Download - Xxx…
Xxx…
False-color composite image of global photoautotroph abundance from Wikimedia Commons
The Biosphere
Large-scale biological communities sharing similar plant growth forms - convergent adaptations to similar physical environments
Terrestrial Biomes
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3A
Map from Holt et al. (2013) Science
Terrestrial Zoogeographic Regions
Published as “an update of Wallace’s zoogeographic regions”
World Wildlife Fund team identified 14 terrestrial biomes
Biomes & Biogeographic Realms
Map from Olson et al. (2001) Bioscience
Dominant plants = broad-leaved evergreen trees
Also epiphytes, lianas, palms, and generally sparse understory
More-or-less continuous growing season
Contain ~50% of Earth’s species in ~11% of terrestrial veg. cover
Tropical Rainforests
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3A
E.g., scatter-hoarding of seeds by rodents
Tropical Rainforests
Photo of agouti and Astrocaryum palm fruits by Christian Ziegler; Figure from Jansen et al. (2012) PNAS
Tropical Seasonal Forests & Savannas
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3B
Tropical dry forestsThorn woodlandsTropical savannas
Resource availability, fire & large herbivores help determine the balance between grasses vs.
woody species
Pronounced wet / dry seasons
Tropical Seasonal Forests & Savannas
Photo of Pseudomyrmex on Vachellia (formerly Acacia) – Wikimedia Commons; Table – Janzen (1966) Evolution
E.g., protection of plants against herbivores by ants
Hot Deserts
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3C
Sparse populations of plants & animals
Succulent plants are common
Sustained periods of high temp. & low water avail.
Hot Deserts
E.g., large-male advantage in lek-mating tarantula hawks
Photo of Tarantula Hawk and Tarantula – http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/tag/tarantula-hawk; Figure from Alcock (1981) Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology
Temperate Grasslands
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3D
Dominant plants = grasses
Warm, moist summers & cold, dry winters
Some have sufficient rainfall to support woody veg., but fire & grazers maintain grasslands
Soils rich in organic matter
Temperate Grasslands
Large ungulate & marsupial (in Australia) grazers are common
Photos of pronghorn antelope and red kangaroo from Wikimedia Commons
Temperate Shrublands & Woodlands
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3E
Winter rainy season (e.g., Mediterranean-type climates)
Fire is a common feature
Sclerophyllous leaves are common
Temperate Shrublands & Woodlands
Resprouting is common
Photo from http://www.eco.science.ru.nl/plantecology/Estrela/pig_fireecology.html
Temperate Deciduous Forests
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3F
Deciduous leaves owing to freezing temperatures
Sufficient rainfall & soil fertility to support tree growth
Temperate Deciduous Forests
Insect populations sometimes outbreak
Photo of tent caterpillars from http://www.twincities.com/outdoors/ci_25948887/minnesota-tent-caterpillar-outbreak-concerns-eased-by-dnr
Temperate Evergreen Forests
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3G
From warm coastal zones to cool maritime climates
Generally on nutrient-poor soils
Northern Hemisphere – needle-leaved conifers
Southern Hemisphere - needle-leaved & broad-leaved
Temperate Evergreen Forests
Photo of British Columbian rainforest from Wikimedia Commons; K. Harms photo of Florida pine savanna
Boreal Forests / Taiga
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3H
Coniferous species
Extreme weather
Permafrost common
Tundra
Cain, Bowman & Hacker (2014), Fig. 3I
Beyond treeline
Dominated by sedges, grasses, forbs & prostrate shrubs
Primarily in the Arctic
Extreme weather
Permafrost common
Tundra
Prey can be seasonally very abundant during short growing season
Photo from http://www.reddit.com/r/itookapicture/comments/1nh6eo/itap_of_a_few_mosquitoes_in_alaska/
Transition zones between biomes or ecosystems
Ecotones
Photo of lakeside ecotone from Wikimedia Commons
Where the Land Meets the Sea
Estuary – junction of a river & ocean
Photos of Amazon estuary, a mangrove & a salt marsh from Wikimedia Commons
Mangrove – shallow estuaries & mudflats with
salt-tolerant evergreen woody species
Salt Marsh – found on sediments carried to shorelines by rivers
Where the Land Meets the Sea
Photos of a Galapagos sandy / boulder beach & a rocky intertidal shoreline from Wikimedia Commons
Rocky Intertidal – stable substrate alternates between terrestrial &
marine
Beaches / Sandy Shores – unstable substrate limits
opportunities for plants, so limited opportunities for animals
Etc.
Coral Reef – warm, shallow water
Marine Biomes
Seagrass bed – flowering plants on subtidal mud or
fine sand
Photos of coral reef, kelp bed & seagrass bed from Wikimedia Commons
Kelp bed – large brown algae in clear, shallow,
temperate oceans
Marine Biomes
Etc.
Photo of 1700 m deep gray whale fall from Wikimedia Commons; photo of octopus that broods eggs for 4 yr at ~1700 m deep from http://www.newsweek.com/octopus-broods-eggs-record-412-years-then-dies-scientists-report-262157
Deep sea – extreme pressure & temperature; no light, so limited, patchy energy supply
We live in a very different world from the one we inherited from our Pleistocene forebears
Anthropogenic Influence on Planet Earth
Photo (1929) of New York City (previously Temperate Deciduous Forest) from Wikimedia Commons