Different kinds of organisms are adapted to the conditions found in each zone. Oceans may be thought of as consisting of different zones based on water depth, distance from the shoreline, and light penetrance. Other important factors include temperature, water movement, and salt content. Sunlight is an important factor in bodies of water, especially those that are very deep, because of the role of photosynthesis in sustaining certain organisms. The abiotic factors important for the structuring of aquatic biomes can be different than those seen in terrestrial biomes. 20.4 Aquatic and Marine BiomesĪquatic biomes include both saltwater and freshwater biomes. Other biomes, such as deserts and tundra, have low primary productivity due to extreme temperatures and a shortage of water. In warm, moist biomes, such as the tropical rainforest, net primary productivity is high as warm temperatures, abundant water, and a year-round growing season fuel plant growth. Some biomes, such as temperate grasslands and temperate forests, have distinct seasons with cold and hot weather alternating throughout the year. Temperature and precipitation, and variations in both, are key abiotic factors that shape the composition of animal and plant communities in terrestrial biomes. The same biome can occur in different geographic locations with similar climates. There are eight major terrestrial biomes: tropical rainforests, savannas, subtropical deserts, chaparral, temperate grasslands, temperate forests, boreal forests, and Arctic tundra. Aquatic biomes include both freshwater and marine environments. 20.3 Terrestrial BiomesĮarth has terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
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The health of the biosphere depends on understanding these cycles and how to protect the environment from irreversible damage. Ecosystems have been damaged by a variety of human activities that alter the natural biogeochemical cycles due to pollution, oil spills, and events causing global climate change. As human activities have caused major disturbances to these cycles, their study and modeling is especially important. All of these cycles have major impacts on ecosystem structure and function. Of particular importance are water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Mineral nutrients are cycled through ecosystems and their environment. even when environmental concentrations of a toxin are low. Fat soluble compounds biomagnify up a food chain causing damage to top consumers. There is energy lost at each trophic level, so the lengths of food chains are limited because there is a point where not enough energy remains to support a population of consumers. Organisms in an ecosystem acquire energy in a variety of ways, which is transferred between trophic levels as the energy flows from the base to the top of the food web, with energy being lost at each transfer. 20.1 Waterford's Energy Flow through EcosystemsĮcosystems exist underground, on land, at sea, and in the air.
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