Unit A-Chapter 4-Lesson 5

What Are The Features of Water Biomes?

Saltwater Biomes

The saltwater biome is a water biome that has a high salt content
The saltwater biome is the largest of all the earth's biome.

• it can be divided into three zones:

1. Shallow Ocean Zone
2. Ocean Surface Zone
3. Deep Ocean Zone

• The shallow ocean zone along the coasts makes up only a small part of the saltwater biome.
• Sunlight reaches the sea bottom in this zone, and the water temperature remains relatively constant
• Sunlight penetrates the top few hundred meters of the ocean surface zone.  Here, photosynthesizing plankton are the primary producers; consumers include tuna, sharks, whales, and ocean birds.
• Plankton are microscopic, free floating organisms that serve as food for larger organisms.
• The deep ocean zone consists of everything deeper than 100 meters.
• Too little sunlight penetrates the cold waters of the deep ocean zone to support photosynthetic organisms.
• Most animals in the deep ocean eat other animals or feed on detritus that drifts from the sunlit waters above.

Freshwater Biomes

Freshwater biomes have a low salt content and can be divided into two types:

1. those with standing water, such as lakes and ponds
2. those with flowing water, such as rivers and streams

• Lakes are usually larger and deeper than ponds and may be deep enough to have a colder, deeper layer that receives little or no sunlight.
• Most organisms live in the upper, sunnier part of the lake.
• Producers include floating and shallow-water plants.
• Consumers include fish, insects, frogs, beavers, and birds.
• Decomposers live at the bottom of the lake.

• Rivers and streams have moving water.
• The quick flow of water oxygen to the water, which allows certain organisms such as trout to live there.
• Insect larvae, algae, and worms live on rocks in the streams.

• Water plants are able to take root in areas of a stream where water flows more slowly.

Estuaries

• In an estuary biome, fresh water from the rivers or streams mixes with slat water from the ocean.
• Water in an estuary is usually warmer than ocean water and contains less salt.
• Salt content changes with tides; During high tides, more ocean water flows in, so the water is saltier than when the tide is out.

• Estuaries are important breeding grounds for fish, shellfish, and birds.
• Fish and shellfish release their eggs in estuaries because there is plenty of plankton available on which the hatchlings can feed.

• Migratory birds such as geese and ducks rest and feed in estuaries.

Unit A-Chapter 4- Lesson 4 Notes

What Are The Features of Land Biomes?

Biomes

Biomes are large geographic regions with a particular kind of climate and community.

The plant communities that grow in any biome largely determine the types of animal communities that live there.

A particular type of biome may occur in a number of places around the world.

Climate changes with latitude. 

• Biomes near the equator have warm, relatively unchanging climates
• Biomes at mid-latitudes have marked seasonal changes.
• Biomes near the poles have the coldest climates with the shortest summers and longest winters.

Altitude affects climate; temperatures drop as altitude increases.

Land Biomes

Tundra
The tundra is the northernmost and coldest biome.

During summer months only a few centimeters of ground thaw; the ground below remains frozen year-round.

Permafrost is ground that is permanently frozen.

Most tundra palnts are small.

Examples of animals in the tundra include ducks, geese, caribou, and lemmings.

Taiga
The taiga is a forest biome just south of the tundra, characterized by conifers.

The taiga is also called the coniferous forest biome because it is dominated by coniferous tress such as spruce, pine, and fir.

Examples of animals in the taiga include moose, black bears, and elk.

Temperate Deciduous Forest

The temperate deciduous forest is a forest biome characterized by trees that lose their leaves each year.

Examples of trees include maples, beeches, and oaks-that lose their leaves in autumn.

Temperate deciduous forest have four distinct seasons.

Examples of animals in the temperate deciduous forest include deer, snakes, birds, and insects.

Grassland

The grassland is a biome characterized by few trees and many grasses.

The soil is fertile becuase each year the tops of grasses die and decompose returning nutrients to the soil.

Many cereal grains are produced on the grasslands.

Examples of animals include coyotes, bison, rabbits, and praire dogs.

Tropical Rain Forest

The tropical rain forests are biomes that have much rainfall and high temperatures all year.

Tropical rain forests are found near the equator. 

More species of organisms live in the rainforests than in any other land biome.

Fruits, nuts, and spices come from the rainforest-as well as cacao, which is used to make chocolate.

Examples of tropical rain forest animals include parrots, monkeys, sloths, snakes, frogs, and butterflies.

Desert

The desert is a biome with little rainfall and usually high daytime temperatures.

Some deserts may be sandy; others rocky.

Desert organisms have adaptations, cuch as water storage abilities, that help them survive extremely dry conditions.

Scorpion

Examples of desert animals include roadrunners, scorpions, meerkat, ans ostrich.