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Ecosystems. What is an ecosystem?. An ecosystem is a dynamic interaction between plants, animals, microorganisms and their environment working together as a functional unit. The largest ecosystems are called biomes. What makes up an Ecosystem?. Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors. Non-living
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What is an ecosystem? • An ecosystem is a dynamic interaction between plants, animals, microorganisms and their environment working together as a functional unit. • The largest ecosystems are called biomes.
What makes up an Ecosystem? Abiotic FactorsBiotic Factors • Non-living • Sunlight • Temperature • Precipitation • Water or moisture • Soil • Living • Plants • Animals
The Six Major Ecosystems; also known as BiomesThese Ecosystems can vary from place to place! (click on the buttons to learn about each ecosystem) Temperate Forest Tropical Rainforest Desert Grassland TundraOcean/Marine After learning about all of the different ecosystems…take the quiz! check answers!
Temperate Forest • Found all over the world • Mainly in the middle latitudes of the Earth • Very seasonal • Can be broken into two different types of forests: -Deciduous forests: has trees that lose their leaves -Coniferous forests: mostly pine trees Click to go back to ecosystems page!
Tropical Rainforest • Rain forests get 80 inches of rain a year (a lot more compared to the rest of the world) • The temperature almost never changes-always warm and muggy • Consists of mostly tall trees that block out the sun and keep other plants from going below them • The rainforest has different levels where different animals live. Click here to learn more! • Thousands of species of plants and animals live in the rain forest:-mammals, insects, reptiles, birds, and primates Click to go back to ecosystems page!
Levels of the Rainforest • Emergent: giant trees that are much taller than the average canopy height. Houses many birds and insects. • Canopy: The upper parts of trees. The leafy environment is full of life, including insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, and more! • Understory: A dark, cool environment under the leaves but not on the ground. • Forest Floor: Lots of animal life, especially insects. The largest animals in the rainforest usually live here. Click here to go back to rainforests page!
Desert • Very hot and dry • Get very little rain each year • Made of sand and rocks • Very few clouds over deserts, which makes it very hot during the day and cold at night • What can you find in the desert? Plants, reptiles, birds, mammals, insects Click here to go back to ecosystems page!
Grasslands • Fields of grass • Many types of grass • Grasslands make up a lot of the world • Grasslands receive from 10 to 30 inches of rain a year • Different types of grasslands click here to learn about the three types of grasslands • Many different animals live in grasslands click here to find out what animals live in grasslands Click to go back to ecosystems page!
Types of North American Grasslands • Tall Grass Prairie -mainly in the eastern portion of the Midwest -grasses often grow to be 5 feet tall -average amount of rain is 30 inches • Mixed Grass Prairie -mainly in the middle part of the Midwest -grasses grow to be 2 to 3 feet tall -15 to 25 inches of rain a year -buffalo used to roam this type of prairie • Short Grass Prairie -mainly in the western part of the Midwest (near the edges of the desert) -the grasses grow no more than 2 feet tall -close to 10 inches of rain per year -prairie dogs are common in these grasslands Click here to go back to grasslands page!
Animals of the Grasslands • Elephants • Bison • Black rhinoceros • Black-footed ferret • Brown hyena • Giraffe • Greater prairie chicken • Lion • Ostrich • Prairie dog • Pronghorn • Warthog Click to go back to grasslands page!
Tundra • Mostly in the artic • The ground is frozen for most of the year, but the sun does thaw the top of the ground in the summer • Soil is frozen and trees do not grow • Many animals go to the tundra in the summer and some stay through the winter • The tundra is separated into two typesclick here to learn more about the two types Click to go back to ecosystems page!
Types of Tundra • Alpine (located on mountains throughout the world at high elevations) -dwarf trees -tussock grasses -small-leafed shrubs -heaths • Arctic (located in the northern hemisphere around the north pole) -low shrubs -sedges -liverworts -grasses -varieties of flowers Click here to go back to tundra page!
Oceans • Most of the Earth is covered with water • Oceans play an important role in the water cycle click here to learn about the water cycle! • Oceans are salty • Four major oceans: Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian • What lives in the ocean? click here to find out! Click to go back to ecosystems page!
Water Cycle • Water starts in the clouds, falls as rain, travels to the ocean, where it evaporates into the sky and forms clouds and then repeats itself Evaporation: when water changes from a liquid to a gas Click here to go back to oceans page!
Ocean Life • There are many animals that live in the ocean • Different types of mammals, invertebrates and fish all live in the ocean -whales, dolphins, otters, manatees, and seals are examples of mammals -eels, sharks, and rays are examples of fish -crabs, worms, and mollusks are examples of invertebrates Click here to go back to oceans page!
