Thinking about Ecosystems

1. Thinking about Ecosystems

2. Ecosystems and Biomes Biomes are large scale ecosystems. Its climate and plants and animals adapted to living in that climate are what make it different from other biomes. There are 6 biomes total all over the world!!! Ecosystem: A community of all living things including EXTREMELY small organisms. An ecosystem can also include nonliving elements like: soil, water, air and sunlight.

3. Organisms and their Enviroment

4. Ecosystems/ Biomes

5. Biome Project: • Each group will have to learn about the 6 different kinds of biomes. You will make your biome project on chart paper and present it to the front of the class. • Each person within the group must read about their biome and must write 8-10 facts about each biome. Be sure to include the following information about each biome: • Kind of climate, weather • Types of plants and trees found there • Types of animals found there • Where it is located in the world • 3. You must draw pictures and include lots of charts, diagrams, and color…Be creative!!!

6. Lakes/ Ponds There are living and non-living things that interact It is made with fresh water The water doesn’t move or is standing Contains fish, plants, amphibians In general the producers are found at the top and consumers found at bottom. This is because producers need the sunlight. Producers- algae Consumers- fish Decomposers- bacteria, fungi

7. Examples of Lakes, The Great Lakes

9. Oceans- there are 8 oceans So big that it covers many other smaller ecosystems like coral reefs, shore, deep sea, etc! Oceans are made with Saltwater The water moves in waves, currents, and tides The further you travel from the equator, the colder the ocean becomes Biggest of the aquatic ecosystems and largest biome Over 1 millions species of plants and animals Producers- protists Consumers- fish, whales Decomposers- bacteria, fungus, marine worms, sea slugs, sea worms

12. Estuaries/ Marshes Brackish Water (meaning a mixture of saltwater and freshwater) Where the freshwater of the river meets the saltwater of the ocean Found where there is saltwater, near the coast. Good place for small fish to live because it provides protection from the waves. Producers- plants like marsh grasses, reeds, seagrass (allow animals to hide well) Consumers- alligators, fish, snakes, dolphins Decomposers- bacteria, worms, fiddler and blue crabs

15. Grassland Biome Grasslands or prairies are filled with tall grasses and low bushes. There are few trees here and a lot of small animals like rabbits, prairies dogs, gophers, badgers, rats, mice, snakes, deer, pronghorn, and bison. Wheat, corn, rice, and grains grow here The temperature is dry and hot in the summer and harsh, cold and snowy in the winter. Rainfall is light.

16. Grassland Food chain Producers-Wheat, corn, rice, and other grains are grown here. Consumers- rabbits, prairie dogs, badgers, snakes and bison Decomposers- fungi, bacteria

19. Desert Biome Desert biomes are filled with sunshine, it doesn’t rain very often, the soil and air are both very dry. Because there is little or no water, very few plants grow here. Desert animals are adapted to dry climate such as snakes, lizards, reptiles because they have rough scaly skin that prevent water loss. The animals get the water they need from the plants they eat. Most animals hide at day and come out at night because the desert is cool at night. • Desert plants store water in their thick leaves or stems. Their roots lie close to the surface of the soil so they can absorb water.

20. Desert Food Chain • Producers-cacti • Consumers-snake • Decomposers-beetles or millipedes

21. Temperate Deciduous Forest The temperate deciduous forest is found in the north east and the east coast, like North Carolina, NY, New England, and they are famous for their autumn color leaves. The trees turn red, yellow, orange before their leaves fall. They shed their leaves each year. There is moderate temperature and moderate rainfall. Every continent except for Africa and Antarctica has deciduous forest. Warm temperatures in spring and summer, cold temperatures in fall and winter. Oak, maple and hickories trees grow here. Mosses, lichens, and ferns grow beneath the shrubs. Rabbits, snakes, squirrels, deer, skunks, toads, foxes, coyotes, and hawks.

22. Deciduous Temperate Forest Food Chain • Producers-berry bushes • Consumers- deer • Decomposers-cougar

25. Taiga(Coniferous Forest) The taiga is a forest of needle-leaved evergreens that extends across Eurasia and North America. A few deciduous trees do grow but most taiga trees are conifer trees or trees with cones. Evergreens include pines, firs, spruces, and hemlocks live here. The needle like leaves has a waxy covering protecting needles from the cold and limits the amount of water loss. Evergreens don’t shed their leaves, so they make food all year long. Taiga has only two layers of forest, the canopy and the floor. The forest floor is always covered with a thick mat of dead, dry needles. Even during a heavy rain, most water is caught and held in the canopy layer. Mosses and lichens are the only plants that grow below the canopy Insects, mammals, and birds all live here but the diversity of life changes from season to season. Owls, warblers, woodpeckers , snowshoe hares, porcupines and mice, bear, weasels, and wolves live here all year. The climate changes during the seasons but overall the taiga biome is cool, even in the summer. Summers are usually short and temperatures rarely get above 68 degrees and winters are freezing, usually -40 degrees and with tons of snow and ice.

26. Coniferous Forest /Taiga Food Chain Producers- pines, spruces, firs, Consumers- elk, moose Decomposers- bacteria, fungi

31. Tundra Biome The tundra is a rolling plain spreads across Greenland and the most northern areas of Eurasia and North America. The tundra biome has long winters, lasting 7 or 8 months and are bitter cold. Winters range from -30 degrees to -60 degrees. Because the tundra is so far north, it is dark through the long winters. The sun does not come out for several months. In the summer, there is daylight most of the time, the sun does not set at night but the summer is short, only a few months, and the ground is usually covered with snow from September to June. Only smaller plants survive here because there is a layer on the ground called the permafrost. Permafrost is a layer of permanently frozen soil and it is the reason plants can’t grow here. Many animals such as birds, caribou, and musk ox migrate into the taiga for the winter. Animals like the arctic fox, arctic hare, have thick white coats that help them survive and blend in. In the summer and spring, the sun shines for most of the day, plants grow and herds of caribou and musk ox return.

32. Tundra Food Chains • Producers-grass/sedge • Consumers-artic fox, snowy owl • Decomposer-bacteria

33. Tropical Rain Forests They are found near the equator and receive direct sunlight most of the year so the temperatures are always warm. The climate is also very wet, it rains almost every day. The warm and wet weather conditions provide ideal growing conditions for a variety of plants. Rainforests have half of all the different kinds of plants on earth living here. Rainforests have 4 layers, the top layer is called the emergent, the next layer is the canopy, which forms the roof, the understory layer, and last layer is the forest floor but the forest floor has very few plants because it has little sunlight and rain. Rainforest also have a huge diversity of animals, insects, and other wildlife like the jaguars, sloths, toucans, vipers and thousands more!!!

34. Rainforests Food Chain Producers- orchid, ferns, canopy level trees, shrubs Consumers- sloths, toucans, jaguars, and thousands more! Decomposers- worms

39. Food Energy Pyramid

40. 3 types of forest 1. Temperate forest contain trees that lose their leaves each fall. They also have animals such as bears, rabbits, snakes, and owls. Plants such as ferns and mosses. EX: North Carolina, Virginia, Similar to deciduous forest 2. Coniferous (conifer)(TAIGA FOREST are in areas in the taiga biome that have colder temperatures. They contain pine trees (trees with cones) and animals like elk, moose, beavers, and wolves Ex: cold places in the north, Alaska, Maine 3. Tropical forest- are forest found near the equator and are usually warm year around.

41. Practice Questions for biomes and water 1. Which factor do forest and grassland ecosystems most likely have in common? • a. the type of climate • b. the amount of trees • c. the soil composition • d. the variety in organisms

42. 2. Which are the most common ecosystems in North Carolina? • a. estuary, grassland, rainforest • b. grassland, ocean, temperate forest • c. deciduous forest, estuary, ocean d. deciduous forest, ocean, desert

43. 3. Which terrestrial ecosystem has warm, humid conditions and a large variety of plants and animals? • a. estuary • b. grassland • c. deciduous forest • d. tropical rainforest

44. 4. The American grasslands are home to which types of animals? • a. elephants, lions, and zebras • b. foxes, prairie dogs, and rabbits • c. lizards, tortoises, and weasels • d. wolves, deer, and bears

45. 5. Which best describes a freshwater ecosystem? • a. an ocean environment with living organisms • b. an inland water environment with no living organisms • c. an ocean environment with living organisms and nonliving parts • d. an inland water environment with living organisms and nonliving parts

46. 6. Which can be concluded about the trees that grow in a temperate deciduous forest? • a. The trees require constant direct sunlight to survive. • b. The trees grow only during the warm months of the year. • c. The trees have adapted to survive the change of seasons. • d. The trees are unable to grow in climates that have constant rainfall.

47. 7. . Compared to the large number of plant species found in a forest ecosystem, which best explains why a desert ecosystem is unable to support a greater variety of plants? • a. A desert ecosystem is located too high above sea level for most plants to grow. • b. here are fewer animals in a desert, which decreases the need for large varieties of plants. • c. There is not enough space available in a desert ecosystem for some plant varieties to grow. • d. Most plants that live in a desert ecosystem must be able to conserve water for long periods of time.

48. 8. Which marine ecosystem would be best for organisms that can adapt to both salt water and fresh water? • a. estuary • b. pond • c. lake • d. river

49. 9. Which type of ecosystem  best removes pollutants from water? • a. estuary • b. pond • c. lake • d. river

50. 10. Which could be achallenge for a small animal living in a grassland ecosystem? • a. The frozen ground is too hard to serve as shelter. • b. The flat terrain makes it easy for predators to spot prey. • c. The extreme temperatures require thick skin and heavy fur. • d. The high amounts of precipitation create excess water resources