PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM

Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

FACTORS THAT
BIOME DEFINITION SOIL CONDITION CLIMATE FLORA FAUNA AFFECT CHANGES
IN BIOME
Tundra  occurs in the  usually  long, harsh winters  mosses, lichens,  lemmings, voles,  Climate
(Arctic extreme nutrient poor and short summers grasses, and weasels, arctic change:
Tundra) northern and have little  little precipitation grasslike sedges foxes, snowshoe replacement of
latitudes where detritus, such  most of the yearly  stunted trees (no hares, ptarmigan, vegetation
the snow melts as dead leaves 10 to 25 cm (4 to taller than 30 cm) snowy owls, and  boreal forest is
seasonally and stems, 10 in) of rain or and shrubs musk oxen moving
 Limited animal snow falls during  mosquitoes, northward
precipitation, droppings, or summer months blackflies, and
combined with remains of deerflies
low organisms  Summer
temperatures,  beneath it lies (migration): caribou,
flat a layer of dozens of bird
topography (or perma- frost, species
surface permanently
features), and frozen ground
the layer of that varies in
permafrost, depth and
produces a thickness
landscape of
broad, shallow
lakes and
ponds,
sluggish
streams, and
bogs
 has low
 PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

primary
productivity
and supports
relatively few
species
compared to
other biomes
Boreal  stretches  typically  Winters in the  Black and white  caribou, wolves;  extensive
Forest (Taiga across North acidic and boreal forest are spruces, balsam fir, brown and black logging
or Northern America and mineral poor, extremely cold and eastern larch, and bears; and moose  gas and oil
Coniferous Eurasia with a thick severe, although other conifers  rodents, rabbits, and exploration
Forest)  has numerous surface layer not as harsh as  deciduous trees smaller predators  mining
ponds and of partly those in the tundra (trees that shed their such as lynx, sable,  farming
lakes dug by decomposed  receives little leaves in autumn), and mink
ice sheets pine and precipitation, such as aspen and  Birds are abundant
during the last spruce needles perhaps 50 cm (20 birch in the summer but
ice age  Permafrost in) per year, migrate to warmer
 not well suited occurs only in climates for winter.
to agriculture patches, often  Insects are plentiful
because of its deep under  few amphibians and
short growing the surface. reptiles occur
season and
mineral-poor
soil
 yields lumber,
pulpwood for
paper
products,
animal furs,
and other
forest products
Temperate  northwest  relatively  High annual  large evergreen trees  squirrels, wood rats,  Overharvesting
 PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

Rain Forest coast of North nutrient-poor precipitation: more such as west- ern mule deer, elk, the original old-
America soil, though than 127 cm (50 hemlock, Douglas numerous bird growth (never
 a rich wood its organic in) fir, western red species, and several logged) forest
producer, content may  Precipitation is cedar, Sitka spruce, species of can devastate
supplying be high augmented by and western amphibians and that biome
lumber and condensation of arborvitae reptiles because such an
pulpwood water from dense  epiphytes, smaller ecosystem takes
coastal fogs plants that grow on hundreds of
 winters are mild, the years to
and summers are  trunks and branches develop. Once
cool of large trees harvested, the
old-growth
forest
ecosystem
never has a
chance to fully
recover.
Temperate  The trees of  soil of a  Hot summers and  Broad-leaved  deer, bears, and  logging and
Deciduous the temperate temperate cold winters hardwood trees that many small land clearing
Forest deciduous deciduous  precipitation lose their leaves mammals and birds for farms
forest form a forest consists ranges from about seasonally, such as  tree plantations
dense canopy of a topsoil 75 to 150 cm (30 oak, hickory, and  cities
that overlies rich in organic to 60 in) annually beech  seminatural
saplings and material and a state that
shrubs deep, clay- humans have
rich lower modified for
layer recreation,
livestock
foraging, timber
harvest, and
other uses
Temperate  Summers are  Has  Average annual  Many grasses are  bison, pronghorn,  land clearing
 PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

Grassland hot, winters considerable precipitation sod formers—that and elk for farming
are cold, and organic ranges from 25 to is, their roots and  wolves and coyotes
rainfall is material 75 cm (10 to 30 rhizomes form a  prairie dogs and
often uncertain because the in) thick, continuous their predators
 Periodic aboveground underground mat. (foxes, black-footed
wildfires help portions of Although few trees ferrets, and various
maintain many grasses grow except near birds of prey),
grasses as the die off each rivers and streams, grouse, reptiles such
dominant winter and grasses grow in as snakes and
vegetation in contribute to great profusion in lizards, and great
grasslands the organic the deep, rich soil numbers of insects
content of the
soil, while the
roots and
rhizomes
(underground
stems) survive
underground
Chaparral  Wildfires  thin and often  mild winters with  dense thicket of  Mule deer, wood  Wildfire
occur naturally not very abundant rainfall evergreen shrubs— rats, chipmunks, prevention
in this fertile combined with often short, drought- lizards, and many
environment hot, dry summers. resistant pine or species of birds
and are scrub oak trees that
particularly grow 1 to 3 m (3 to
frequent in late 10 ft) tall
summer and
autumn
 Plant species
in these
biomes have
evolved
adaptations
 PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

that equip
them to live
where
precipitation is
seasonal.
During the
rainy winter
season, the
environment
may be lush
and green, and
during the hot,
dry summer,
the plants lie
dormant. The
hard, small,
leathery leaves
of trees and
shrubs resist
water loss
Desert  consists of dry  low in organic  low water vapor  Desert plants are  Desert animals are  People who
areas found in material but is content of the adapted to conserve typically small. drive across the
both temperate often high in desert atmosphere water and as a result During the heat of desert in off-
(cold deserts) mineral con- results in daily tend to have few, the day, they remain road vehicles
and tent, temperature small, or no leaves. under cover or inflict
subtropical or particularly extremes of heat Cactus leaves are return to shelter environmental
tropical salts and cold, so that a modified into periodically, damage. When
regions (warm major change in spines, which emerging at night to the top layer of
deserts) temperature occurs discourage forage or hunt. desert soil is
in each 24-hour herbivores. Other  desert-adapted disturbed,
period desert plants shed insects and erosion occurs
 Deserts vary their leaves for most arachnids (such as more readily
 PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

greatly depending of the year, growing tarantulas and and less

on the amount of only during the brief scorpions) vegetation
precipitation they moist season.  few desert-adapted grows to
receive, which is  cacti, yuccas, amphibians (frogs support native
generally less than Joshua trees, and and toads) and many animals.
25 cm (10 in) per sagebrush reptiles, such as the  Certain cacti
year desert tortoise, Gila and desert
monster, and Mojave tortoises are
rattlesnake rare as a result
 kangaroo rats, as of poaching.
well as mule deer  Houses,
and jackrabbits factories, and
 Birds of prey, farms built in
especially owls, live desert areas
on the rodents and require vast
jack- rabbits, and quantities of
even scorpions water, which is
imported from
distant areas.
Increased
groundwater
consumption by
many desert
cities has
caused
groundwater
levels to drop,
particularly in
southern
Arizona and
southwestern
New Mexico.
 PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

Savanna  tropical  somewhat low  Temperatures in  wide expanses of  antelope, giraffe,  being converted
grassland in essential savannas vary grasses interrupted elephants, into rangeland
 found in areas nutrient little throughout by occasional trees wildebeest, and for cattle and
of low rainfall minerals, in the year. like the acacia, zebra other
or intense part because it  Precipitation is the which bristles with  lions and hyenas domesticated
seasonal is heavily overriding climate thorns to provide animals
rainfall with leached factor: Annual protection against
prolonged dry during rainy precipitation is 85 herbivores
periods periods—that to 150 cm (34 to  trees and grasses
is, nutrient 60 in) have fire-adapted
minerals filter features, such as
out of the extensive
topsoil underground root
systems, that enable
them to survive
seasonal droughts as
well as periodic
fires
Tropical  occurs where  mineral-poor  annual  The trees are  Rain forests shelter  Human
rainforest temperatures soil precipitation in a typically evergreen the most abundant population
are warm  Little organic tropical rain forest flowering plants. and varied insects, growth and
throughout the matter is typically  A fully developed birds, reptiles, and industrial
year and accumulates between 200 and tropical rain forest amphibians on Earth expan- sion in
precipitation in such soils; 450 cm (80 to 180 has at least three  sloths and monkeys, tropical
occurs almost because in) distinct stories, or countries may
daily temperatures layers, of spell the end of
 unexcelled in are high year- vegetation. The tropical rain
species round, topmost story, or forests during
richness and bacteria, emergent layer, the 21st
variety: no fungi, and consists of the century.
single species detritus- crowns of very tall Biologists
dominates this feeding ants trees, some 50 m know that many
 PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

biome. and termites (164 ft) or more in rainforest

decompose height, which are species will
organic litter exposed to direct become extinct
quite rapidly. sunlight. before they are
Roots quickly The middle story, or even identified
absorb canopy, which and
nutrient reaches a height of scientifically
minerals from 30 to 40 m (100 to described
the 130 ft), forms a
decomposing continuous layer of
material leaves that lets in
very little sunlight
to support the
smaller plants in the
sparse understory.
Only 2 to 3 percent
of the light bathing
the forest canopy
reaches the forest
under- story.
 Tropical rainforest
trees support thick
woody vines and
extensive
communities of
epiphytic plants
such as ferns,
mosses, orchids, and
bromeliads.

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
 PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

DOMINANT PRODUCERS DOMINANT ANIMAL LIFE

BIOME PARAMETERS DISTRIBUTION
(FLORA) (FAUNA)
Lakes and Ponds Bodies of standing water; low Rooted and floating plants, Zooplankton, fish, insect larvae, Physical depressions
(freshwater) concentration of dissolved solids; phytoplankton turtles, ducks, geese, swans, wading
seasonal vertical stratification of water birds
Streams and Rivers Flowing water; low level of dissolved Attached algae, rooted plants Insect larvae, fish, amphibians, otters, in the landscape where
(freshwater) solids; high level of dissolved oxygen; raccoons, wading birds, ducks, geese precipitation and
often turbid from runoff groundwater accumulate
Inland Wetlands Standing water, at times seasonally dry; Marshes (grasses, reeds); cattail Amphibians, snakes, numerous Landscapes where
(freshwater) thick organic sediments; high nutrients swamps (water- tolerant trees); bogs invertebrates, wading birds, alligators, precipitation and
(sphagnum moss, shrubs) turtles groundwater flow by gravity
toward oceans or lakes
Estuaries (mixed) Variable salinity; tides create two-way Phytoplankton, rooted grasses (salt- Zooplankton, rich shellfish, worms, Shallow depressions, poorly
currents; often rich in nutrients, turbid marsh grass), mangrove swamps in crustaceans, fish, wading birds, drained, often occupy sites of
tropics with salt-tolerant trees, shrubs sandpipers, ducks, geese lakes and ponds that have
filled in
Coastal Ocean Tidal currents promote mixing; Phytoplankton, large benthic algae, Zooplankton; rich bottom fauna of Coastal regions where rivers
(saltwater) nutrients high turtle grass, symbiotic algae in coral worms, shellfish, crustaceans; coral meet the ocean; may form
colonies, jellyfish, fish, turtles, gulls,bays behind sandy barrier
terns, sea lions, seals, dolphins, islands
penguins, whales
Coral Reefs Clear, shallow water in the tropics; Red and green algae that live Coral animals, zooplankton, sea From coastline outward over
(saltwater) high light penetration supports a great symbiotically in the bodies of coral worms, sea anemones, sea stars, wide continental shelf; includes
diversity of life animals; many other algae diversity of fish kelp “forests” and eelgrass
beds

Open Ocean Great depths (to 11,000 m, 36,100 ft.); Phytoplankton, sargassum weed Zooplankton and fish adapted to Along coasts and islands in
(saltwater) all but upper 200 m (656 ft.) dark and different depths; seabirds, whales, the tropics, especially in the
cold; poor in nutrients except in tuna, sharks, squid, flying fish West Pacific, Caribbean and
upwelling regions around Australia
 PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
Module
Earth’s Major Biomes (Terrestrial and Aquatic)

Hydrothermal Vents Great depths; dark and hot; water Chemosynthetic organisms; some are Extremophiles (organisms that live in
(saltwater) exposed to volcanic rock may reach symbionts in other organisms extreme conditions), bacteria, giant
temperatures of 750oF (400oC); tube worms, fish, crabs
mineral-rich water often acidic