1. ’s
in veneer on the earth
A l l l if e is c o n f in e d t o a t h
surface called the
BIOSPHERE

2. Biosphere
• Biosphere is the global ecological
system integrating all living beings
and their relationships.
• Usually defined as the thin outer
layer of the earth capable of
supporting life.

3. Subdivisions of the Biosphere
• Lithosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Atmosphere

4. LITHOSPHERE
The rocky material of the earth’s
outer shell and is the ultimate source
of all mineral elements required by
living organisms.

5. hydroSPHERE
The hydrosphere includes all water on Earth.
The abundance of water on Earth is a unique feature that
clearly distinguishes our "Blue Planet" from others in the
solar system.
Not a drop of liquid water can be found anywhere else in the
solar system. It is because the Earth has just the right
mass, the right chemical composition, the right
atmosphere, and is the right distance from the Sun that
permits water to exist mainly as a liquid.
Most of the water is contained in the oceans

6. atmOSPHERE
The gaseous component of the
biosphere.
Extends up to some 3500 km
above the earth’s surface, but all
life is confined to the lowest 8 to
15 km (TROPOSPHERE).
The screening layer in the
atmosphere of oxygen-zone is
concentrated mostly between 20 –
25 km.

8. Greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is the rise in
temperature that the Earth experiences
because certain gases in the atmosphere
(water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide,
and methane, for example) trap energy from
the sun. Without these gases, heat would
escape back into space and Earth’s average
temperature would be about 60ºF colder.
Because of how they warm our world, these
gases are referred to as greenhouse gases.

10. Terrestrial Environments: BIOMES
• A biome is a major biotic unit bearing a
characteristic and easily recognized array of
plant life.
• A biome is identified by its dominant plant
formation but, because animals depend on
plants, each biome supports a characteristic
fauna.
• A biome,s distinctiveness is determined
mainly by climate.

12. Temperature Deciduous
Forest
• This biome occupies the eastern half of the United
States and a large portion of Europe.
• It is characterized by: hardwood trees (e.g., beech,
maple, oak, hickory) which are deciduous(shed their
leaves in the autumn).
• Large stands dominated by a single species are
common.
• Deer, raccoons, and salamanders are characteristic
inhabitants.
• During the growing season, this biome can be quite
productive in both natural and agricultural
ecosystems.

13. Coniferous Forest
• This biome is found in the upper areas of North America and Asia
• Tall mountains have supported vigorous tree growth and a large
animal population.
• Many animals like the white tailed deer, Reeve's muntjac, fox,
mice, owls, and squirrels are found in this area.
• The weather in this biome is very cold. It is stormy in the winter
and hot. There are usually many lightning storms in the summer.
• There are many plants in this biome, but three dominate more
than others. These are: pine, fir, and spruce trees. Mosses are also
found almost anywhere here

14. Tropical Forest
• The Tropical Rain forest contains trees standing 30 to 55
meters in height, creating a continuous canopy of foliage.
The enclosed canopy shades the forest floor inhibiting the
development of much undergrowth, creating an open
forest formation
• The intense precipitation of the tropical rainforest climate
heavily leaches the soil.
• Oxisol soil common to the rain forest are relatively infertile
due to intense weathering and a lack of available nutrients.
Deforestation and habitat destruction is severely crippling
the rain forest ecosystem.

15. Grassland
• The Grassland biome is dominated by grasses of a
variety of species, all having adapted to the summer
drought common to their semiarid habitat.
• Prairies are found on the humid side of the grassland
biome and are often referred to as the tall-grass
prairie.
• On the drier side of the grassland biome lies the
steppe grasslands. Vegetation must cope with the
summer soil moisture deficit common to the steppe
climate in which this formation class is found.

16. Tundra
• Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from
the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain.
Characteristics of tundra include:
• Extremely cold climate
• Low biotic diversity
• Simple vegetation structure
• Limitation of drainage
• Short season of growth and reproduction
• Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material
• Large population oscillations

17. Desert
• Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface
and occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm/year.
• There are relatively few large mammals in deserts
because most are not capable of storing sufficient
water and withstanding the heat.
• Deserts often provide little shelter from the sun for
large animals. The dominant animals of warm deserts
are nonmammalian vertebrates, such as reptiles.
Mammals are usually small, like the kangaroo mice of
North American deserts.

18. Inland Waters
• Of all the worl’ds water, 2.5% is fresh.
• Inland waters exist as running-water, or
LOTIC.
(brooks or streams)
• Standing water or LENTIC.
(ponds or lakes)

19. Oceanic Environments
• This is the largest zone in the ocean.
• as deep as 11,000 m below the surface.
• Sunlight does not penetrate very deep into
the oceanic zone.
• Cradle of life
• BETHNIC (seabed)
• PELAGIC (open ocean)

20. Rocky Intertidal Zone
• This zone is located along the shoreline of
the world ocean.
• Exposed to air during low tides
• Animals of intertidal communities experience
daily fluctuations between marine and
terrestial environments.

21. Rocky Subtidal Zone
• This area is submerged most of the time,
exposed briefly during extreme low tides
around full and new moon events.
• This zone provides habitat to a large diversity of
plants and animals in contrast to the other
zones.
• It is dominated by red algae and the most
common animals found here are the grazers
such as periwinkles and sea urchins.

22. Nearshore Soft Sediments
• Small creeks in salt marshes are particularly
favorable in habitats for many polychaetes,
mussels and fishes.
• In calm waters of tropical and subtropical
marine coasts, mangrove trees grow in
submerged soft sediments, forming thick
forests along the shoreline.

23. Deep-Sea Sediments
• The deep sea includes the continental slope,
continental rise and abyssal pain.
• Suspension-feeding invertebrates dominate
sandy subtrates.

24. Hydrothermal Vents
• Hydtrothermal vents occur on abyssal plain
in areas of submarine volacanic activity.
• Hydrothermal vents are ephemeral; repeated
colonization of newly formed vents
propagate these communities.

25. Pelagic Realm
• The vast open ocean is called the pelagic
realm.
• 90% of the total ocean
• Areas of upwelling and convergence of ocean
currents are vital sources of nutrient renewal
for the surface photic zone.