1. The Biosphere Unit 5

2. Section 1 – Living Earth A. Biosphere – the part of Earth that supports life 1. The top portion of Earth ’ s crust, all the waters on Earth ’ s surface, and the surrounding atmosphere. 2. Made up of different environments that are home to different kinds of organisms

4. B. Ecosystem – all the organisms living in an area and the nonliving features of their environment 1. Ecology is the study of interactions that occur among organisms and their environment. 2. A population is made up of all the organisms in an ecosystem that belong to the same species. 3. A community is all the populations in an ecosystem.

5. Biotic vs. Abiotic Biotic: Features of the environment that are ALIVE, or were once alive. Abiotic: The NONLIVING, physical features of the environment.

7. C. Habitat – the place in which an organism lives 1. Must provide the kinds of food, shelter, temperature, and moisture the organism needs to survive 2. Example: trees are the woodpecker ’ s habitat

8. Section 2 - Populations A.Competition – two or more organisms seek the same resource at the same time 1. Competition of food, living space, or other resources can limit the population. 2. Competition is usually most intense between members of the same species.

9. B. Population size – indicates whether a population is healthy and growing 1. Population density – the size of a population that occupies a specific area 2. Two ways to measure the size of a wildlife population a. Trap-mark-release method b. Sample count method

10. 3. Elements that affect population size a. Limiting factor – any living or nonliving feature that restricts the number of individuals in a population b. Carrying capacity – the largest number of individuals of one species that an ecosystem can support c. biotic potential – the maximum number of offspring that parent organisms can produce d. birth and death rates e. movement or organisms into or out of an area

11. C. Exponential growth – the larger a population becomes, the faster it grows

12. Section 3 – Interactions Within Communities A.Sun – source of energy that fuels most life on Earth 1. Producers – organisms that use an outside energy source to make energy-rich molecules a. Most producers use the Sun and contain chlorophyll, a chemical required for photosynthesis b. Some producers, found near volcanic vents on the ocean floor, use mineral molecules as energy sources for chemosynthesis.

13. 2. Consumers – organisms that cannot make their own energy-rich molecules; they obtain energy by eating other organisms. a. Herbivores, like deer and rabbits, eat plants. b. Carnivores, like frogs and lions, eat animals c. Omnivores, like pigs and humans, eat both plants and animals. d. Decomposers, like earthworms and bacteria, eat dead organisms.

14. Food Chain v. Food Web

15. Food Pyramid of Energy Flow 10% of the energy is lost at each level

16. B. Symbiosis – any close relationship between species 1. Mutualism – a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit 2. Commensalisms – a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is not affected 3. Parasitism – a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed

17. C. Niche – an organisms role: a species ’ unique requirements for survival, including its habitat and food, and how it avoids danger, finds a mate and cares for its young 1. Predator and prey a. Predator – consumer that captures and eats other consumers b. prey – the organism that is eaten c. Predators limit the size of prey populations, increasing the number of different species that can live in an ecosystem

18. 2. Cooperative actions improve a species ’ survival. a. Example: one deer warns the other of predators in the area. b. Example: individual ants perform different tasks required for the survival of all.

19. Land Biomes

20. Information to Know A.Factors that affect biomes climate 1.Temperature 2.Precipitation B.Major biomes – large areas with similar climates and ecosystems

21. Major Biomes 1.Tundra – cold, dry, treeless region 1.Permanently frozen soil called permafrost 2.Average winter temperature: -12˚C 3.Average precipitation is less than 25 cm a year 4.Plants: mosses, grasses, small shrubs, lichens 5.Animals: insects, ducks, geese, other birds,,mice, arctic hares, reindeer

22. Tundra

23. Major Biomes 2. Taiga – cold forest of mostly evergreen trees a. Soil thaws in the short summer b. precipitation: mostly snow, 35cm – 100 cm per year

24. Taiga

25. Major Biomes 3. Temperate Deciduous Forests – region with four seasons, mostly trees that lose their leaves in the autumn. a. Temperatures range from below freezing in winter to 30˚C or more in summer. b. Precipitation: throughout the year, 75cm – 150cm per year

26. Temperate Deciduous Forest

27. Major Biomes 4. Temperate Rain Forest – tall tress with needlelike leaves a. Average temp: 9˚C - 12˚C b. Precipitation: 200cm – 400cm per year

28. Temperate Rain Forest

29. Major Biomes 5. Tropical Rain Forest – the most biologically diverse of all biomes a. Average temp: 25˚C b. Precipitation: 200cm – 600cm per year c. Four zones: forest floor, understory, canopy, emergents d. Human Impact: Habitats being destroyed by farmers and loggers

30. Tropical Rain Forest

31. Major Biomes 6. Desert – driest biome, supports little plant life a. Temp: vary from hot to cold b. Precipitation: less than 25cm per year c. Soil: thin, sandy, or gravelly d. Plants: cactus e. Animal: Kangaroo rat

32. Desert

33. Major Biomes 7. Grasslands – prairies or plains, dominated by grasses a. Temp: temperate or tropical b. Precipitation: 25cm – 75cm per year; dry season

34. Grassland

35. Aquatic Biomes

36. Section 3: Aquatic Ecosystems A. Freshwater ecosystems – include flowing and standing water, low or no salt

37. 1.Rivers and streams – flowing water a.Most nutrients washed into water from land. b.The faster the flow, the greater the oxygen content.

38. 2. Lakes and ponds – very little flow a. Sunlight warms and lights pond bottom, supporting plant and animal life. b. Deeper lakes support life along shallow shoreline or surface.

39. 3. Water pollution – a problem caused by fertilizer – filler runoff and sewage

40. 4. Wetlands – regions wet all or most of the year. a. Lie between solid land and water b. Very fertile ecosystems

41. B. Salt water ecosystems – 95% of Earth’s water contains high concentration of salt, or high salinity.

42. 1.) Open oceans – divided into lighted and dark life zones a. lighted – upper 200m and home of plankton b. dark – below 200m where animals feed on material that floats down or prey on each other.

44. 2. Coral Reefs – diverse and fragile ecosystems formed from coral shells of calcium carbonate.

45. 3. Seashores – along coastlines a. Intertidal zone – covered with water at high tide and exposed to air at low tide. b. Drastic changes in temperature, moisture, salinity, and wave action

46. 4. Estuaries – where a river meets an ocean; called bays, lagoons, harbors, inlets, sounds a. Rich in nutrients b. Changing mixture of salt water and freshwater.