California Biomes
Warm-up Activity
Level 1 Guiding Question: What makes each biome unique and why should we care?
Biomes
Limiting factors and geography help shape ecosystems into units called biomes. Biomes are regional or global biotic communities that are characterized by the dominant forms of plants and ani- mals, as well as the prevailing climate. Climate has a pivotal role in creating a biome. Climate is the seasonal or annual average of weather. Weather is the daily variations in temperature and precipitation. if precipitation is held constant (moderate rainfall), a colder climate will result in a cool desert, while a warmer climate will generate grassland. By varying the climate while holding the temperature and location constant, biome types will change. For example, a cold climate with little rain will produce tundra. A cold climate with more rainfall will produce a cool desert and cold cli- mate with a lot of rainfall will create a coniferous forest. Microclimate and other abiotic factors also play a role in determining a biome. Light intensity will create a microclimate on a south versus a north-facing slope, where certain species of plants will grow. A soil’s pH, salinity and texture (sand, silt or clay) will dictate the type of soil microbes present. Topography can limit the mobility of a species, thus helping or hurting its genetic diversity.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Understanding the interaction of the biotic and the abiotic factors in an ecosystem can help us to see why particular human activities may be a problem for human survival. The loss of ozone in the stratosphere increases the quantity of UV radiation on the surface of the planet. Plants, like humans, experience sunburn from too much sun exposure. Excessive UV radiation may damage or destroy a plant’s protein and DNA, killing the plant. Plants and animals interact with their abiotic environment. Desert plants have hair-like structures to reduce the quantity of sunlight reaching the surface of the leaves. Pine trees have needle-like leaves that reduce the quantity of heat lost during the winter.
Limiting factors and geography help shape ecosystems into units called biomes. Biomes are regional or global biotic communities that are characterized by the dominant forms of plants and ani- mals, as well as the prevailing climate. Climate has a pivotal role in creating a biome. Climate is the seasonal or annual average of weather. Weather is the daily variations in temperature and precipitation. if precipitation is held constant (moderate rainfall), a colder climate will result in a cool desert, while a warmer climate will generate grassland. By varying the climate while holding the temperature and location constant, biome types will change. For example, a cold climate with little rain will produce tundra. A cold climate with more rainfall will produce a cool desert and cold cli- mate with a lot of rainfall will create a coniferous forest. Microclimate and other abiotic factors also play a role in determining a biome. Light intensity will create a microclimate on a south versus a north-facing slope, where certain species of plants will grow. A soil’s pH, salinity and texture (sand, silt or clay) will dictate the type of soil microbes present. Topography can limit the mobility of a species, thus helping or hurting its genetic diversity.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Understanding the interaction of the biotic and the abiotic factors in an ecosystem can help us to see why particular human activities may be a problem for human survival. The loss of ozone in the stratosphere increases the quantity of UV radiation on the surface of the planet. Plants, like humans, experience sunburn from too much sun exposure. Excessive UV radiation may damage or destroy a plant’s protein and DNA, killing the plant. Plants and animals interact with their abiotic environment. Desert plants have hair-like structures to reduce the quantity of sunlight reaching the surface of the leaves. Pine trees have needle-like leaves that reduce the quantity of heat lost during the winter.
Trophic Levels
Ecosystems are generally categorized as having layers or levels called trophic levels. Producers are found in the first trophic level, where they create organic molecules or proteins, lipids and carbo- hydrates. They do this by capturing photons of light energy and com- bining them with inorganic molecules. Consumers (primary [herbi- vores], secondary [carnivores] and omnivores [eat plant and animal tissues]) feed on producers. Without producers, consumers could not exist. in addition, there are detritus feeders and decomposers. A detritus feeder can be primary (feeds directly on detritus) or second- ary (feeds on those who eat detritus.) Generally detritus feeders can be described as those who consume dead plants and animals, feces and so forth. Decomposers are primarily detritus feeders. Tropic relationships are also referred to as food chains, which are another way of illustrating the feeding pathway. Food chains are a description of who eats whom; an example of this is the predator and host parasite relationships. Food chains or webs, as they are sometimes called, are very complex. But there are a few rules that apply to all food chains. For example, all producers belong to the first trophic level and all herbivores (primary consumers) are on the second trophic level. All primary carnivores (secondary consumers) are on the third trophic level.
Ecosystems are generally categorized as having layers or levels called trophic levels. Producers are found in the first trophic level, where they create organic molecules or proteins, lipids and carbo- hydrates. They do this by capturing photons of light energy and com- bining them with inorganic molecules. Consumers (primary [herbi- vores], secondary [carnivores] and omnivores [eat plant and animal tissues]) feed on producers. Without producers, consumers could not exist. in addition, there are detritus feeders and decomposers. A detritus feeder can be primary (feeds directly on detritus) or second- ary (feeds on those who eat detritus.) Generally detritus feeders can be described as those who consume dead plants and animals, feces and so forth. Decomposers are primarily detritus feeders. Tropic relationships are also referred to as food chains, which are another way of illustrating the feeding pathway. Food chains are a description of who eats whom; an example of this is the predator and host parasite relationships. Food chains or webs, as they are sometimes called, are very complex. But there are a few rules that apply to all food chains. For example, all producers belong to the first trophic level and all herbivores (primary consumers) are on the second trophic level. All primary carnivores (secondary consumers) are on the third trophic level.
Make a word cloud from the reading above! :Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends. Use or less that 24 words.
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Level 1-Investigation: Read the above article and the website entitled, "World Biomes" (see below). Get an envelope from your teacher and write the following on one side of the card:
Name of the habitat
- Where this habitat is found in California
- A description of the habitat
- interesting facts about the habitat
- Watch one of the videos below and/or read the powerpoints textbooks (you can find in the bookcase) and the informational flyers.You will have 10 minutes do the four tasks listed above.
Powerpoints on Biomes
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Student Biome Websites
Riparian
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Fresh water Marsh
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California Grasslands
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Oak Woodlands
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Level 1-Investigation:Slews Field Day "What does habitat restoration look like?"
Your task: Write a letter to the landowner about the habitat restoration you’ll be doing with SLEWS. (Turn in your letter below and them click submit.)
Level 1-Videos: 4 California Biomes
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Level 1-Elaborate: Make a Website for your Biome using the information you collected on the first day. Use the resources (map, creek pictures) below to help you assemble a website.
Northern California Biome Slide Show
To download images click the picture (the one below) you like and drag it to the desktop.
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The California Floristic Province (CFP) is a floristic province with a Mediterranean climate located on the Pacific Coast of North America with a distinctive flora that bears similarities to floras found in other regions experiencing a winter rainfall, summer drought climate like the Mediterranean Basin. This hotspot is most known for being the home of the giant sequoia tree and its relative the redwood. In 1996, the Province was designated as a hotspot allowing it to join to ranks among 33 other regions in the world. In order to become a biodiversity hotspot, the province in question must contain species and plant life that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The California Floristic Province is home to over 3,500 different species of plants, 61% of which are endemic.
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