Chapter 4 – Ecosystems and Communities

4-1 The Role of ClimateIn the atmosphere, temperature, precipitation,

and other environmental factors combine to produce weather and climate.

- weather is the day-to-day conditions

- climate is the average year-to-year conditions in a region

The Greenhouse Effect - Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and a few other atmospheric gases trap heat energy and maintain Earth’s temperature range.

- greenhouse effect is the natural situation in which heat is retained by

the layers of greenhouse gases

Latitude- Earth is a sphere tilted on its axis and receives sunlight at different angles throughout the year-Three main climate zones: polar, temperate, and tropical

Heat is transferred around Earth by winds and ocean currents

4-2 What Shapes an Ecosystem?

Ecosystems are influenced by a biological and physical factors.

- biotic factors = biological influences

- abiotic factors = physical, nonliving factors

- habitat = the area in which an organism lives; biotic and abiotic factors; an organism’s address

NicheNiche = full range of physical and biological conditions

and interactions; organism’s occupation

Community interactions

- competition – struggle for resources: water, nutrients, light, food, space

- predation – predator catches and feeds off of prey

- symbiosis – “living together”

- mutualism = both species benefit; flowers and insects; ants and aphids

- commensalism = one member benefits and other is neither benefited or harmed; barnacles and whales; orchids and tree

- parasitism = parasite lives on or in a host which generally weakens the host; tapeworms and mammals; fleas, ticks and mites and mammals;

Ecological succession – predictable changes over time

- primary succession – occurs on new surfaces

- secondary succession – occurs after natural events like fires

- aquatic succession – 1. whale dies… scavengers 2. nutrients decompose and support marine worms 3. oil in bones eaten by bacteria

Succession

Major Land Biomes

Tropical Rain Forest– tall trees from canopy

over the understory; hot and wet year-round; nutrient-poor soil

Sloth

Jaguar

Tapir

Black Jaguar

Orchids

Boa constrictor

Toucan

Tropical Dry Forest– deciduous trees;

generally warm, alternating dry and wet seasons; rich soil

Elephants

Tiger

Toucan

Bromeliads

Spot billed pelican

Monitor lizard

Tropical Savanna– cover grasses and

shrubs that are fire-resistant; warm temps; seasonal rainfall

Hyena

AardvarkStorks

Giraffe

Lion

Desert– less than 25 cm per

year; hot & cold temps; mineral-rich soil

Desert big horned sheep

Mountain lion

Golden eagle Creosote bush

Mule deer

Kangaroo rat

Roadrunner

Temperate Grassland– warm to hot summer,

cold winter; moderate precipitation; fertile soil

Pronghorn antelope

Polecat

Coyotes

Bison

Black-tailed prairie dog

sunflowers

Blazing stars Badgers

Temperate Woodland and Shrubland– hot, dry summers;

cool, moist winter, nutrient-poor soil, periodic fires

Fox

Squirrel

Black-tailed deer

California quailWarbler

Temperate Forest– mix of coniferous and deciduous

trees; cold winters, warm summers; year-long precipitation; fertile soil

Bobcat

Turkey

Skunk

Raccoon

Black bear

Northwestern Coniferous Forest

– abundant precipitation; coniferous trees; mild temperatures

beaver

Douglas Fir

Redwoods

Elk

Barred owl

Boreal Forest

– also known as taiga; long, cold winters; high humidity

Spruce

Snowshoe hare

Moose

Lynx

Timber wolves

Tundra– permafrost is the layer

of permanently frozen subsoil, strong winds; long, cold winters and short, soggy summers

Bearberry

Artic willowSnowy owl

Polar bearCaribou

Artic fox

Biomes Movie Part 1

Biomes Movie Part 2