Community Distribution: Biomes
Unit 2 Ecology / Ch. 4 / Sec. 4.2
1. Biome:
A large group of ecosystems that share the same type of
climax community
Terrestrial biomes-biomes located on land
Aquatic biomes-biomes located in fresh and marine water
1 of the ways ecologists study marine biomes is to
separate them into shallow, sunlit zones & deeper, &
unlighted zones
2. Photic zone:
The portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough
for sunlight to penetrate (with light)
3. Aphotic zone:
Deeper water that never receives sunlight (without light)
4. Estuary:
A costal body of water, partially surrounded by land, in
which fresh water and salt water mix.
If you were to follow the course of any river, you
eventually would reach a sea or ocean; wherever rivers
join oceans, freshwater mixes with salt water.
5. Intertidal zone:
The portion of the shoreline that lies b/t high & low tide
lines
Twice a day, the gravitational pull of the sun & moon
causes the rise & fall of ocean tides; tides vary in height,
depending on the season & the slope of the land.
6. Plankton:
Are microscopic organisms that float in the waters of the
photic zone
7. Tundra:
A treeless land with long summer days & short periods of
winter sunlight
Because temperatures in the tundra never rise above
freezing for long, only the topmost layer of soil thaws
during the summer
Ex: ratlike lemmings, weasels, artic foxes, snowshoe
hares, snowy owls, hawks, musk-oxen, & reindeer
8. Permafrost:
(underneath the topsoil) Is a layer of permanently frozen
ground
9. Taiga:
Is a land mixed pine, fir, hemlock, & spruce trees; known
as the northern coniferous forest
Ex: snowshoe hare, caribou, moose, & lynx
10. Desert:
Is an arid region with sparse to almost nonexistent plant
life
Deserts usually get less than 25 cm of precipitation/year.
Ex: kangaroo rat, foxes, coyotes, hawks, owls, snakes,
lizards, scorpions, & roadrunners
11. Grassland:
Are large communities covered with grasses & similar
small plants
This biome occupies more area than any other terrestrial
biome; they are ideal for growing cereal grains like oats,
rye, & wheat, which are different species of grasses;
known as the breadbaskets of the world.
Ex: large herds of grazing animals
12. Temperate forest:
Are dominated by broad-leaved hardwood trees that
loose their foliage annually
Ex: birds, squirrels, mice, rabbits, deer, & black bears
13. Tropical rain forest:
Is a region of uniformly warm, wet weather dominated by
lush plant growth
Receives at least 200cm of rain annually (some see around
400 cm); temp remains warm year round (25°C); the leafy
tops of tall trees shade the forest floor so completely
that few plants grow there.
Ex: monkeys, gorillas, cougars, beetles, butterflies, &
black-headed cacique