Ecology
- Thin layer of air, land and water on or near
to the Earth’s surface in which all living
things on Earth exist.
- Is split into eight different terrestrial biomes
 Large regions that have similar biotic components (eg:
plants and animals) and similar abiotic - non living
components - such as similar amounts of rain and
similar temperature levels.
 Broken further into:
 ecosystems - abiotic components interact with the
biotic.
 habtitats – the place where organisms live - nests
burrows etc.
 On pg 11 in your text is a picture outlining the major
biomes in the world. With a partner, study the picture
and:
Familiarize yourself with the location of the Major
Biomes in the world
b. Describe two patterns that you see in the distribution
of the biomes – what do you think are the two major
determining factors for the location of the biomes?
a.
 Temperate Rainforest – found on coastlines that have ocean
winds depositing large amounts of moisture. Typically cold
and wet and contains a large number of evergreens.
 Desert – occur in temperate and tropical areas – cold nights
and hot days with minimal rain fall has organisms adapted
to reduce water loss.
 Boreal Forest – are found in the far north and is below
freezing for approx ½ a year. Organisms are adapted to a
cold environment that has a significant level of snowfall.
 Tundra – located in the upper northern hemisphere –
very dry and cold. Has permanently frozen soil
resulting in small plants and few trees.
 Grasslands – in tropical and temperate areas. Have
grasses that utilize deep roots to survive periods of
drought.
 Permanent ice – polar land masses and large polar ice
caps. Significant animal adaptations due to the cold.
Tropical Rainforest – Found in a band around the
equator and is wet and warm year round which permits a
great diversity of organisms under a dense canopy of tall
trees.
 Pg 13 practice problems
 Biome Video (Biomes: Terrestrial
Ecosystems)