SUCCESSIONS AND

BIOMES
Lesson 3
 How does a biological community develop?
 A Biological Community is brought by a series of
natural changes and species replacements in the
existing communities in an ecosystem.
 These observed changes within the ecosystem
occurring over time are called ecological succession.
- Within a community, a species composition will
gradually change as some species become more
prominent whereas others do not thrive well and die
out.
 There are two types:
- Primary Succession
- Secondary Succession
 Primary Succession
It basically takes place where there are no
existing organisms.
Ex.
When a barren piece of land such as rock
surfaces from landslides or lahar flows
becomes exposed and is subject to colonization
of plant and animals
 Primary Succession
Pioneer Species is what you call to the first
colonizers.
Ex.
Lichen, which consists of an algae or bacteria
in a mutual relationship with a fungus
 Primary Succession
 Primary Succession eventually slows down as
the community reaches equilibrium.
 A stable ecological community with little or no
change in species over a period of time is
called a climax community. It may last for
decades or even centuries of abiotic factors
permit stability.
 Secondary Succession
Changes in a previously colonized community
are called secondary succession.
Ex.
A disturbed or damaged community due to
extrinsic abiotic factors like a natural disaster
undergoes a series of changes to reestablish its
ecological community.
 Secondary Succession
 It occurs on land that already contains soil,
hence, it requires less time and fewer steps to
achieve a stable climax community.
Primary and Secondary Succession
 What is a Biome?
A biome is a large group of ecosystems that share a
common vegetation structure and have distinctive
plant and animal groups adapted to the particular
environment.

They are ecological communities that are

delineated by abiotic factors, namely the climate
patterns, geological topography, and soil types.
 What is a Biome?
 It may be divided into aquatic or terrestrial
types.
 The aquatic type includes the marine biomes
of the ocean, the estuaries, and the freshwater
biomes such as lakes, rivers, and wetlands.
 The terrestrial biomes are largely dictated by
the differences in latitude.
 Biomes on land are tundra, taiga, desert,
grassland, and forest.
AQUATIC BIOMES
 Marine Biomes
 It covers approximately three quarters of the
Earth’s surface.
 A large proportion of the oceanic biomass is
contributed by microorganisms called
plankton, which serve as food for the larger
marine animals.
 Marine Biomes
Abiotic factors in marine biomes vary at
different depths.
Shallow portions of marine biome called the
photic zone allow sunlight to penetrate
through, thus supporting many marine
ecosystems and habitats
The deeper aphotic zone where sunlight does
not reach also serves as home to some
organisms that have adapted to cold and dark
waters
Animals at different depths of the marine
biome
 Estuaries
 Forms in an area partially enclosed by land
wherever a river joins the ocean, as freshwater
and saltwater mix.
 The salinity of the brackish water in an
estuary is intermediate between that of
seawater and freshwater, depending on the
amount of freshwater that comes from the
river.
 Estuaries
 The convergence of freshwater and seawater
brings about high levels of nutrients in this
transition zone
 The main enriching factor is the high activity
of decomposers that degrade organic material
thus increasing nutrient content in water
 Estuaries are rich in detritus that serve as food
for many organisms
Estuaries
 Freshwater Biomes
 It can range from ponds and lakes with still
water, wetlands that support aquatic plants, to
the flowing currents of streams and rivers.
 In ponds and lakes, the topmost zone is the
warmest as it receives the bulk of the sun’s
energy and absorb it.
 The warm surface sustains algae, aquatic
plants, insects, crustaceans, fishes and
amphibians.
 Freshwater Biomes
 The zone below the surface that still receives
sunlight is dominated by phytoplankton and
zooplankton.
 Plankton is crucial because they serve as basal
food sources for animals in ponds and lakes
 The deep-water is cold and less penetrable by
sunlight, limiting growth of organisms.
Planktons Pond and Lakes
 Freshwater Biomes
 Streams and rivers have flowing water whose
characteristics change as it flows from its
estuarine source to the mouth
 Near the source, temperature is cooler and
dissolved oxygen is higher.
 At the middle part, abiotic factors permit
growth of algae and plants
 At the mouth, water becomes murky from all
the sediments therefore fish that requires less
oxygen like catfish are common.
 Freshwater Biomes
 Marshes, swamps and bogs are wetlands that
support a variety of hydrophytes, plants that
are adapted to moist and humid conditions.
 Amphibians, birds and reptiles find wetlands
as suitable habitats and thus reside there in
high frequencies.
Swamps and rivers Wetlands
Terrestrial Biomes
Tundra
 Tundra
 Is a treeless plain near the north pole that has
extremely cold climate and low species diversity.
 Temperature never rise above freezing for very long
and the ground is a permanently frozen structure
called permafrost.
 The soil is lacking in nutrients and can only support
simple vegetation.
 Hosts small mammals such as weasels, arctic foxes,
and snowy owls.
 A few large animals like the caribon and reindeer
migrate into the tundra and graze vegetation there
during the summer months.
Taiga
 Taiga
 South of tundra; Largest of the biomes
 Also known as the northern coniferous forest with
rows and rows of needleleaf trees fir, hemlock, and
spruce.
 Warmer and wetter than tundra but the climate is still
harsh with long, cold winters and short, mild
summers.
 There is no permafrost, but the soil is still poor in
nutrients and minerals.
 The presence of trees accommodates larger species of
animals such as the red squirrels, elk, and the moose.
Desert
 Desert
 The driest biome on earth with less than 25 cm of
precipitation annually.
 Arid region that can only sustain plants and animals that
have tolerance to heat and adaptation to water retention
 Vegetation is mainly comprised of shrubs and trees that
are drought-resistant
 Cacti are especially modified, with its leaves reduced to
spines, photosynthetic stems called cladodes that can
store water, and thick, waxy coating to prevent
transpiration
 Desert animals are mostly reptiles and little mammals
that forage on plants at night to save on water and energy.
Grasslands
 Grasslands
 Has dominance of grasses in vegetation with only a sparse
distribution of trees and large shrubs
 Tropical grasslands called savannas have only few
scattered trees per hectare
 Savannas are found in warm climates of Africa, Australia,
India and South America.
 Receive only about 25 to 75 cm of precipitation annually.
 The grass roots enlarge every after winter and form and
form an underground mat called sod.
 Can be used in farming lands for cereal oats, rye and
wheat thus the “breadbaskets of the world”
 Herds of grazing animals such as jack rabbits, deers and
elks.
Temperate Forest
 Temperate Forest
 With 70 to 150 cm of precipitation annually
 Temperate or deciduous forests are characterized
by its leaf shedding, broad-leaved hardwood trees
and its seasonal climate – winter, spring,
summer, and autumn.
 Foliage of trees change color with the season and
eventually fall of the tree during winter and
recover in spring.
 Some trees include maple, oak, birch, elm and ash.
 Some animals include squirrels, mice, rabbits,
deers, and bears.
Rain Forests
 Rain Forests
 Sustain the most species of organisms compared to other
biomes
 Has an ample amount of water from rainfall or fog
 Temperate Rainforests are found in South America,
New Zealand and Australia
 Tropical Rainforests are found at regions near the
equator with warmer and wetter conditions that
encourage plant growth.
 Receive about 200 cm of precipitation annually
 Nutrients are absorbed by plants and the rest is carried
away by the rain
 Habitats within the tropical rainforest can sustain a wide
array of plants and animals.