...(a)The species have been carried by marine trade on the hulls of ships and in bilge and ballast water and the movements tend to be between developed areas, reflecting trade patterns. Some areas are not involved; these tend to have less trade. There may be some specific knowledge of individual species from Figure 3 which should be credited, as should other species not shown on Figure 3 (rats). The major disruption is to food chains, as the alien species out-compete existing species reducing their numbers or even causing extinction. This can be directly through predation, or indirectly by occupying ecological niches. There is also the possibility that disease might be spread by new species, and in some cases damage to the physical make up of ecosystems (erosion). Biodiversity can be severely reduced, and in the worst cases ecosystems collapse. Level 2 5-7 Structure is satisfactory. Does explain the pattern with some clarity. Some understanding of impact on ecosystems and uses some geographical terminology, but incomplete; makes reference to map. Explanations are clear, but there are areas of less clarity. Lacks full range. There are some grammar, punctuation and spelling errors. (b) Indicative content The question requires both scales of threat to be covered, which could be accomplished using the same or different examples from within the named global ecosystem. In terms of global threats, the likely focus will be on climate change as an overarching threat to forests...
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...larger the biodiversity, as large continuous biomes can support a wider range of species and extensive boundaries can encourage migration. Also, a larger area is more susceptible to a variety in climate, which can support a variation in species. A good example of this factor taking place is the Amazon Rainforest. This vast area of 5,500,000 sq.km located in the Amazon Basin of South America has the largest collection of animal and plant species in the world, as wet tropical forests are the most species-rich biome. It is home to 10% of the world’s known biodiversity. History and age shows that older and least disturbed ecosystems, is where there is generally higher biodiversity, especially in the tropics, where there are few physical constraints on productivity. Older ecosystems have a greater biodiversity as there is a longer time period for new species to evolve. Not only for new species, but also for migratory species such as birds. Disturbed ecosystems, where deforestation and land reclamation occurs, decreases biodiversity by destroying habitats and food chains. Geographical locations, particularly on remote islands, reduces the number of species but encourages endemism as the remaining species develop in a distinct way known as evolution, for example in the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the highest levels of endemism. Around 97% of reptiles and land mammals are endemic. Favourites include the marine...
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...Biomes have changed and moved ordinarily amid the historical backdrop of life on Earth. There are fourteen biomes on the planet. Fields are isolated into savanna and mild prairies. The sea-going classification is partitioned into freshwater, freshwater wetlands, marine, coral reef and estuaries. Earthbound biomes are significant districts in the Earth that have a similar atmosphere in spite of being in various geological areas. The sea-going biome is the biggest of them all. Tundra The tundra is the coldest biome and is a treeless territory. The tundra is described by low temperature, little precipitation, low supplements, and organic assorted qualities. The Tundra has a considerable measure of vegetation inside this biome. Some regular plants...
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...MEDITERRANEAN SCRUB Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, as defined by the World Wildlife Federation, is known for dry summers and rainy winters. Summers are typically hot in low-lying inland locations but can be cool near colder seas and oceans. Winters are typically mild to cool in low-lying locations but can be cold in inland and higher locations. The Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome occurs in the world's five Mediterranean climate zones, on the west coast of continents in the mid-latitudes, the Mediterranean Basin, Chilean Mattoral, California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California and the Baja California Peninsula, Western Cape of South Africa, and last but not least the Southwest Australia corner area. These regions are home to a great amount diversity of habbitats and species. Vegetation types range from forests to woodlands, savannas, shrublands, and grasslands; landscapes are common, where differing vegetation types are interleaved with one another in complicated patterns created by modifications in soil, exposure to wind and sun, and fire history. Much of the woody vegetation in Mediterranean-climate regions is sclerophyll, which means 'hard-leaved' in Greek. Sclerophyll vegetation generally has small, dark leaves covered with a waxy outer skin to retain moisture in the dry summer months. All these ecoregions are extremely distinctive, harboring 10% of the Earth's plant species. This is equivalent to about 40% of...
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...Homework #1 – Basic Terms and Concepts Name: Intro to the Environment - Eco Footprint - Homework #1 (HW1) – Fall 2012 1. An ecosystem is a community of organisms living in a particular environment and also the physical elements in that given environment, in which these organisms interact. Its diversity is profoundly substantial. An ecosystem can extend from the icy artic zones to the tropical forests. They occur in many different scales with smaller systems pierced inside larger systems. Depending on the scale, an ecosystem can be small or profoundly large. 2. Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. In plants, photosynthesis generally involves the green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct. 3. A producer in an ecosystem, converts energy from the environment into carbon bonds. For instance, green plants use energy from the sun to create more complex molecules like carbon dioxide into glucose. Consumers on the other hand are organisms that obtain nutrients from other organisms. They attain their energy from the carbon bonds made by the producers. An example of a consumer is animal that gets its energy from plants. It is also called an herbivore. A few examples of herbivores include cows, moose, gazelles, rabbits and elephants. The trophic level of an organism is where the organism is situated in the food chain. A food chain is similar to...
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...(a)The species have been carried by marine trade on the hulls of ships and in bilge and ballast water and the movements tend to be between developed areas, reflecting trade patterns. Some areas are not involved; these tend to have less trade. There may be some specific knowledge of individual species from Figure 3 which should be credited, as should other species not shown on Figure 3 (rats). The major disruption is to food chains, as the alien species out-compete existing species reducing their numbers or even causing extinction. This can be directly through predation, or indirectly by occupying ecological niches. There is also the possibility that disease might be spread by new species, and in some cases damage to the physical make up of ecosystems (erosion). Biodiversity can be severely reduced, and in the worst cases ecosystems collapse. Level 2 5-7 Structure is satisfactory. Does explain the pattern with some clarity. Some understanding of impact on ecosystems and uses some geographical terminology, but incomplete; makes reference to map. Explanations are clear, but there are areas of less clarity. Lacks full range. There are some grammar, punctuation and spelling errors. (b) Indicative content The question requires both scales of threat to be covered, which could be accomplished using the same or different examples from within the named global ecosystem. In terms of global threats, the likely focus will be on climate change as an overarching threat to forests...
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...information in the exhibit human population has exploded since the invention of agriculture and people are transforming the land for farming and the industrial revolution has increased the rate of expansion of cities, roads and manufacturing facilities. I agree that we need to preserve biodiversity as it makes up the structure of the ecosystem and habitats that support essential living resources, including wildlife, fisheries and forests. It also helps provide for basic human needs such as food, shelter and medicine. 3. Biome is a very large area on the earth’s surface with animals and plants adapting to their environment. Biomes are often defined by abiotic factors such as climate, geology, soils and vegetation. The nine Biomes are described in the Hall are Tropical Forests, Tropical Grassland and Savannas, Deserts, Island, Tundra, Temperate and Boreal Forests, Oceans, Freashwater Wetland, Rivers and Lakes, and Coral Reefs and Coastal Wetlands. 4. My favorite Biome is the Tropical Forests- Location- Near the equator in central and south America, parts of Africa and Asia. Characteristics: Hot, humid with equatorial climate and...
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...Try Quantifying and scaling global plant trait diversity TRY is a network of vegetation scientists headed by DIVERSITAS, IGBP, iDiv, the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and an international Advisory Board. |Main objectives | |Provide a global archive of plant traits | |Promote trait-based approaches in ecology and biodiversity science | |Support the design of a new generation of global vegetation models | |Current state of database and network | |3 million trait records for about 69000 plant species | |344 participants from 173 scientific institutes worldwide | |125 scientific projects requesting plant trait data from TRY | Quantifying and scaling global plant trait diversity TRY is a network of vegetation scientists headed by DIVERSITAS, IGBP, iDiv, the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and an international Advisory Board. |Main objectives | |Provide a global archive of plant traits ...
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...A biome is a major biological community that occurs over a large area of land. Each biome is characterized by precipitation, temperature, wind, soil conditions, availability to water, amount of sunlight, and land. For example, the taiga is very cold in the winter, hot and humid during the summer, receives 30-85 cm of precipitation annually, and the soil is thin and poor in nutrients. There are different types of biomes and each of them have different characteristics. The tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. The temperatures range from -40 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius. (Mission Biomes, N.D.) The precipitation ranges from 150 to 250 mm of rain per year. (Mission Biomes, N.D.) According to the article Mission: Biomes, there are almost no trees due to short growing season and permafrost; lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, shrubs. (N.D.) Tundras are located south of the ice caps and extend across North America, Europe, and Siberia. Tundra winters are long, dark and cold. The temperatures are below 0 degrees Celsius for six to ten months. Animals hibernate during the winter because it is so cold....
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...The chaparral biome is a temperate shrub land biome found in all five parts of the world with a Mediterranean, dry, coastal climate. The chaparral is primarily found in California and the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. The chaparral is also found around the world in Chile, South Africa, and Western and Southern Australia. The chaparral’s climate is defined by mild, wet winters and hot dry summers. Plants of the Chaparral Plants of the chaparral must survive long periods of heat, fire, and drought. Many plants of the chaparral very closely resemble plants of the desert that can also survive long periods without rain. The South African Chaparral contains many species of plants that are not located anywhere else in the world. Examples...
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...Alexander Camarillo Biology 7 Professor Livio Ecology Paper: Tundra The tundra biome is found in North America, Asia, and Europe, and well as encompasses the Arctic Ocean. The term “Tundra” comes from the Finnish word “tunturia”, which means treeless or barren land. There are three types of tundras: the Alpine, Arctic, and Antarctic. Artic Tundra extends from the edge of the Arctic Ocean to the coniferous forest of the Taiga. Examples of the Arctic Tundra include the northern parts of Alaska and Canada, as well as Siberia. Alpines tundras occur on mountains where trees cannot grow in high latitudes. The alpine occurs at almost any latitude, and can be found at elevations of 10,000 feet and above. Because of it’s high elevation the alpine Tundra has a similar climate to the Arctic Tundra. Examples of alpine tundras include: Himalayas, the Rocky Mountains, and the Alaska Range Alpines tundra occurs on mountains where trees cannot grow in high latitudes. The growing season is about 180 days per year. Mountain goats, sheer, marmots, and birds feed on low-lying plants and insects. The alpines can be cold and dry with a short growing season. Some well-known places that are considered alpine tundra are the Himalayas, the Rocky Mountains, and the Alaska Range. Some of the animals that inhabit the alpines include, mountain goats,...
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...Table of contents: -Introduction -Climate of the biome -Location of the biome -Adaption of living things in the biome -Food web/food chain in the biome -How do people affect the biome? How can people help the biome? -What biotic and abiotic factors help/harm the biome? -Conclusion -Glossary -Citations Introduction Have you ever seen a forest that rains a lot but it's not a rainforest? It is called the temperate deciduous forest. The meaning of deciduous in the temperate deciduous forest is falling leaves. I think it has that meaning because this forest has all four seasons,and the leaves fall and off every time of the year! My first body paragraph will be about the climate of the biome and the adaption of living things in the biome and my second paragraph will be about adaption of living things in the biome and the food web/food chain in the biome,and my last paragraph will be about...
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...be classified as either biotic or abiotic. Biotic factors are other living things that may affect a particular organism, for example predators. In contrast, abiotic factors are nonliving things that affect a particular organism, such as a drought or excessive rain. In reviewing the local ecology and environment of the Commonwealth of Virginia, we must first determine the region’s biome. A biome is the classification of a terrestrial community, primarily determined by climatic factors, such as precipitation patterns and temperature ranges (Enger, Ross, & Tillery, 2009). A biome also provides an indication of the type of plant life and animals that may be present within a particular region. The relationship is interdependent between a biome and the ecological communities contained within it. An ecological community is “an assemblage of co-existing, interacting species, considered together with the physical environment and associated ecological processes, that usually recurs on the landscape” (The Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation, 2012). When reviewing the biomes of the world, we see...
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...South Africa, and Namibia * Australia * Central America - Belize and Honduras * South America - Venezuela and Columbia * Southern Asia * Abitoic facores: -fire Fire is the most important abiotic factor to the savanna. without the constant fires a tropical savanna could turn into a tropical forest -soil it is real important to plants and the animals that eat the plants -air Without it survival would be impossible. -water During the summer or dry season there really isn't a lot of water. Trees store water during the wet season so they have water during the dry season. * Plants * Grasses -Bermuda grass is one of the most common grasses in the tropical savanna biome. With its deep root system, bermuda grass has adapted to the savanna by dying off above ground during periods of drought, while maintaining growth beneath the soil. -Elephant grass grows in clumps and, despite its razor sharp leaves, provides shelter to several types of savanna birds. * Acacia Tree -A medium-sized tree, can reach 65 feet in height with a flat, round top and thorny branches. The acacia is a valuable tree in the tropical savanna, providing shade, shelter and food for the biome's animals. This acacia tolerates harsh conditions and survive up to a year without rain. * Baobab Tree - Leafless for 9 months of the year, the baobab appears to be a tangled mass of gnarled branches atop a tall, thick trunk. The baobab is...
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...Lemurs in Madagascar SCI/ 275 March 16, 2014 Lemurs in Madagascar 1.) What are Madagascar’s biomes? Discuss the latest features of at least one of these biomes. Using the world’s terrestrial map in Wiley Plus, Madagascar’s biomes includes; tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, and desert. Madagascar is largely made up of the tropical rain forest biome. Its features include warm weather throughout the year with rainfall occurring almost daily. In the rainforest, human population growth and industrial expansion threatens its survival. 2.) What changes happening in Madagascar are posing challenges for lemurs? Provide details about the sources, time scale, and type of change. The changes that are happening in Madagascar that poses a challenge for lemurs, are the rapid environmental changes caused by humans. Deforestation of the rain forest disrupts the eco- system. As a result, the changes are occurring at a rapid pace, faster than the resources can replenish themselves. 3.) Which types of lemurs are adapting to the changes? Which types of lemurs are not adapting well? Why? The type of lemur that is adapting to change is the ring- tailed lemur. The ring- tailed lemur is able to adjust because of its ability to adjust to secondary habitats. On the hand, bamboo lemurs are not adjusting well to the changes. They thrive on eating the bamboo found in the forest. Once the bamboo are depleted, they will not be able to survive. 4.) What behavioral...
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