Thursday, March 10, 2011
Biomes
In Chapter 52 of your text book it summarizes eight aquatic and eight terrestrial biomes. For this assignment I want you to give me a summary of the different biomes. Since there are 16 biomes and 16 students, each student should have their own biome to research. You cannot have a biome done by more than one student. Also, take time to read through what other students see about their biome as a quick review. This post is due Thursday, March 17th.
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(:* Coral Reefs *:)
ReplyDeleteA typical coral reef begins as a fringing reef on a young high island, forming an offshore barrier reef later and then becoming a coral atoll as the older island submerges. Coral Reefs are formed largely from the calcium skeletons of corals. Shallow reefs live in relatively stable tropical marine environments with high water clarity, primarily on islands and along the edge of some continents. They are very sensitive to temperatures below 18-20 degree C. Coral reefs require high oxygen levels and are excluded by high inputs of fresh water and nutrients. Diverse multicellular red and green algae grow on the reef which also contributes substantial amounts of photosynthesis. Corals a diverse group of cnidarians (sea anemones and their relatives) are themselves the predominant animals on the reef. However fish and invertebrate diversity is exceptionally high. Collecting of coral skeletons and over fishing has reduced populations of corals and reef fishes. Global warming and pollution may be contributing to the large scale of coral death. Development of costal mangroves for aquaculture has also reduced spawning ground for many of the species of reef fishes.
-Northern Coniferous Forest-
ReplyDeleteThe Northern Coniferous Forest is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth. Annual precipitation ranges from 30-70 cm, although periodic droughts are common. Winters are usually cold and the summers may get got. Some forests in Sibera usually range from -50*C to over 20*C in the summer. Plants include cone bearing trees, like pines, firs adn hemlocks. The cone shape of the many trees prevents the snow from accumulating on the branches and breaking them down. On the floor of the forests there are many shrubs and herbs. Many animals occupy the forests, migratory birds normally nest there during warm weather. The mamals in this biome include; bear, moose, tigers plus many others. Periodically there are outbreaks of insects that may kil entire tracts of trees. Humans have not heavily settled here, but the northern coniferous forests are being logged very fast and these old stands of trees may soon disappear.
~*TOPICAL FORESTS*~
ReplyDeleteTropical forests have equatorial and subequatorial regions. The percipitation in the tropical forest are about 200 to 400 cm annually with a six to seven month dry season. The temperature is usually 25-29 degrees Celcius year round. The plants in the area are emergent trees that grow above a closed canopy. There are also shrub and herb layers. There are 5-30 million undescribed spiders, insects, and other arthropods. There are also mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians in this area. Humans still live in the area but are beginning to destroy the forests because of agriculture development.
**Desert**
ReplyDeleteThe desert is a extremely dry place. They occur in bands near 30 degrees north and south latitude or at other latitudes in the interior continents. Generally the precipitation is low, less than 30 cm a year. The maximum air temperature can exceed 50 degrees Celsius and it may drop to a low of -30 degrees Celsius. The vegetation is low and widely scattered. Some of the plants are: cacti, deeply rooted shrubs, and herbs. These plants are forced to adapted to the heat, lack of water, and reduced leaf surface area. Among the plants there are some animals who have to deal with some of these conditions, such as: snakes, lizards, scorpions, ants, beetles, and birds. Many of these species are nocturnal. Most humans choose not to stay in the desert. However, long-distance transport of water and deep groundwater wells have allowed humans to maintain substantial populations in the deserts.
Wetlands-
ReplyDeleteWetlands are areas in which you will find plants that thrive in water-saturated soil. Through decomposition by microbes (amongst other organisms) and high organic production of plants; the water and soil throughout wetlands are periodically low in dissolved oxygen.Wetlands are usually characterized into three categories: Basin wetlands, riverine wetlands, and fringe wetlands. Basin wetlands are found in shallow basins, that are seen from upland depressions to filled in lakes, and ponds. Riverine wetlands are seen around flooded banks of streams and rivers. Fringe wetlands are seen along the coast of large lakes and streams, therefore there is both freshwater and marine biomes. They occur by tidal action or rising lake levels. Wetlands can be classified as some of the most productive biomes in the world. The soil helps plants such as floating pond lilies and cattails thrive. Some plants even have adaptations in which they can survive in water or soil that is periodically anaerobic. Wetlands are also the habitats for such creatures as muskrats, dragonflies, otters, alligators, etc. Humans have filled and drained up to 90% of wetlands, which can reduce peak flooding and help purify water.
Temperate Grassland
ReplyDeleteIn the grasslands rain usually ranges from 30-100 cm. The rainfall is highly seasonal. It has harsh winters with temperatures dropping below -10 degrees Celsius and extreme summers with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius. As far as plants all you will really see is grasses. These grasses have developed mutations which allow them to better defend against fires and grazing. Bison, wild horses, and many types of burrowing animals is all that you really see in the grasslands. The fertile soils here make these places an ideal place for farms.
Savanna
ReplyDelete-Savannas are streches of land consisting mostly of grassy areas with few trees. The average percipitation for most savannas is about 30-50 cm per year, and a dry season can last up to about eight or nine months. The plant life in the savanna is usually consistant of trees that are often thorny and have small leaves scattered around the area. Also during a dry season fires are very common.The temperature in the savanna is usually about 24-29 degrees celcius year round. Most of the animals inhabiting this area are large plant eating mammals and predators. Some of these are wildebeasts, bison, lions, and hyenas. But the dominant herbavores are actually insects. most of which are termites.
Chaparral...
ReplyDeleteThis biome occurs in midlatitude coastal regions on several continents. In this biome teh precipitation is highly seasonal, with rainy winters and long, dry dummers. Annual precipitation generally falls within teh range of 30-50 cm. The temperature in the chaparral is cool year round, with the average temperatures of 10-12 degrees celcius. In this biome, plant diversity is high and the animals range from deer to insects. Humans have heavily settled in this biome and have reduced it through conversion to agriculture and urbanization.
Tundras are biomes that are relatively tree-less because of low temperatures, high altitudes and short growth period. The three tundras are the Artic tundra, the Antartic tundra and the alpine tundra. The Artic and Antartic tundras of course experience freezing temperatures all year round and the alpine tundra is part of mountain ranges across the globe. The vegetaion that does grow in these parts are grasses and small shrubs. Not many animals can live in theses areas are animals who are built for cold weather such as polar bears.
ReplyDeleteEstuaries:
ReplyDeleteAn estuary is a transition area between river and sea. Salt water from the ocean rushes in during high tides while fresh water comes in during low tide. As you can assume, the salinity varies depending on the tides. Because of nutrients from the river estuaries are among the most productive biomes. The main producers in this environment are saltmarsh grasses and algae. Flow patterns and sediments carried in create a complex of channels, levees, mudflats, and islands. Estuaries support worms, oysters, crabs, and many fish. Estuaries are constantly in danger in the pollution aspect of things even though most environments are.
Mountains - affect the amount of and sunlight reaching an area and consequently the local temperature and rainfall. South-facing slopes in the Northern Hemisphere recieve more sunlight than near-by facing slopes and are therefore warmer and drier. These abiotic differences influence species distribution.
ReplyDelete-Oceanic Pelagic Zone-
ReplyDeleteThe oceanic pelagic zone is the expansive open blue ocean. Oxygen levels are generally high, but nutrient levels are generally lower than costal environments. Turnovers between fall and spring renew the nutrients in this environment. This biome covers nearly 70% of the Earths surface. Human impacts include overfishing and waste dumping.
Lakes :)
ReplyDeleteLakes are standing bodies of water that can range from ponds to larger bodies of water. As the water gets deeper light decreases, causing stratification,or the building up of layers. Temperate lakes have a seasonal thermocline, while tropical lowland lakes have a thermoclione all year-round. The salinty, oxygen concentration, and nutrient content differ greatly among lakes and can vary with season. Oligotrophic lakes are nutrient-poor and oxygen rich, with Eutrophic lakes are the exact opposite being nutrient-rich and oxygen poor. Oligiotrophic lakes may become more eutrophic over time as runoff adds sediments and nutrients to its water. Aquatic plants that have roots and generally float live in the littoral zone, or the shallow,well lioghted waters close to shore. As the water gets deeper and cannot be supported by roots is known as the limnetic zone, this is whre a variety of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria live. Fish live in all of these zones as long as they have sufficent oxygen. The human impact on lakes is effected through the runoff from fertilized land and the dumping of wastes. These factors lead to nutrient enrichment, which causes algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and eventually this kills the fish and other wildlife that cannot survive it's conditons.
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ReplyDelete~STREAMS AND RIVERS~
ReplyDeleteStreams have the prominent feature of currents, which are bodies of water moving in a definite direction through a surrounding body of water, in which there is less movement. Streams are generally cold, clear, turbulent, and swift. Upstream waters (also known as headwaters) are rich in oxygen, while downstream water contains substantial oxygen, except where there has been organic enrichment. Upstream waters are mostly rocky, narrow, and interchangeable between shallow and deep pools, while downstream waters are generally wide and meandering.
Like streams, the prominent feature of a river is its current. A river has a large fraction of organic matter, where dissolved or highly fragmented material has been carried from the current. River bottoms are often salty from sediments carried by currents and deposited over long periods of time.
Both rivers and streams have currents, increases in salt and nutrient content from the headwaters to the mouth are stratified into vertical zones, are home to a great diversity of fishes and invertebrates, and are threatened by municipal, agricultural, and industrial pollution by human-induced actions.