The Biosphere and The Biosphere and EcosystemsEcosystems

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Let’s start big:The Let’s start big:The BiosphereBiosphere

The The biospherebiosphere is the sum of all is the sum of all ecosystems on earth.ecosystems on earth.

The BiosphereThe BiosphereIt has 3 components that It has 3 components that interactinteract with with

each other:each other:

The AtmosphereThe Atmosphere

The air of the atmosphere is primarily The air of the atmosphere is primarily a a mixture of gasesmixture of gases..

Nitrogen makes up 78%, oxygen 21%, Nitrogen makes up 78%, oxygen 21%, and the rest less than 1% (COand the rest less than 1% (CO22 is is 0.04%).0.04%).

The AtmosphereThe AtmosphereBut the atmosphere also But the atmosphere also

containscontains

• waterwater (water vapour) (water vapour)

• earthearth (dust and (dust and

volcanic ash)volcanic ash)

• organic material organic material (pollen, (pollen, spores, and bacteria)spores, and bacteria)

The LithosphereThe Lithosphere

The lithosphere is the The lithosphere is the crust of the crust of the Earth Earth and also contains pockets of and also contains pockets of air, water (groundwater), and air, water (groundwater), and organic materialorganic material – rotting plants, – rotting plants, and organisms living in the soil. and organisms living in the soil.

The HydrosphereThe Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is Earth’s water, both The hydrosphere is Earth’s water, both freshwaterfreshwater and and ocean waterocean water..

The HydrosphereThe Hydrosphere

It will also contain: It will also contain:

• air (dissolved gases)air (dissolved gases)

• earth (sediment)earth (sediment)

• organic materialorganic material

What is the What is the biosphere?biosphere?

The sum of all The sum of all ecosystemsecosystems

EcosystemsEcosystems

An ecosystem is a An ecosystem is a biologicalbiological system that system that contains all the contains all the livingliving and and non-livingnon-living parts to it.parts to it.

For the For the boreal ecosystem boreal ecosystem where the oil where the oil sands project is, this would be the trees, sands project is, this would be the trees, bears, deer, fish, mosquitos, etc. bears, deer, fish, mosquitos, etc. interactinginteracting with the water, soil, and with the water, soil, and sunlight.sunlight.

Ecosystem examplesEcosystem examples

A marine ecosystem

A terrestrial ecosystem

Alberta’s oil sands: a disturbed Alberta’s oil sands: a disturbed ecosystem within the earth’s ecosystem within the earth’s

biospherebiosphereThe The boreal forest boreal forest is an ecosystem but is an ecosystem but

there are many ecosystems within there are many ecosystems within the boreal forest like individual the boreal forest like individual lakes, rivers, swamps, etc.lakes, rivers, swamps, etc.

Every Every ecosystemecosystem has plants, animals has plants, animals and other organisms as well as the and other organisms as well as the air, water and soil they interact with.air, water and soil they interact with.

Energy flows through Energy flows through ecosystemsecosystems

Ecosystems have food Ecosystems have food chainschains

What is What is a food chaina food chain??

It is a way to show It is a way to show what eats whatwhat eats what in in an ecosystem. It usually starts with an ecosystem. It usually starts with plantsplants that get energy from the sun that get energy from the sun and usually ends with and usually ends with decomposersdecomposers (bacteria, fungi in the soil).(bacteria, fungi in the soil).

The food chainThe food chainPlants are called primary producers (they are first on the food chain; they produce food for consumers from sunlight)

Things that eat only plants are called herbivores and primary consumers (they are they first to consume anything come next on the food chain)

Things that eat the herbivores are called carnivores or secondary, tertiary, etc. consumers.

Bacteria and fungi break down what has died and are called decomposers.