UNIT 1 Sustaining Earth’s

EcosystemsOverall goal of the Unit:

By the end of unit 1, you will be able to discuss the significance of natural phenomena and human

factors within an ecosystems.

Learning Outcomes for UNIT 1:

• What are the abiotic and biotic elements in ecosystems • How does carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus cycle within the

ecosystem? • Explore ecosystems with similar characteristics in different geographical

locations • What are the effects of altering an abiotic factor • Describe species adaptation • Create food webs and pyramids • Describe the mechanisms and possible impacts of bioaccumulation • Explain traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) • Discuss the impact of natural phenomena, foreign species, disease,

pollution, habitat destruction, and exploitation of resources on ecosystems

Important Unit 1 Vocabulary

abioticacid precipitation/rainadaptationadaptive radiationalgaeannual precipitationannual temperatureaquatic bacteriabioaccumulation

biodegradationbiodiversitybiomagnificationbiomebiospherebioticcarbon exchangecarbon sinkcarbon storeCarbonatecarnivore

cellular respirationclimateclimatographclimax communitycommensalismcommunitycompetitionconsumer(primary, secondary,tertiary) DDT

decomposersdeforestationdenitrificationdetrivoreecological hierarchy(organism, population,community, ecosystem)ecological pyramid(pyramid of biomass,pyramid of energy,pyramid of numbers)

ecological succession(primary, secondary)ecologyecosystemelevationestuaryExtinctionfood chainsfood pyramidsfood webs foreign speciesfossil fuel

grazinghabitatheavy metalsherbivorehostkeystone specieslatitudelegumeslichenLightningmutualismnative species

natural selectionnichenitrificationnutrientsomnivoreparasitismPCBspesticidepHphosphorusphotosynthesisphytoplankton

pioneer speciespredationproducerProliferationsoil degradationstabilitysymbiosisterrestrialtop consumer/predator/carnivoretoxintrophic levelszooplankton

Introduction

• http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/animals-pets-kids/mammals-kids/hippo-fishclean-kids.html

UNIT 1 Sustaining Earth’s Ecosystems

• Chapter 1: Biomes and ecosystems are divisions of the biosphere (p. 6 – 53)

• 1.1 Biomes Words to Knowabiotic climate

terrestrialadaptation climatographBiome ecosystemsBiotic Biosphere

Learning Goals for 1.1

• define abiotic, biotic, biome, and ecosystem • identify distinctive plants, animals, and climatic characteristics of

Canadian biomes (tundra, boreal forest, temperate deciduous forest, temperate rainforest, grasslands)

• identify biotic and abiotic factors in a given scenario or diagram • identify factors that affect the global distribution of the following biomes

(8): tropical rainforest, temperate rainforest, temperate deciduous forest, boreal forest, grasslands, desert, tundra, polar ice

• using examples, explain why ecosystems with similar characteristics can exist in different geographical locations (i.e., significance of abiotic factors)

Think Pad…

• Scientists study the biosphere by breaking it down into smaller divisions. Place the following terms in order of size of division:

Biome, habitat, biosphere, ecosystem

1.1 A. Biomes

• __________________: anywhere on Earth living things exist. _____________ are regions with similar __________ and

similar ___________ components (ex. BC and New Zealand are similar biomes)

See pages 8 -10

___________ = living things

___________ = non-living things

Abiotic and Biotic

Examples of Biotic Components Examples of Abiotic Components

_____________ are classified based on many qualities, such

as water availability, temperature, and interactions between biotic and abiotic factors.

We will study types of biomes called “___________________, or land-based biomes

There are __________ types of biomes: Boreal forest, desert, grassland, permanent ice, temperate deciduous forest, temperate rainforest, tropical rainforest and tundra.

See pages 8 -10

Activity 1.1A Observing Patterns in World Biomes

What to Do What did you find out?

Reading Check Page 12

B. Factors That Influence the Characteristics and Distribution of Biomes

• Think Pad…

Factors That Influence the Characteristics and Distribution of

Biomes

• Certain characteristics help to identify biomes. ________________ and _______________ are two of

the most important _____________ factors.

See pages 10 - 13

Practice Problems

Practice Problems page 13

Other Factors That Influence the Characteristics and Distribution of Biomes include _______________, ___________________ and __________________ ___________________

• __________________ is the distance north and south from the equator. ______________ influences both temperature &

precipitation.Ex. The tropical zone has very warm temperatures

and high precipitation because: The sun shines straight down & warm air holds more moisture

than cooler air.

See pages 14 - 15

• ____________________ is the height above sea level _____________ elevations have ________ air, and

therefore ____________ heat is retained. Windward sides of mountains are wet, leeward sides

are very dry.

• _____________ ____________ carry warmth and moisture to coastal areas. Where warm currents meet land, temperate biomes are

found.

Reading Check Page 15

C. Climatographs

• ________________: the average pattern of weather conditions over a period of several years. A climatograph shows the __________ _______________

and _____________________ for a location over a period of 30 years or more.

• Biomes are often defined using information in climatographs.

See pages 16 - 17

Climatographs

Examine the differences between Tofino and Osoyoos

See pages 16 - 17

D. Adaptations and Biomes

• Biomes are often identified with characteristic biotic factors. For example, a cactus in

the desert, or a caribou on the tundra.

Many of these characteristic factors have special adaptations that allow the organisms to better survive and reproduce in that biome. See pages 18 - 19

Types of adaptations: 1. ________________ __________________ - a physical

feature that helps an organism survive.ex. A wolf has large paws to help it run in snow.

2. ________________ _________________ - a physical or chemical event inside the body of an organism that allows it to survive. ex. A wolf maintains a constant body temperature.

3. _______________ _________________ - a behaviour that helps an organism to survive.ex. Wolves hunt in packs to capture large prey.

Adaptations and Biomes (continued)

Reading Check Page 19 AND 29

1.1 Summary

• Biomes of the World (8)• Factors that influence the Characteristics and distribution of

biomes (Temperature, Precipitation, latitude, levation, ocean currents)

• Climatographs (ave. temperature an precipitation)• Adaptations (structural, physiological, beehavioural)