1. The Biosphere
Jessica Henderson

2. NCSCOS Goals and Objectives
Objective 5.01
Investigate and analyze the
interrelationships among organisms,
populations, communities and ecosystems
Techniques of field ecology

3. Biosphere
• Ecosystems were originally distributed over
the globe and how climates determined the
characteristics of the major biomes, such as
forests, deserts and grasslands.
• Each of the biomes are mixed with its own
species which adapt to the environmental
conditions.
• Get the image of the day, See what the
biosphere looks like today.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=2669

4. Biosphere and The Climate
• Climate
-> the prevailing weather conditions in a particular
region.
Climate is dictated by temperature and rainfall.
The distribution of solar energy caused by spherical Earth, and
the rotation and path of the Earth around the sun, affects how
the winds blow and the amount of rainfall received in various
regions.

5. Patterns of biome distribution
• Patterns of the world
biomes in relation to
temperature and
moisture.
• The same type of biome
can occur in different
regions of the world .

6. Terrestrial Ecosystems
• Biomes of the World (video).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZGCZY47YS0&feature=related
• A major type of
terrestrial ecosystem
is called a biome.
A biome has a mixture
of plants and animals
that adapt to living
conditions and
environmental
conditions.

7. Tundra
• Arctic tundra biome
– Encircles the Earth just south of ice-covered polar
seas in the Northern Hemisphere.
– It covers about 20% of the Earth’s land surface.
– It is cold and dark much of the year.
– It has extremely long, cold, harsh winters and sort
summers.

8. Taiga
• The Taiga or boreal forest exists the south of the
tundra and covers 11% of the Earth’s landmasses.
The taiga consist of two forests:
1. Coniferous Forest
2. Temperate Deciduous
Continue on….

9. Coniferous Forest
• The Coniferous Forest is sometimes called the
temperate rain forest.
• Coniferous forests has the
tallest conifer trees and
coastal redwoods.
• Has plenty of rainfall and
rich soil.
• It also has ferns and mosses.

10. Temperate Deciduous Forests
• Temperate Deciduous forests has trees such as
oak, beech, sycamore, and maple.
• The tallest trees form a
canopy over the upper layer
of leaves to receive the
sunlight first.
• Enough sunlight penetrates
the to provide
energy for another
layer of trees
called understory trees.

11. Tropical Forests
• Tropical Forests is located in
South America, Africa, and the
Indo-Malayan region near the
equator.
• The weather is always warm,
rainfall is plentiful, and is the
richest of the biomes.
• The primary levels of the
rainforest are the canopy, the
understory and the forest
floor.

12. Desert
• The Desert is in the Northern and Southern
Hemisphere.
• The day is hot because of the lack of cloud cover
and the sun penetrates
easier and nights are cold
because the heat escapes in
the atmosphere.
• The plants and animals store
water for protection and for
photosynthesis.