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Ecosystems
2-2
A. Ecosystem – formed by the interaction of plant life, animal life, and the physical environment in which they live
B. Environmental change 1. the loss of natural habitat usually leads to
severe declines in animal and plant populations C. Biomes – major types of ecosystems that
can be found in various regions throughout the world 1. classified by their natural plant and animal
life
I. Ecosystems
A. Tropical Rain Forest
1. areas near the Equator 2. temperature is warm and great amounts of
rain fall 3. largest are in the Amazon River basin in
South America & the Congo River basin in Africa 4. tall trees form like canopies & block much of
the sun from the forest floor 5. rain forests cover only about 6% of the
earth’s surface, but contain more than half of the earth’s plant and animal species
II. Forest Regions
B. Mid-Latitude Forest 1. deciduous – trees that shed their leaves
during one season, usually autumn 2. much of this type of forest has been cleared
to make room for housing developments and large cities
3. very little of the natural vegetation remains 4. temperate climate with adequate rainfall,
warm summers, and cool or cold winters
C. Coniferous Forest
1. coniferous – trees that have cones that protect their seeds
2. located in colder areas 3. includes pines, spruces, firs, and their
relatives that have long, thin needles rather than leaves
4. some large animals (moose and bears) live in these forests but most animals are much smaller
D. Other Forest Types 1. mixed regions – include coniferous and
deciduous trees (northern U.S.) 2. chaparral – small evergreen trees and low
bushes or scrub (Mediterranean & Australia)
A. Tropical Grasslands
1. savannas – huge tropical grasslands which grow in warm lands near the Equator
2. wet season – trees and plants grow tall and green 3. dry season – trees and grasses turn brown and
die above ground (remain alive underground) 4. wildfire season – help maintain the savanna by
encouraging new grasses to grow 5. 2 types of animals are found in savannas:
a. Herbivores – plant-eating animals (gazelles & zebras)
b. Carnivores – meat-eating animals (lions & hyenas)
III. Grasslands
B. Temperate Grasslands 1. prairies – temperate grassland characterized
by a variety of grasses 2. found in cooler parts of the world, like N.
America 3. in the U.S., prairies in the east had tall
grasses with colorful wildflowers…as you move west, grasses are shorter and dryer
4. little of the natural prairie vegetation is left because they plowed these areas to become farmland
A. Many plants and animals have adapted to
survive with almost no water B. Cactus plants store water in their thick
stems for later retrieval (hundreds of gallons) C. Many others have seeds that can survive
for years without water to sprout D. Most desert animals go without water…
instead they get moisture from the seeds, plants, or other animals they eat
IV. Deserts
A. Tundra – region where temperatures are always cool or cold & only specialized plants can grow 1. alpine tundra exists in high mountains – only
small plants and wildflowers…no trees 2. arctic tundra – treeless, covered with
grasses, mosses, lichens, and flowering plants…goes without sunlight for most of the winter
3. permafrost – layer of soil just below the surface that stays permanently frozen
4. some plants and animals
V. Tundras