for at least part of the year Generally high biologic productivity; abundant & varied life Types defined by vegetation

16. 16 Swamp – wetland with trees

17. 17 Marsh – wetland with no trees

18. 18 Bogs/fens – water-saturated ground, which is usually made of layers of accumulated, undecayed vegetation (peat). bog – water from precipitation fen – water fed by groundwater Often nutrient-poor; some plants adapted to get nutrients from captured insects (sundews, pitcher plants, Venus fly traps)

19. 19 Part 2: Biodiversity Species diversity - number of different kinds of organisms within an ecosystem Genetic diversity - variety of different versions of the same genes within a species Ecological diversity - complexity of a biological community (number of niches, trophic levels, etc.) Biodiversity - the variety of living things - three types:

20. 20 How many species are there?

21. 21 Biodiversity Hotspots Most of the world's biodiversity concentrations are near the equator (tropical rainforests, coral reefs).

22. 22 Part 3: How do we benefit from biodiversity? Foods Drugs and medicines Ecological benefits –95%potential pests & disease-carrying organisms controlled by natural predators Aesthetic and cultural benefits

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24. 24 Aesthetic and Cultural Benefits (ecotourism) Bird watching and other wildlife observation contribute more than $29 billion each year to the U.S. economy.

25. 25 Part 4: What Threatens Biodiversity? Extinction - the elimination of a species Natural process - one species lost every 10 years Process been accelerated by human impacts on populations and ecosystems E.O. Wilson - we are currently losing thousands of species a year

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27. 27 Part 5: Human-Caused Reductions in Biodiversity Habitat destruction and fragmentation –Clear cutting of forests –Converting grasslands to croplands Hunting and fishing Commercial products and live specimens Predator and pest control Exotic species introduction

28. Diseases Pollution Genetic assimilation Surface mining – removes land cover Dam construction - floods stream environments & adjacent habitat

29. 29 About 200 years ago, the American passenger pigeon was probably the world's most abundant bird. Population: 3-5 billion Over hunting and habitat destruction caused its extinction.

30. 30 Trade in Products from Endangered Species Collection of hides & skins, horns, cacti, exotic pets

31. 31 Trade in Wildlife About 75% of all saltwater tropical aquarium fish sold come from coral reefs of the Philippines and Indonesia, where they are commonly caught with dynamite or cyanide (both practices kill the coral).

32. 32 Part 6: Protecting Biodiversity Hunting and fishing laws The Endangered Species Act (ESA) Recovery plans Reintroductions Minimum viable population Private land and critical habitat Reauthorization of the ESA International wildlife treaties

33. Endangered Species Act (ESA) –Enacted 1973, officially expired 1992 but still very much a force –Covers all species (animals & their habitats), not just “game” species –Regulates the “taking” (by any means, accidental or on purpose), import/export, possession, transport, selling, shipping –Prohibitions on live organisms, body parts, products made from them –Violations: fines, prison, confiscation of vehicles & equipment used 33

34. Types of critters involved –Endangered – in imminent danger of extinction –Threatened – likely to become endangered (at least locally) in the near future –Vulnerable – naturally rare or locally depleted by human activity 34

35. 35 5416 9917 8163 5743 28,500 1,190,200 259,630 Total endangered/threatened: only 1% (so, no big deal, right?)