Biomes/Aquatic Biology

• Earths climate has the most significant influences on distribution of organisms
• Four major components of climate: temperature, precipitation, sunlight and wind
• Macroclimate: the climate of a large geographic area, such as a continent or region, over a long period
• The two main components of macroclimate are solar energy and earths movement in space
• Solar energy: the way light strikes the earth causes different temps depending on latitudes
• Earths movement has to do with the titled axis that gives us different day lengths, solar radiation and temp
• Other factosrs that influence macroclimate can be ocean currents and mountains
• Mircoclimate: climate of localized small area, such as a valley or a pond.
• Global Climate change: large scale changes in the earths climate causes by either human activity or natural disasters
• Potential outcomes of global climate change: alteration of ocean currents, shrinking range of plants, habitat losses, and shifting biomes
• Biome: major life zone characterized by a distinct climate, physical envrinment and vegetation.
• Climate determines location of terrestrial biomes
• Ecotone: transition of one type of habitat/ecosystem to another
• Terrestrial biomes names are determined by the dominant plant type and the climate of the region.
• Terrestrial biomes have vertical layering of vergitation
• Aquatic Biomes are characterized by physical environment
• There are two major categories: freshwater and marine
• Freshwater: closely linked to soil and biotic components of surrounding environment and is influenced by patterns/speed of water flow
• Marine: largest marine biomes, covers 75% of earths surface
• Zonation: Physical and chemical layers
• Two types of zonation: vertical and horizontal
• Vertical Zonation: light absorption decreases with depth
• Five zones in vertical zonation: photic zone, hphotic zone, abyssal zone, pelagic zone, and benthic zone
• Photic zone: enough light for photosynthesis, highest primary production
• Hphotic: no light and only consumers
• Abyssal zone: deepest part of ocean (marine) and no light
• pelagic zone: all water
• Benthic Zone: The bottom of the ocean, where the sediment is the most dense.
• Benthos: communities of detrivovers
• Thermoclines: layers of water with significantly different temperatures
• Spring turnover: surface area heats and ice melts, water becomes warmer, oxygen is at the bottom, and nutrients to the top
• Fall turnover: air temps drops, water becomes cooler, oxygen moves to bottom and spreads nutrient through lake
• Horizontal Zonation are different across marine and lakes
• Horizontal Zonation in marine three zones: intertidal zone, neurotic zone, and oceanic zone
• Intertidal zone: periodically exposed and submerged by tides
• Neritic zone: from low tide to edge of continental shelf
• Oceanic zone: open water
• Horizontal zonation in lakes: littoral zone and limnetic zone
• Littoral zone: shallow, well lit waters close to shore, plants are primary producers
• Limnetic zone: father from shore and too deep for rooted plants