Ecosystems, Communities, and Biomes

Ecosystems, Communities, and Biomes Science: Chapter 4

Ecosystems, Communities, and Populations Lesson 1

What is an Ecosystem? • an area where living and non-living things interact in one place • examples of living things: - bacteria - animals - trees and plants • examples of non-living things: - sunlight - soil - water - air • ecosystems can be large or small • water, sunlight, plants, algae, fish, frogs • whole forests, prairies, everglades, etc.

What is a Community? • group of living creatures found in an ecosystem • depend on one another for food, shelter, and other needs • depend on non-living things within ecosystem

What is a Population? • all the members of the same type of organism that live in an ecosystem • examples: mangroves, spoonbills, alligators Think about it… What would happen if all the mangroves were cut down?

Ocean Ecosystems, Communities, and Populations: • coral reef = ecosystem • algae, coral, fish, sharks, turtles = community • redfish = population • Which do you think is most important to the community, and why?

Biomes Lesson 2

What is a Biome? • large group of ecosystems that have similar characteristics • climate makes each biome different from the other - affects plants and animals • Earth is home to six major land biomes: • tropical rain forest • temperate forest • grassland • desert • taiga • tundra

Tropical Rainforest: • located near the equator • very rainy and very hot • temperature ranges from 64° F to 95° F (summer all year-round) • 240 inches of rain a year • more plants and animals live here than any other biome • produces much of Earth’s oxygen • produces plants that make medicine

Temperate Forest: • located in eastern United States, Asia, and other places around world • temperature ranges from -22°F to 86°F • summer, fall, winter, spring • average rainfall • about one fifth of the rainfall tropical rain forests receive • home to many animals and trees • trees lose leaves during fall and are dormant in winter

Grasslands: Two types of grasslands: prairies- • located in central U.S • temperatures range from -40°F to 100°F • receive less than 35 inches of rain a year savannas- • located in central Africa • temperatures stay above 64°F • receives up to 40 inches of rain a year but also has “dry seasons” Note: Trees are scarce in grasslands.

Desert: • locations vary- found all over the planet • receive less than 10 inches of rain a year (extremely dry) • temperatures reach to100°F and drop to 32°F • Earth’s driest deserts contain little to no life

Taiga: • located in northern North America and Eurasia • severe winters and short, cool summers • temperatures only reach 50°F • receives 20 inches of rain per year • either dry, cold weather or snow • taiga covers the most land area

Tundra: • located near the Earth’s poles • Earth’s coldest biome with temperatures that range from -29°F to 50°F - ground is frozen for hundreds of feet down - lower levels never melt - frozen ground is called permafrost - top layer of ground melts during short, cool summer • swampy conditions • animals have adapted to cold - polar bears, caribou, wolves

Marine Biomes: • oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface • marine biomes are determined by the presence of sunlight in the water • sunlight and air affect temperature • Intertidal Zone: • Near-Shore Zone: • Open-Ocean Zone

Fresh Water Ecosystems: • rivers • currents run fast at beginning of river - trout and other fish • currents slow downstream - plants take root, birds, otters • wetlands • example: everglades (Note: See lesson 1) • lakes • still water divided into three sections based on amount of sunlight received • near surface: insects, algae, and plants • deeper, but still receive sunlight: fish and plankton - cold, dark bottom: decomposers and bacteria

Food webs Lesson 3

Food Chains: • describe how energy in an ecosystem flows from one organism to another • consists of producers, consumers, and decomposers • begins with the energy from the Sun

Food Chains: • the source of all energy within a food web begins with the Sun • producers (plants) use the Sun’s energy to make their own food • 1st level consumers eat the producers (plants)

Food Chains: • 2nd level consumers eat other, smaller consumers • 3rd level consumers eat all other consumers • decomposers break down dead animal and plant parts • include fungi, bacteria, protists, earthworms, and other small animals

Food Webs: • show how all the food chains connect within an ecosystem

Food Webs: • consumers can be classified into different types: • herbivores • eat only plants • 1st-level consumers • carnivores • eat only meats • 2nd- and 3rd-level consumers • Predators hunt for prey • omnivores • eat plants and meats

Energy Pyramids: • show how energy moves through an ecosystem • most energy (producers) to least energy (3rd level consumers) • energy is lost as heat at each level of the food chain

Ecosystems, Communities, and Biomes