Intro to Ecology Part 2

Climate vs. Weather

Weather Day-to-day conditions of Earth's atmosphere

precipitation, humidity, temperature, etc. Changes every day

Climate The average, year-after-year, conditions (temperature and precipitation) that prevail in a

specific region Microclimate

Climate in a specific area that varies from the surrounding climate region Ex. The burrow of a Kangaroo rat in the New Mexico desert (dark and cool)

Biomes

Terrestrial ecosystems that cover a large region of Earth

Characterized by communities of plants and other organisms adapted to the climate and other abiotic factors

Major Terrestrial Biomes

Tropical RainforestTropical Dry ForestTropical SavannahDesertTemperate Grasslands (Prairie)

Temperate Woodland/shrubland (Chaparral)

Temperate forest Northwestern

Coniferous Boreal

Forest/Taiga Tundra

Tropical Rainforest Canopy: dense covering of tree tops Understory: 2nd story of shorter trees and

vines under the canopy Fern Gully/Medicine Man

Tropical Dry Forest

Deciduous trees: broad leaves that fall Wet/Dry season “Jungle Book” forest

Tropical Savannah In the tropics Wet/dry season Less rainfall than trop. Dry forest Think “Lion King”

Desert Around 25-35o Latitude N and S Plants and animal adaptations

Spines, waxy cuticles, scales Think “The Mummy” and “The Sahara”

Temperate Woodland/Shrubland/Chaparral

Dense shrubs Mediterranean, California coast Brush fires

Temperate Grassland prairies Midwest (Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri) Brush fires Think movie “Twister” “Wizard of Oz” and

“Little House on the Prairie”

Temperate Forest Mix of coniferous and deciduous trees Humus (HUE-Mus) material formed from

decaying leaves….very fertile!!! Forests with leaves that change colors Think fairy tale forest “Snow White” and

“Sleeping Beauty”

Northwestern Coniferous “Rainforest” of the temperate climate zone…

very DIVERSE vegetation Mild, moist temperatures Think “Twilight” “New Moon” “Eclipse”

Boreal Forest/ Taiga Bitter cold winters Coniferous trees Make the timberline…border between taiga

and the tundra Think “X-Men Origins”…Wolverine’s home

Tundra Permafrost: layer of

permanently frozen subsoil “Ice Age”

Other interesting ecosystems… Mountain Ranges

On all continents Abiotic and biotic factors change with ELAVATION (as u go

up) Therefore plants and animals change VERTICALLY Grassland at base woodland/pines spruce/conifer

forest tundra like open area at summit with wildflowers Polar Ice Caps

Border the Tundra Cold year round Characterized by ice and snow Plants and algae are few but include Mosses and Lichens North Pole

Sea ice and ice cap that covers Greenland Polar bears, seals, insects and mites

South Pole 5 km thick layer of ice Penguins and marine mammals

COPY!!!

Define!

Producer: Consumer: Autotroph: Heterotroph: Food Chain: Food Web: Trophic Level:

Energy is transferred in ecosystems Producers give E to Consumers Food chains show flow of energy (arrows show where energy is going) Trophic levela single step in the food chain

A step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem

Primary ProducersAUTOTROPHSmake their OWN food Use Photosynthesis and Chemosynthesis to change inorganic chemicals into molecules that they use for ENERGY!!! Plants and bacteria

Consumers HETEROTROPHS must eat different things to get their E…canNOT make their own

GLUCOSE Primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers

Herbivores: eat plants Omnivores: eat plants and animals (bears, humans) Carnivores: eat other animals (wolves) Detritivores: eat dead plants and animals (earthworms, mites, crabs) Decomposers: get energy from decaying organic matter (bacteria and fungus aka

mushrooms)

Trophic Levels

• Each link in a food chain is known as a trophic level.

• Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem.

Trophic Levels

Producers- Autotrophs

Primary consumers- Herbivores

Secondary consumers-small

carnivores

Tertiary consumers-

top carnivores

E

N

E

R

G

Y

Food chain- simple model that shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem

Food web- shows all possible feeding relationships in a community at each trophic level

• Represents a network of interconnected food chains

Food chain Food web(just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy

paths)

Biome Projects

Tropical Rainforest Tropical Dry Forest Tropical Savannah Desert Temperate Grasslands (Prairie) Temperate forest

Chaparral /shrub land North Western Coniferous Boreal Forest/Taiga Tundra Everglades Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents Tropical Coral Reefs

Biome Project Guide Lines Children’s book using your biome as a setting and showing interactions between organisms

Must be NEAT, SIMPLISTIC, yet INFORMATIVE Report

Abiotic Factors of biome Climate and Precipitation Countries in which biome can be found Dominant animals (at least 9) Dominant plants (at least 9) Problems/issues threatening this biome 3 interesting facts 3 different food chains

Name of organism Primary producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer and tertiary consumer labeled in

each Type of consumer (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, detritivore, decomposer) labeled in each One of the food chains MUST be present in and numbered/labeled in 3D model

1 food web (pictures and names of organisms)

Model 3-D CREATIVE model of biome Model must include one of the food chains listed in your Report Model must include accurate plants and animals No candy/edible items and No living organisms