BIOMES

And Ecological Succession

Communities respond to disturbances

• Communities experience many types of disturbance.– Removal of keystone species, spread of invasive species,

natural disturbances– Human impacts cause major changes

• Resistance: community that resists change and remains stable despite the disturbance

• Resilience: a community changes in response to a disturbance, but later returns to its original state– Some communities may be permanently changed.

Primary succession

• Succession: the predictable series of changes in a community following a disturbance

• Primary succession: disturbance eliminates all vegetation and/or soil life– A community is built from scratch– Glaciers, drying lakes, volcanic lava

• Pioneer species: the first species to arrive in a primary succession area (i.e., lichens)– New organisms arrive, increasing

vegetation and diversityPrimary Succession

Succession Powerpoint

Secondary succession• Secondary succession: a disturbance dramatically

alters, but does not destroy, all local organisms– Parts of the previous community remain and serve as

“building blocks.” – Fires, hurricanes, farming, logging

Secondary Succession in CT

Community change is variable• Climax community: the community resulting

from successful succession– Remains stable until another disturbance restarts

succession• Community change is variable and unpredictable.– Conditions at one stage may promote progression to

another stage.– Organisms, through competition, may inhibit

progression to another stage.– Other factors (e.g., soil conditions) also help

determine communities.

Succession Questions

6. Explain primary succession. How does it differ from secondary succession? Give and example of each.

Changed communities need to be restored

• Humans have altered Earth’s landscape to such a degree, that no area is truly pristine.

• Ecological restoration: returning an area to unchanged conditions– Informed by restoration ecology: the science of

restoring an area to the condition that existed before humans changed it

– It is difficult, time-consuming, expensive– Best to protect natural systems from degradation in

the first place

Restoration efforts

• Prairie Restoration– Native species replanted and invasive

species controlled• The world’s largest project: Florida Everglades– Depletion caused by flood control practices

and irrigation– Populations of wading birds dropped 90-

95%.– It will take 30 years and billions of dollars to

undo dams and diversions.– Restoring ecosystem services will prove

economically beneficial.

http://www.prairieresto.com/mission.shtml

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/everglades/

Restoration Ecology Question

8. What is restoration ecology? Why is it and important scientific pursuit in today’s world?

Earth’s biomes

• Around the world, communities share strong similarities.

• Biome: a major regional complex of similar communities recognized by:Plant typeVegetation

structure

A variety of factors determine the biome • The biome in an area depends on a variety of abiotic factors. – Temperature, precipitation, ocean and air circulation, soil

• Climatograph: a climate diagram showing an area’s temperature and precipitation

Similar biomes occur at similar latitudes.

http://www.bcscience.com/bc10/docs/puzzles/section01_1_puzzle/index.html

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/index.php

Aquatic systems have biome-like patterns• Various aquatic systems have distinct communities.– Coastlines, continental shelves – Open ocean, deep sea – Coral reefs, kelp forests– Coastal systems (marshes, mangrove forests, etc.)– Freshwater systems (lakes, rivers, etc.)

• Aquatic systems are shaped by:– Water temperature, salinity, and dissolved nutrients– Wave action, currents, depth – Substrate type and animal and plant life

Biome Question

9. What factors most strongly influence the type of biome that forms in a particular place on land?What factors determine the type of aquatic system that may form in a given location?

http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/biomemap.htm

Biome Question

9. What factors most strongly influence the type of biome that forms in a particular place on land?What factors determine the type of aquatic system that may form in a given location?

Temperate forests• Temperate forests occur in eastern North America, northeastern Asia, and

western and central Europe. Well-defined seasons with a distinct winter characterize this forest biome. Moderate climate and a growing season of 140-200 days during 4-6 frost-free months distinguish temperate forests.Temperature varies from -30° C to 30° C.Precipitation (75-150 cm) is distributed evenly throughout the year.Soil is fertile, enriched with decaying litter.Canopy is moderately dense and allows light to penetrate, resulting in well-developed and richly diversified understory vegetation and stratification of animals.Flora is characterized by 3-4 tree species per square kilometer. Trees are distinguished by broad leaves that are lost annually and include such species as oak, hickory, beech, hemlock, maple, basswood, cottonwood, elm, willow, and spring-flowering herbs.Fauna is represented by squirrels, rabbits, skunks, birds, deer, mountain lion, bobcat, timber wolf, fox, and black bear.

Temperate deciduous forest

• Deciduous trees lose their leaves each fall and remain dormant during winter

• Mid-latitude forests in Europe, East China, Eastern North America

• Fertile soils• Forests: oak, beech, maple• Fauna: squirrels, rabbits, skunks,

birds, deer, mountain lion, bobcat, timber wolf, fox, and black bear.

Temperate deciduous forest

Temperate grasslands• More extreme temperature

difference between winter and summer

• Less precipitation• Also called steppe or prairie– Once widespread throughout

parts of North and South America and much of central Asia

– Much was converted for agriculture

– Bison, prairie dogs, antelope, and ground-nesting birds

Temperate grasslands

Temperate rainforest

• Coastal Pacific Northwest region• Great deal of precipitation• Coniferous trees: cedar, spruce,

hemlock, fir• Moisture-loving animals– Banana slug

• The fertile soil is susceptible to erosion and landslides.

• Overharvesting has driven species to extinction and ruined human communities.

Temperate rainforest

Tropical forests are characterized by the greatest diversity of species. They occur near the equator, within the area bounded by latitudes 23.5 degrees N and 23.5 degrees S. One of the major characteristics of tropical forests is their distinct seasonality: winter is absent, and only two seasons are present (rainy and dry). The length of daylight is 12 hours and varies little.Temperature is on average 20-25° C and varies little throughout the year: the average temperatures of the three warmest and three coldest months do not differ by more than 5 degrees.Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with annual rainfall exceeding 2000 mm.Soil is nutrient-poor and acidic. Decomposition is rapid and soils are subject to heavy leaching.Canopy in tropical forests is multilayered and continuous, allowing little light penetration.Flora is highly diverse: one square kilometer may contain as many as 100 different tree species. Trees are 25-35 m tall, with buttressed trunks and shallow roots, mostly evergreen, with large dark green leaves. Plants such as orchids, bromeliads, vines (lianas), ferns, mosses, and palms are present in tropical forests.Fauna include numerous birds, bats, small mammals, and insects.Further subdivisions of this group are determined by seasonal distribution of rainfall: More than ½ of tropical forests have already been destroyed.

Tropical forests

Tropical rainforest

• Central and South America, southeast Asia, west Africa

• Year-round rain and warm temperatures

• Dark and damp• Lush vegetation• Highly diverse species, but at

low densities• Very poor, acidic soils• Nutrients contained in plants

Tropical Rain Forest

Tropical dry forest

• Tropical deciduous forest• India, Africa, South

America, northern Australia

• Wet and dry seasons• Warm, but less rainfall• Converted to agriculture• Erosion-prone soil

Tropical dry forest

Savanna

• Tropical grassland interspersed with trees

• Africa, South America, Australia, India

• Precipitation only during rainy season

• Water holes• Zebras, gazelles, giraffes,

lions, hyenas

Desert

• Minimal precipitation• Some deserts are bare, with

sand dunes (Sahara).• Some deserts are heavily

vegetated (Sonoran).• They are not always hot.– Temperatures vary widely

• Saline soils (“lithosols”)• Nocturnal or nomadic animals• Plants have thick skins or spines.

Desert

Tundra

• Canada, Scandinavia, Russia • Minimal precipitation– Nearly as dry as a desert

• Seasonal variation in temperature– Extremely cold winters

• Permafrost: permanently frozen soil

• Few animals: polar bears, musk oxen, caribou

• Lichens and low vegetation with few trees

Boreal forest (taiga)

• Canada, Alaska, Russia, Scandinavia

• Variation in temperature and precipitation

• Cool and dry climate– Long, cold winters – Short, cool summers

• Poor, acidic soil• Few evergreen tree species• Moose, wolves, bears,

migratory birds

Boreal forests

Boreal forests, or taiga, represent the largest terrestial biome. Occuring between 50 and 60 degrees north latitudes, boreal forests can be found in the broad belt of Eurasia and North America: two-thirds in Siberia with the rest in Scandinavia, Alaska, and Canada. Seasons are divided into short, moist, and moderately warm summers and long, cold, and dry winters. The length of the growing season in boreal forests is 130 days.Temperatures are very low.Precipitation is primarily in the form of snow, 40-100 cm annually.Soil is thin, nutrient-poor, and acidic.Canopy permits low light penetration, and as a result, understory is limited.Flora consist mostly of cold-tolerant evergreen conifers with needle-like leaves, such as pine, fir, and spruce.Fauna include woodpeckers, hawks, moose, bear, weasel, lynx, fox, wolf, deer, hares, chipmunks, shrews, and bats.

Current extensive logging in boreal forests may soon cause their disappearance.

Chaparral

• Mediterranean Sea, California, Chile, and southern Australia

• High seasonal– Mild, wet winters– Warm, dry summers

• Frequent fires• Densely thicketed,

evergreen shrubs

Resources

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/mojave_desert.htm

• http://www.savebiogems.org/wildlands/• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiment

s/Biome/