Biosphere, biomes and ecosystem

Terminology:
1. Biosphere: the part of the earth on which living
organisms live.
2. Atmosphere: layer of air around the earth’s surface.
3. Lithosphere: the soil and rocks forming the upper layers
of the earth’s surface.
4. Biome: any region with a distinct climate and all the
organisms that live in that area.
5. Endemic: organisms found in only one area in the world
and no where else.
 Biosphere
The biosphere can be defined as that part of the earth where
the living organisms are found.

It is made up of 3 parts:
Atmosphere (air)
Hydrosphere (water)
Lithosphere (rock and soil)
 Atmosphere
 The atmosphere is a layer of air around the earth’s
surface
 Mixture of various gasses
 Lithosphere
• The lithosphere is all the soil and rocks that makes up the upper
layers of the earth’s surface.
• Outer layer of the earth.
 Hydrosphere
Hydrosphere is all the waters of the seas, rivers and lakes.
 BIOMES = any area with a
particular climate, together
with all the living organisms in
the area.

 Name of the biome = derives

from the dominant type of
vegetation
 Two types of biomes
 Terrestrial (land)
 Aquatic (water)
 Aquatic Biomes of SA
dams
Fresh water lakes
biomes rivers
wetlands

Aquatic biomes

sandy shores
Marine rocky shores
biomes coral reefs
open oceans
 Wetlands of SA
 Wetland in SA under pressure
 More than 50 % is lost already
 The Greater St. Lucia wetland
park was declared a World
Heritage Site in 1999
St. Lucia
 Examples of wetlands in SA
Most famous:
• Baberspan

• Kosibaai

• Langebaan

• Nylsvlei nature reserve

• Sibhayi meer biggest

natural lake (KZN)
Something for you to do

Look at the map

and find the area
or province in
which you live.
Savannah
 Largest biome – covers 34 % of the surface of the country
/ Bushveld
 It is found mainly in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
 Climate: warm, wet summer
 Cold, dry winters
 Type of soil: sandy, lack of mineral
 Animal life: Big five
 Savannah: Animal Life
The mammals found in this biome are commonly known as
the big five.
Name the animals that make up the big five.
The Grassland Biome
 Grassland
 Interior of KZN, part of Eastern
Cape
 Warm summers – high rainfall
 Cold winter – heavy frost
 Sandy soil
 Leaching of nutrients – making
soil acidic
 Sweet grasses: high
nutritional value – grow
in more fertile soil – less
acidic
 Sour grasses: less fertile
soil – little nutritional
value
 Veld fires occur every
year – less trees
 Grassland: Animal Life

• Blesbok, black
wildebeest and
springbok
• The sun gazer lizard
is also found here
Blue crane / black korhaan
 Nama karoo

 Very hot summers,

cold winters
 Semi desert
 Little rain
 Thin layer of soil rich
in lime
 Vegetation
 Sweet thorn, Karoo daisies
 Animals
 Riverine rabbits (endemic), spring
hare ostriches
Succulent Karoo Biome
 Succulent - karoo

• Very hot dry summer

• Cold winter
• Semi – desert, low
rainfall
• Soil rich in lime
 Vegetation
During spring, it becomes a flower paradise.
 Quiver tree / stone plant
 Leaves – thick , fleshy leaves
 Animal life

Bat –eared fox

 Fynbos Biome
Found in the major parts of Western Cape.
 Fynbos

 Exclusively in the
southwestern and south
part of the Western Cape
 Cool, wet winters
 Warm, dry summers
 Sandy soil, acidic
Animal life
 Evergreen shrubs
 Few trees
 Few grasses
 68% endemic
 8600 plant species
 Richest flower region
in the world
 Ex. Proteas
 Fire is important
factor for
germination of
seeds
Forest Biome
 Forest

• Warm, rainfall
all year.
• Soil is rich,
decaying plant
material.
 Covers only 0.1 % - smallest biome Knysna en Tsitsikamma
 Mountain forest - Drakensberge
Vegetation
 Closed canopy
Several strata of vegetation
Ex. Stinkhout, yellowwood,
ferns, mosses
 Bushpig
 Bushbuck
 Knysna loerie
 Knysna woodpecker
The Thicket biome
• Largest part situated in the Eastern Cape
• West coast
• Climate varies – extents over a large area
• Sandy, clay- rich in lime
Vegetation varies = low forest
/shrubland
 Thicket Biome: Vegetation

Spekboom
 Spekboom and many species
of Euphorbia.
 Cape honeysuckle and
Plumbago are some
examples of shrubs found in
this biome.

Cape honeysuckle

Plumbago
 Thicket biome: Animal life

Some examples:
 Monkeys, birds and

squirrels.
 The black rhino, elephants

and kudu were once found

here in large numbers.
 Something for you to do
Write down the correct biological term for each of the
following:
1. The part of the earth in which living organisms are
found.
2. The soil and rocks of the upper layers of the earth’s
surface.
3. A region with a distinct climate and all the organisms
living there.
4. Southern Africa's largest biome.
5. Species occurring in one area only and no where else in
the world.
6. The name given to the vegetation found in the Western
cape only and nowhere else in the world.
 Solution:
1. Biosphere
2. Lithosphere
3. Biomes
4. Savanna
5. Endemic
6. Fynbos