Chapter 3: Communities,
Biomes, and Ecosystems
Section 1: Community Ecology
 A community is a group of interacting populations that
occupy the same place at the same time

Organisms adapt to be able to successfully live in their environment
 Limiting factors restrict the numbers, reproduction, or
distribution of organisms

Can be abiotic or biotic
 Tolerance is the ability of organisms to survive and
reproduce in a given biome
For example: Plants in Arizona tolerate temperatures from 32° to
130°
 Refer to Fig. 2, pg. 61, Zebra book
--Zone of Tolerance vs. Zone of Intolerance

Ecological Succession
 Ecosystems are constantly changing in response to
 Climatic/Natural changes
 Human disturbances
 Some of those changes may include:
 Death of species
 Destruction of land
 Migration of new species
 Ecological succession is a series of predictable
changes that occur in a community over time
Ecological Succession, Continued
 There are two types of ecological succession:
 Primary – succession that occurs on surface where
NO SOIL exists


Secondary – changes to an existing community (soil
DOES exist)


For example: Surfaces formed by volcanic eruptions; bare rocks
left over after a glacier moves through
For example: Clearing a forest for wood; plowing farm land;
wildfire
Make 2 Flow Maps drawing and naming organisms
that exist in every stage of:
1.
2.
Primary Succession Fig. 3, page 62/63 – Zebra
Secondary Succession Fig. 4, page 64 - Zebra
Section 2: Terrestrial Biomes
 A biome is a complex system of land communities
that cover a large area


For example: Tropical rain forests, desert, tundra
Biomes have unique climate ranges
 Climate is the specific weather pattern of an area
over a period of time

For example: Climate of Indiana is that we have four seasons;
climate of Antarctica is that they have frozen water with very
little snow.
Climate Zones
 The world is divided into three climatic zones:
 Polar
Cold, non-humid temperatures
 Geographic range: Canada to the North Pole


Tropical
Hot, humid temperature range
 Geographic range: Florida to the Equator


Temperate
Mild climate; seasonal changes
 Geographic range: Florida to Canada

Climate & Biomes
 So what influences climate?
 Latitude
 Location on landmass (on the coast or inland?)
 Proximity to land features, like mountain ranges
 Ocean Currents
 Biomes have specific climate patterns
 Because each species is adapted to live in a specific
set of environmental conditions, animals and plants
usually die if a climate changes too much

For example, if Indiana were to become like it was in the Ice
Age, most plants and animals would die because they couldn’t
adapt to the colder weather.
Biomes, Continued
 Organisms that live in a specific biome have unique
adaptations


Gives them a better ability to live successfully in that
environment
Examples:
Cactus living in the desert that has a waxy coating to prevent water
loss
 Mountain goats living on top of mountains have very thick fur
coats to prevent internal body temperature drop

RA Activity
 Each student will read and learn about the 9 major
biomes

Text: Pages 68-72 (Zebra)
Other resources: Biomes Overview Video (26 min)

Video title: “Biomes: Our Earth’s Major Life Zones”

 Your task: Create a tree map with every Biome
Include:
1.
Average Precipitation
2.
Temperature Range
3.
Plant Species Present
4.
Animal Species Present
5.
Geographic Location
6.
Abiotic Factors

Terrestrial (Land) Biome Examples
 Tundra
 Boreal Forest
 Temperate Forest
 Temperate Woodland/Shrubland
 Temperate Grassland
 Desert
 Tropical Savanna
 Tropical Seasonal Forest
 Tropical Rain Forest
Commensalism
Biomes in Detail
 Deserts (hot & cold)
 VERY little rain
 Plants and animals have adaptations to prevent water loss
 Tropical Rainforest/Jungle
 Rain amount is very high
 Temperatures are stable around 75°F
 Grassland (temperate/savannah)
 Savannah – think Safari!
 Temperate – like the Great Plains,
but similar temps to Indiana
More Biomes
 Arctic/Tundra
 Also have very little rain
 Contain permafrost (topsoil is frozen year-round)
 Deciduous Forest
 Leaves change colors, die, and fall to the ground
 Mountainous (taiga)
 Animals include moose, eagles, mountain lions and goats
 Swamp/Marsh
 Very moist soil, often with standing water
 Plants include mangroves and lily pads
More Biomes
 Pond/Lake


Sitting bodies of water
Animals include turtles, fish (carp, trout, bass, etc.), egret birds
 River/Stream


Flowing bodies of water
Animals include salmon, eagles, brown bears
 Estuary


Where rivers meet the saltwater of the ocean (change in water
salinity/salt content)
For example: New Orleans
 Ocean


Several depths create many animal adaptations
What is the MAJOR factor that determines different marine
ecosystems?
RA Activity – Marine Ecosystems
 Pages 79-81 (Zebra book)
 1’s read “Intertidal Zone”
 2’s read “Open Ocean Ecosystems”
 3’s read “Coastal ocean and coral reefs”
 We will then rotate and discuss! Take GOOD notes to
share with your group!