E3 - Biomes

Question 1

Who spends time identifying the components of an ecosystem

ex:

Answer 1

Ecologists

ex: in aquatic systems you may identify the temperature, number and types of fish

Question 2

But generally ecologists adapt a

Answer 2

Holistic approach
This is when the system as a whole is emphasized
In other words emphasis is put on knowing how the parts work together not the tiny detail of each factor

Question 3

Size of an Ecosystem?

Answer 3

Can be the size of a drop of water or the entire ocean

Ecosystems thus can occur within ecosystems

Question 4

As ecosystems grow in size and interact in an area it is called a…

Answer 4

biome

Question 5

As biomes also then grown in size and interact in an area it is called a

Answer 5

biosphere

Question 6

What Does an Ecosystem Look Like?

Answer 6

• tooth
• mouth
• lips
• stomach

Question 7

Our local biosphere is the…

Answer 7

WHOLE planet!

The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists—all ecosystems.

Question 8

This ball is made up of three main interacting components that make up the physical environment of the biosphere

Answer 8

Lithosphere
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere

Question 9

Lithosphere

Answer 9

The lithosphere is the rocky outer part of the Earth. It is made up of the brittle crust and the top part of the upper mantle. The lithosphere is the coolest and most rigid part of the Earth.

Question 10

Atmosphere

Answer 10

Earth’s atmosphere is composed of about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, and 0.1 percent other gases. Trace amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and neon are some of the other gases that make up the remaining 0.1 percent.

Question 11

Hydrosphere

Answer 11

A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere includes water that is on the surface of the planet, underground, and in the air. A planet’s hydrosphere can be liquid, vapor, or ice. On Earth, liquid water exists on the surface in the form of oceans, lakes and rivers.

Question 12

Tundra-terrestrial biom

Answer 12

Tundra is the dominant land type of the Arctic and subarctic regions.
Tundra along the Colville River, Alaska. Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons.

wintery mountains
snow
deer
yellowish-redish-greenish clear land

Biotic factors within the Tundra include: low shrubs, carnivores such as polar bears, arctic foxes, wolves, and insects. Abiotic factors include temperature, precipitation, weather, rocks, and snow.
The tundra biome is the coldest biome of all biomes. It’s known for its cold temperatures, little precipitation and short growing seasons. In addition, because of the extreme weather, there is a layer permanently frozen beneath the surface called permafrost

Question 13

Boreal forest-Terrestrial Biomes

Answer 13

Canada’s boreal forest covers almost 60% of the country’s land area
Canada’s boreal forest: Is the world’s largest intact forest ecosystem. It stretches across 1.2 billion acres (485 million hectares) of northern Canada, from the Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador. Represents 25 percent of the world’s remaining intact forest, even more than the Amazon rain forest.

• GREEN trees
• Rivers
• Ecosystems
• lots of life

Biotic and Abiotic Factors within the System
Biotic: Trees, moss, beavers, birds, insects, fish
Abiotic: Soil, water, weather, sunlight
Characteristics of the Biome/Part of the Biosphere
Cold winters
Moist summers
50 to 100 frost-free days/year
Lots of wetland = lots of freshwater 
Key Facts about System
Protected by the government 
Big part of Canada’s environment 
Important for the world 
Purifies water and air 
Stores carbon 
Balances climate 
Any environmental concerns
Lots of development happening in southern part (Ex. Oil or gas)
Animals lose habitats 
Climate change 
Affecting environment and animals - have to try to adapt 
Logging is a big problem

Question 14

Temperate Deciduous Forest- Terrestrial Biomes

Answer 14

What’s a temperate deciduous forest?
The temperate deciduous forest is an ever-changing type of forest. (RS)
Experiences and changes throughout all 4 seasons (RS)
Usually gets 30-60 inches of precipitation yearly; they have a plethora of moisture. (RT)
Diverse in animals; insects, frogs, turtles, foxes, and deers appear often in this biome (RT)
Lichen, moss, ferns, wild flowers, shrubs, maple trees, oak trees, birch trees, spruce trees, pine trees, and many more biotic components make up the biome. (MT)
Rocks, soil, water, sunshine, climate, rain, hills, temperature, and air masses are examples of abiotic factors. (MT)
Although found in Canada, it’s also found in Eastern United States, Europe, Eastern Australia, China and Japan (SO)
To survive, animals in deciduous forests must adapt to the seasons. (SO)

Question 15

Grasslands- Terrestrial Biomes

Answer 15

Biotic factors: Grass, trees, bushes, animals etc
Abiotic factors: Rocks, dirt, river etc

Characteristics of the Biome
The grasslands has a lack of rainfall/dry climate throughout the year, leading to lack of nutrients in the soil. With it’s soil it also has poor vegetation growth. Grasslands can have frequent fire due to its climate.

Key Facts about System
Only 25% of Canada’s grasslands remain
Most of Canada’s grasslands are gone due to humans
Grasslands are stretched from Alberta to Manitoba
Grasslands are found throughout the Earth except Antarctica

Question 16

Aquatic Biomes: Freshwater and Watersheds

Answer 16

Canada has 7% of the world’s renewable freshwater
Biotic factors of a freshwater biome can include algae, fisn, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic plants
Freshwater biome has less than %1 of salt content
Abiotic factors can include temperature, climate, altitude, light, precipitation, and chemicals in the soil and water.