Wednesday, March 28
Bell Work:
Why are polar ice caps and mountains not biomes?
Zone
Depth
Description
Intertidal
Organisms must Strip of land between tolerate changes in temperature, moisture low and high tide.
and salinity.
Neritic
Low tide to 200 meters deep
Contains most ocean life
Bathyal
200­2000 meters
Turbid water, high pressure, burrowing animals live here.
Abyssal
below 2000 meters
Complete darkness, deep­sea vents, few species, most make own light.
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5. The neritic zone has the most biomass. Plankton make up most of the biomass­ they are tiny free­floating organisms.
6. Phytoplankton are critical to life on Earth because they produce 70% of the oxygen in every breath we take. Also the base of the oceanic food web.
7. Coral Reefs are found in tropical climates. Water remain warms year­round and are home to hundreds of species. Contain up to 1000 times more biomass than the other areas of the ocean. Kelp Forests are found in cold, nutrient­rich waters. Large communities of kelp and are a feeding zone for many species of ocean life, including invertebrates and large mammals.
They both contain enormous biological diversity and highly productive. 8. Coral reefs are made of coral skeletal material that has packed together over thousands of years.
9. Coral is delicate because a change in water temperature or pollution can kill the algae and the coral starves.
Estuary­ partially enclosed body of water formed where a river flows into an ocean.
Description­ mixture of fresh water and saltwater, are highly productive, supports a large number of species, have huge detritivore populations.
Threats­ Land Development and human activities.
Other Facts­ 75% of fish we eat depend on estuaries
­ are homes to many endangered species
­Protect land areas from hurricanes
­Called nurseries of the sea because many species use them for spawning.
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Lake Zones
Littoral­ high and low watermarks along the shoreline. Well­lit, warm and shallow, high diversity.
Limnetic Zone­ open water. Supports plankton and fish populations.
Benthic Zone­ bottom where little sunlight reaches, decomposers live here.
Lakes and ponds typically have turnover in the fall and spring increases the amount of oxygen in the water. ANIMATION
Rivers and Streams
­ Vary as they flow.
­Flow in large area is slower and flow in narrow areas is faster.
­Humans affect levels by damming rivers and by draining water for irrigation and drinking water.
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Wetlands­ area of land that is saturated by ground or surface water for a least part of the year.
Description­ bogs, marshes, swamps, have duckweed, cattails and sedges. Most productive ecosystems on earth, home to large number of species.
Threats­ Draining of to build homes or turn into farm fields (fertile soil)
Other Facts­ Help maintain clean water by filtering dirty water and renews underground stores of water.
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