1. Biomes and Conservation

2. Biome Large areas with similar climates and ecosystems Tundra Taiga
Temperate decidious forest
Temperate rainforest
Tropical rainforest
Desert
Grasslands
Aquatic ecosystems

3. Resources
Natural resources- parts of the environment that are useful or necessary for living organisms to survive
Renewable resource- natural resource that is constantly recycled or replaced by nature
Nonrenewable resources- not easily replaced.
Petroleum- or oil, takes hundreds of millions of years to form
Fossil fuels- coal, oil, and natural gas are nonrenewable that form in the Earth’s crust over very long periods of time

4. Alternative energy Can be used to help conserve fossil fuels
Hydroelectric power- energy from falling water used to generate electricity
Wind power- wind turns blades of turbine, which powers electric generator
Nuclear power- fission of uranium atoms generates nuclear energy that is used to produce electricity
Geothermal power- use heat from Earth’s crust to generate electricity
Solar energy- turns sunlight into electric current

5. Pollution Pollutant- substance that contaminates air, land, or water
Soot, smoke, ash, gases
Acid precipitation- results from air pollutants reacting with water in the atmosphere
Greenhouse effect- increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat and can cause global warming
Ozone depletion- thinning of the ozone layer caused by chlorofluorocarbons and can result in increased UV radiation reaching Earth’s surface

6. Water Pollution When air or land pollutants enter rivers, lakes, ocean
Includes chemical pesticides, raw sewage, fertilizer, oil spills
Groundwater can become polluted as it seeps through particles of rock or soil that collects in underground pools called aquifers

7. Erosion
Movement of soil from one place to another

8. Three “R”s of Conservation
Conservation can prevent shortages of natural resources, slow growth of landfills, reduce pollution levels, and save money
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle- reprocessing an item or natural resource for reuse
Steel
Plastics
Glass
Paper
Compost