Life on Earth

(Earth’s Life Zones)

Objectives
1 Describe how the different terrestrial and
aquatic ecosystems are interlinked with one
another.

2 Identify human activities that disrupt natural

ecosystems
Weather – set of conditions in the
atmosphere in the form of temperature,
humidity, precipitation, or wind speed at
any particular place and over a period of
time.

Climate- accumulation of season and

weather events over a long periods ranging
from decades to thousands of years
o Temperature and precipitation determines the
abundance and distribution of organisms in a biome
Earth’s Rotation

Uneven Heating of Earth from the Sun

Water and Air at Different Temperatures

Summer- Northern Hemisphere inclines more toward the sun and receives more sunlight
Winter- Earth tips away from the sun and receives less amount of sunlight
 Why are the tropics
warm and the poles are
cold?

▪ Polar Regions – very

cold
▪ Tropical Regions- warm
and moist
▪ Temperate Regions-
warm and cold seasons
o Equator spins faster than those in the north and south regions
o Air masses are formed, rising above the equator and moving north and
south to cooler areas results to formation of prevailing winds
o Because ocean currents circulate heat, they greatly influence climate and
distribution of organisms in one particular area.
Biomes
Biomes

Terrestrial Zones Aquatic Zones

oForests
oDeserts
oSaltwater
oGrasslands oFreshwater
oChaparral oEstuary
 Terrestrial Zones: Forests

Tropical Rainforests Deciduous forests Coniferous forests

• found near the equator
• warm temperatures, high
humidity, and regular heavy
rainfall
• dominated by evergreen
broadleaf trees
• warm summers, cold winters and
sufficient precipitation
• hardwood trees such as oaks,
hickories, maples, ashes, etc.
which shed their leaves during
autumn
• dominated by cone-bearing and
evergreen trees
• temperate regions of the globe
that experience warm summers
and cools winters
• leaves are small, needle-shaped,
and covered with wax
 Terrestrial Zones: Deserts
• dry regions characterized by low precipitation, scattered rainfall, and little vegetation
• desert plants have fleshy stems and spines while animals are active only in the evening
• low rainfall and lacks vegetation

Sahara Desert

Tropical Desert Temperate Deserts Cold Deserts

▪ long stretches of sand
▪ hot and dry throughout the
year
▪ Windblown unstable surface
▪ high daytime temperature in
summer; low in winter
▪ have higher rainfall
▪ sparse-drought shrubs or
succulent cacti
▪ sparse vegetation that
experience cold winters, warm
or hot summers, and low
precipitation
▪ Semifrozen soil
 Terrestrial Zones: Grasslands
▪ dominated by grasses and are usually found in continents too dry for forests to
grow, but too wet for deserts to develop
▪ seasonal drought, grazing animals, and frequent wildfires

Tropical Grassland (Savanna) Temperate Grasslands (Prairies) Cold Grasslands (Arctic

▪ unique-grazing animals
▪ zebras, antelopes, giraffes
and predatory lions, hyenas,
and cheetahs
▪ darkest, richest soils in the
Tundra)
world
▪ found in arctic polar ice cap
▪ concern is the overgrazing by
characterized by low treeless
livestock which could lead to the
plain
condition of desertification
 Terrestrial Zones: Chaparral

▪ temperate shrublands
▪ border grassland and deserts
▪ plants have small, waxy,
leathery, and hairy leaves
that remain green all year
round
▪ has frequent fire just like
grasslands
Aquatic Zones: Saltwater
Coastal Zone –is the zone in which
most of the infrastructure and human
activities directly connected with the
sea are located.
Open Sea (Pelagic) –extends from the
end of continental shelf to that vast
volume of the ocean
Deep Sea (Hadalpelagic) – lowest
part of the ocean ; dark and very little
dissolved oxygen
❖ Bioluminescence – light-
glowing property
Coral Reefs

o very important since it is considered

rainforests of the oceans as they house
vast marine biodiversity

o formed from large variety of marine

species in clear, warm coastal water of
tropical regions

o Provide ecological and economic

services such as natural barrier from
coastal erosion and a sanctuary for
about 25% marine population
 Aquatic Zones: Freshwater
o provides fresh flowing water
o very limited – lakes cover about 1.8% of Earth’s surface while
rivers and streams cover only 0.3%
o strongly connected to terrestrial habitats

Running Water Standing Water

Lake Wetland
River

Stream Pond
Aquatic Zones: Estuary

o where a freshwater system meet the sea,

forming a diluted or brackish saltwater

o Organisms are either adapted to daily influx

of saltwater and freshwater mix or can
tolerate high salinity (halophytes)

o provide vital ecological and economic

services such as maintaining water quality by
filtering out toxins, pollutants and excess
plant nutrients and sediments

o support a diversity of species of fish,

shellfish, aquatic plants and animals.
Life on Earth
(Earth’s Life Zones)