ECOSYSTEMS / BIOMES Ecosystems: In a given area, all living things (BIOTIC) interacting with each other and the non- living things (ABIOTIC) in the same environment. Like a pond, lake, forest, river. Biomes: Regions where there is similar weather/climate, similar plants & animals, similar terrain (what the area looks like – mountains, prairie, beaches, etc) So another way to compare BIOMES to ECOSYSTEMS…. Look at the map below of the United States’ biomes: North Carolina is on the right side (East side) of the country where that GREEN area is shaded for the Temperate Forest Biome. We live in a global biome Temperate Forest which covers many states in our nation. And there are hundreds of ECOSYSTEMS within this Temperate Forest Biome – just here in Western NC we have lakes, ponds, rivers, deciduous forests, coniferous forests, etc – all different ecosystems from each other. So you see how a BIOME is a much larger region where there is common rainfall amounts and common climate; similar plants and animals living there. And within the BIOME are numerous ECOSYSTEMS where these biotic organisms interact with local abiotic (non-living) elements. SO…In Western North Carolina – a Temperate Forest Biome – we have lakes where fish and amphibians live in a large collection of fresh water and interact with aquatic plants, algae, insects, etc. But these fish and amphibians are in a very different ecosystem than the bear, racoons, skunks, squirrels that live on one of our mountain-top ecosystems where there are different plants than a lake has; and definitely much less water than a lake. ECOSYSTEMS & BIOMES Below are descriptions of the primary ecosystems and biomes, although there are many others. AQUATIC o Freshwater: lakes/ponds, streams/rivers o Saltwater: oceans, estuaries, salt marshes TERRESTRIAL o Grasslands: prairies, savannas o Forests: tropical rainforests, taiga forests, temperate forests o Deserts o Tundra AQUATIC Ecosystems FRESHWATER LAKES / PONDS Definition: Almost Closed bodies of water. The water is still (not moving) or if movement it’s slow. Lakes are larger than ponds. Lakes usually drain into streams or rivers. These hold FRESH water. Facts: Fresh water Closed bodies of water – water doesn’t flow, or little flow Some lakes are very deep Lakes/ponds have more stable ecosystems than streams/rivers Ponds are shallower than lakes Plants and algae grow along the edge (shore) where water is shallow ORGANISMS: Animals: freshwater fish, amphibians (frogs, salamanders, etc), ducks, turtles, beavers, snakes, crayfish, plankton, snails, worms, insects, alligators/crocodiles, beavers, otters Plants: water lilies, cattail, duckweed Lake temperatures: Pond temperatures: usually stay the same from the bottom to surface RIVERS / STREAMS Definition: Runoff in established form – running or flowing water that feed lakes, ponds, oceans, and other rivers. Can be small trickling streams to mile-wide rivers that travel for thousands of miles. Facts: Fresh water Water flows and the speed affects what kind of life can exist Connecting “snakes” of water feeding into others as tributaries The flow of water caused by gravity is “seeking” to end up at sea level (0 feet of elevation) Can be deep, but most are shallow compared to lakes and oceans ORGANISMS: Animals: (most of the same as in freshwater lakes/ponds ) - freshwater fish, amphibians (frogs, salamanders, etc), ducks, turtles, beavers, snakes, crayfish, plankton, snails, worms, insects, alligators/crocodiles, beavers, otters Plants: depends greatly on where the river/stream is flowing SALTWATER OCEANS / ESTUARIES / SALTWATER MARSHES OCEANS Definition: (a Marine Biome) The largest bodies of water on Earth divided by continents. 5 major oceans = Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, Southern. All contain saltwater. Facts: Saltwater! Many types of Ecosystems in oceans depending on conditions (sunlight, temperature, depth, salinity (amount of salt in the water) 70% of Earth’s surface is ocean Lots of marine life Can’t see across them ORGANISMS: Most organisms live where the ocean is shallow (shoreline to continental shelf) o More sunlight in shallows (sunlight only reaches 200 meters deep) o Water is warmer making food abundant (plentiful) o Organisms: . Drifters: jellyfish, seaweed . Swimmers: fish . Crawlers: crabs . Anchored: to the sea floor: corals, anemone, Some organisms live in the open ocean near the surface to the ocean floor such as plankton Some organisms swim to the surface to find food or breathe o Whales, sharks, sea turtles, squid Some organisms live closer to the ocean floor o Some fish, octopus, tubeworms Some birds are specific ocean dwelling birds o Pelicans, sea gulls, penguins, ESTUARY Definition: An estuary is an area streams and rivers merge with seawater from oceans. It’s where seawater mixes with freshwater. Bays, lagoons, harbors, salt marshes and inlets can be types of estuaries. Estuaries contain the mixture of salt and fresh water resulting in what’s called brackish water. Facts: Where streams/rivers meet oceans Where fresh meets salt water They can be saltier than the ocean water The tide affects the daily cycle of wild life o Low tide: clams are closed, crabs and worms hide, birds are active digging for food o High tide: water protects most animals and the estuary is active ORGANISMS in Estuaries: A lot of wild life in estuaries because the area is usually blocked from the turbulent ocean surf (calmer waters) o Clams, fish, turtles, frogs, worms, aquatic birds, insects, algae, SALT MARSHES (usually in or near estuaries) Definition: Salt Marshes are wetlands just like marshes further inland and look similar with tall grasses/plants growing out of water/mud. The difference from inland marshes is that Salt Marshes are where salt water is - in places where the land meets the sea, such as barrier islands, estuaries and other coastal areas. Facts: Ocean tides influence – sometimes the marsh is very full of water, sometimes shallow, sometimes dry Their salinity (salt content in the water) is high, low or in between o The salinity influences the type of animal/plant life o The salinity levels depend on where the marsh is located – closer to the ocean, or upstream in an estuary or sound o They can be saltier than the ocean water o They can have brackish (or briny) water (pretty even mix of fresh and salt water) ORGANISMS: Like estuaries - A lot of wild life in estuaries because the area is usually blocked from the turbulent a SALT MARSH The difference between an estuary and a salt marsh TERRESTRIAL Ecosystems Terrestrial means “LAND-BASED” – opposite of water-based (aquatic) ecosystems. 4 primary terrestrial ecosystems – Grasslands, Forests, Deserts, Tundra GRASSLANDS Prairie Savanna Prairies / Savannas (also Steppes in Asia and Pampas in South America) Definition: Large area or region of primarily grass and shrubs– very few trees. Facts: Prairies (temperate zones) (the U.S. has vast prairies in the Midwest) Savannas (tropical zones) (Africa has some of the world’s largest savannas) Primarily Flat land (may be short rolling hills) Have fertile soil (good for growing plants) Covered with different kinds of grasses Get a medium amount of rain, but less than forests Grasslands Food Web: Prairies: bison, prairie dogs, snakes, gophers, mice, wolves, turkeys, coyotes, wild horses, Savannas: lion, elephants, zebras, giraffe, wildebeest, hyenas, wild dogs, cheetah, gazelle, ostrich More about – click on links below: Prairies Savannas FORESTS Tropical Rainforests / Taiga Forests / Temperate Forests Have many trees (with needles or leaves), shrubs, grasses, ferns, and a variety of animals. Forests usually get more rain than grasslands. 3 major Types of Forests – depend on latitude (north or south from the equator) o Tropical Rainforests – near the equator, in Tropical Zones o Taiga Forests – far north towards or in Polar Zones, or, at high altitudes atop high mountains o Temperate Forests – in between the Tropical Rainforests and Taiga – typically in the Temperate Zones. (there are a few Temperate Rainforests in the world) T r o p i c a l Rainforests Definition: A rainforest is a type of forest that has a lot of annual rainfall. To be a rainforest the amount of rain that falls in a year must be between 98 in and 177 in. It has been estimated that there are millions of species of organisms living in rainforests that have not yet been discovered. Tropical Rainforest Facts: Near the equator Temperatures between 70° F and 90° F most of the year The most biodiversity of all terrestrial biomes – meaning rainforests contain over half of the world’s plant and animal types! Covers only 6% of land surface 40% of the oxygen in our atmosphere comes from rainforests 25% of the world’s medicines get ingredients from the rainforests ENDANGERED! Every second, a section of rainforest the size of a football field is cut down! Organisms: in general, of most types of animals, there are numerous varieties of each kind of animal listed below monkeys, poisonous tree frogs, snakes, tropical birds (very colorful), reptiles, insects, leopards/panthers, iguanas, bats, deer, tall trees, big plants, mosses, (2,000 types of butterflies in the Amazon forests) More about – click on links below: Tropical Rainforests T aiga Forests Definition: The taiga is the world's largest biome apart from the oceans. These forests contain primarily coniferous trees (evergreens, pines, spruces, fir)(trees that bear cones – think pine cones and needle-leaves) In North America