Name: ecosystem zones and climate
Uploaded: 2019-03-11T09:21:39.000Z
Duration: 1 min 17 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

north-carolina-k-12-science-standard-course-of-study

North Carolina K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Earth and Environmental Science

Earth's Systems

ESS.EES.4.1

What is an Ecosystem?

Ecosystems are the sum of all the interactions between biotic, living, and abiotic, nonliving, factors in the environment. They fall into one of two general categories either terrestrial or aquatic.

The major types of ecosystems are known as biomes. Terrestrial biomes such as deserts, rainforests, and tundra are categorized by two major factors annual rainfall and temperature.

Of the aquatic biomes the freshwater are the rarest as lakes, rivers, streams, and springs make up less than two percent of the earth&#39;s surface. Even so these ecosystems are comprised of a large diversity of animals and plants.

Ocean biomes which make up 75 percent of the earth&#39;s surface include the shallows, open ocean surface, and deep ocean. The shallows support the largest part of the ocean&#39;s diversity and coral reef ecosystems. The surface of the open ocean supports many of the earth&#39;s photosynthetic organisms and even the deep ocean contains a number of organisms although light is unable to penetrate.

what is an ecosystem?

<h4>Overview</h4>

An ecosystem is the interaction between all abiotic and biotic factors in an environment and can be classified as terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems are categorized based on the climate, including annual temperature, rainfall, and seasonality. Aquatic ecosystems are separated further into freshwater and marine, and then by depth, which influences water temperature and the amount of sunlight that penetrates the water.

<h4>Terrestrial Ecosystems</h4>

Terrestrial ecosystems are classified into biomes, characterized by both the climate of the environment and the types of organisms that live there. Areas near the Earth&rsquo;s equator that exhibit high, aseasonal temperatures and high quantities of annual rainfall are rainforests and house some of the most diverse habitats in the world. Ecosystems with high temperatures but deficient annual rainfall are deserts. Although desert ecosystems share these characteristics, their biodiversity can vary vastly.

On the other side of the spectrum, the ecosystem with very low annual temperatures and low annual rainfall is the arctic biome. This ecosystem has the lowest biodiversity. Between these three major biomes are the seasonal tundra, temperate grassland and savanna ecosystems. These ecosystems exhibit oscillatory annual changes in both temperature and rainfall and harbor animals and plants specifically adapted to those seasonal changes.

<h4>Freshwater Ecosystems</h4>

Aquatic ecosystems are further divided into two categories: freshwater and marine environments. Freshwater ecosystems&mdash;the rarest of the ecosystems composing around 2% of the Earth&rsquo;s surface&mdash;include lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. The major factors that influence the biodiversity within these ecosystems are the water flow, temperature, and depth.

The shallow area near the edges of ponds and lakes is called the littoral zone. The littoral zone is the warmest area of the water body and includes many aquatic producers, consumers, and animals that have both terrestrial and aquatic lifestyles. The limnetic zone, or the deep-water surface, is well lit and is dominated by plankton. The profundal zone, or deep water, mostly consists of organisms that eat dead organisms and do not photosynthesize since little light penetrates the depth.

In streams and rivers, water flows quickly, recycling oxygen and also keeping the water relatively cool. Species diversity is related to the width and depth of the river, with larger sections of the river being more diverse than the narrower sections. Finally, wetlands are areas of shallow standing water like marshes, swamps, and bogs, and are characterized by often hot and moist environments. These ecosystems have the highest biodiversity of all of the freshwater ecosystems including a variety of plant, animal, fungi and bacterial life.

<h4>Marine Ecosystems</h4>

Marine ecosystems&mdash;the most common composing almost 75% of the Earth&rsquo;s surface&mdash;are different from freshwater ecosystems due to the high salinity of the water. They are also separated based on water depth: shallow ocean, deep ocean water, and deep ocean surface. The most diverse of these ecosystems is shallow water, which hosts most of the world&rsquo;s coral reefs and associated marine life. In addition to shallow-ocean, the deep ocean surface also hosts a variety of marine life&mdash;due to the amount of sunlight that penetrates&mdash;including plankton, which performs around 40% of all the photosynthesis on Earth.

Due to the minimal amounts of light that penetrates the depths of the water, the deep ocean ecosystem contains a less diverse but often unusual set of organisms adapted to the darkness and high pressures. This ecosystem is also the least known of all of the ecosystems due to the vast amount of space it covers. However, scientists are now able to explore this frontier due to new technologies such as the human occupied vehicle Alvin. Currently, this vehicle has allowed researchers to access 2/3 of the ocean floor up to 4,500 m deep.

<h4>Ecosystem Dynamics</h4>

Regardless of the characteristics of the specific ecosystem, all share the same dynamic processes of energy and matter transformation through photosynthesis and feeding relationships among organisms. Ecosystems are powered by a constant influx of solar energy that flows through the ecosystem while the matter is recycled.

Overview

An ecosystem is the interaction between all abiotic and biotic factors in an environment and can be classified as terrestrial or aquatic. ...

Education

JoVE Core

Biology

Ecology

Ecosystems

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

ecosystem zones and climate

Ecosystems are shaped by living and nonliving parts of an environment, and they can be grouped as terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems depend on climate. Aquatic ecosystems are divided into freshwater and marine systems, and depth affects water temperature and how much sunlight reaches the water.

Terrestrial ecosystems are called biomes. A biome is defined by climate and by the organisms that live there. Near the equator, rainforests have high, aseasonal temperatures and high annual rainfall, so they support some of the most diverse habitats on Earth. Deserts also have high temperatures, but they receive too little rainfall, so their biodiversity can vary widely. At the other end, the arctic biome has very low temperatures and low rainfall, and it has the lowest biodiversity.

Between these major biomes are tundra, temperate grassland, and savanna ecosystems. These areas show yearly changes in temperature and rainfall. The plants and animals there are adapted to those seasonal shifts.

Freshwater ecosystems are the rarest ecosystems and cover about 2% of Earth’s surface. They include lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. Water flow, temperature, and depth shape the biodiversity in these systems.

In ponds and lakes, the littoral zone is the shallow edge. It is the warmest part of the water body and contains many producers, consumers, and animals that live both on land and in water. The limnetic zone is the deep-water surface and gets enough light for plankton. The profundal zone is deeper water, where little light reaches and organisms often feed on dead matter rather than photosynthesize.

Streams and rivers move quickly. This flow adds oxygen to the water and helps keep it cool. Biodiversity also depends on river width and depth, and larger sections are usually more diverse than narrow ones. Wetlands are shallow areas of standing water, such as marshes, swamps, and bogs. They are often hot and moist and have the highest biodiversity of the freshwater ecosystems, with many plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.

Marine ecosystems are the most common and cover almost 75% of Earth’s surface. They differ from freshwater ecosystems because of high salinity. Marine systems are also divided by depth into shallow ocean, deep ocean surface, and deep ocean water. Shallow water is the most diverse and includes most coral reefs and their associated marine life.

The deep ocean surface still receives enough sunlight to support many organisms, including plankton. Plankton carries out around 40% of all photosynthesis on Earth. In the deep ocean, light is limited, so the ecosystem has fewer species, but many are unusual and adapted to darkness and high pressure. It is also the least known ecosystem because it covers such a large area. New tools, such as the human occupied vehicle Alvin, now let scientists explore this frontier and reach about 2/3 of the ocean floor down to 4,500 m.

All ecosystems share the movement of energy and matter through photosynthesis and feeding relationships. Solar energy enters the ecosystem and moves through living things. Matter is recycled as organisms interact and feed.

Ecosystem Zones and Climate

Ecosystems are shaped by living and nonliving parts of an environment, and they can be grouped as terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems depend on climate. Aquatic ecosystems are divided into freshwater and marine systems, and depth affects water temperature and how much sunlight reaches the water. Terrestrial ecosystems are called biomes. A biome is defined by climate and by the organisms that live there. Near the equator, rainforests have high, aseasonal temperatures and high annual...

trophic levels

Food Chains and Energy Flow

Food chains show how energy and nutrients move through an ecosystem. Each organism holds a trophic level, or a specific place in that chain. The lowest level includes primary producers, which make their own food using energy from the sun or from chemicals. Organisms at the next levels are heterotrophs, which get energy from other organisms below them. Primary consumers are herbivores, and they feed on autotrophs, also called primary producers. Secondary and tertiary consumers are carnivores...

primary production

GPP, NPP, and Ecosystem Energy

Gross primary production and net primary production describe how energy enters and moves through ecosystems. Primary producers, or autotrophs, make their own food. They can do this by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, and they can also gain energy by consuming other organisms. The rate at which producers capture and store this energy is called gross primary production, or GPP. Not all of the energy in GPP stays available to the rest of the ecosystem. Primary producers use some energy for...

production efficiency

Energy Transfer as Biomass Efficiency

Net production efficiency shows how much energy organisms turn into biomass for the next trophic level. It focuses on the usable energy stored in body tissue, not the energy lost as heat or excreted wastes. This makes it a key idea for understanding energy flow through ecosystems. As energy moves from one organism to the next, only biomass can serve as food for the next trophic level. The rest of the energy is used in metabolism and is lost over time. Net production efficiency, or NPE, is the...

trophic efficiency

Energy Loss in Food Chains

Trophic level transfer efficiency describes how much energy moves from one level of a food chain to the next. It shows why energy drops sharply as organisms eat and are eaten. In most ecosystems, only about 10% of the energy passes on. This energy loss follows the second law of thermodynamics. In living systems, much of the energy is lost as metabolic heat during respiration. Trophic level transfer efficiency, or TLTE, measures this transfer by comparing the energy produced at one trophic...

what are biogeochemical cycles?

Nutrient Recycling in Ecosystems

Nutrient recycling in ecosystems keeps the elements needed for life moving through living and nonliving parts of the environment. Elements such as water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus are present in limited amounts, so they must be conserved and reused. These movements are called biogeochemical cycles. These nutrients can exist in several chemical forms. They may spend long periods in the atmosphere, on land, under the land, or in aquatic environments. Decomposition is a key part of...

the water cycle

Water Movement Through Earth Systems

Water movement through Earth systems connects the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, the land, and living things. The hydrosphere includes every place where water is stored or moves. Because water supports living processes, its movement is important for ecosystem dynamics. The cycle starts when the sun warms surface water on land and in the oceans. That water evaporates and enters the atmosphere as vapor. Water can also move into the air by sublimation, which is ice changing directly into vapor, and...

the carbon cycle

Carbon Movement in Living Systems

Carbon moves through living systems and Earth over short and long time scales. It is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and it cycles through ecosystems by passing between organisms and by moving through rocks, oceans, and the atmosphere. Human activities, including farming and burning fossil fuels, have changed this balance. In the biological carbon cycle, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reacts with water to form bicarbonate. Primary producers, or autotrophs, use carbon dioxide and...

the nitrogen cycle

Nitrogen in Soil and Living Things

Nitrogen in soil and living things moves through ecosystems in several forms. Nitrogen atoms are found in proteins and DNA. Most animals and plants cannot use nitrogen gas, which is the main form of nitrogen on Earth. Nitrogen must first be changed into a usable form by nitrogen-fixing bacteria before it can move through food webs. About 78% of the air we breathe is nitrogen gas, but few organisms can use it in that form. Nitrogen fixation changes nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3).

the phosphorus cycle

Phosphorus Movement in Soil and Water

Phosphorus moves through ecosystems mostly as phosphate ions in soil, water, sediment, and rocks. Unlike carbon, water, and nitrogen, it is not found in the atmosphere as a gas. It is also often a limiting nutrient, which means it is in short supply in many environments. Phosphorus is important in DNA, cell membranes, bones, and teeth. It is found in minerals, sediment, volcanic ash, and aerosols. As rocks and sediment weather over time, they release inorganic phosphate. That phosphate then...

the sulfur cycle

Sulfur in Ecosystems and Acid Rain

Sulfur moves through ecosystems as part of the chemical cycle that supports life. It is an important element in proteins and in amino acids such as cysteine, which helps give proteins their structure. On land, sulfur reaches ecosystems in several ways. Weak sulfuric acid can fall with precipitation, sulfur can drop directly from the atmosphere, rocks can weather and release sulfur, and geothermal vents can add it as well. Plants and microorganisms take sulfur up from the soil and change it...

bioremediation

Bioremediation in Soil and Oil Cleanup

Bioremediation uses prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. It is a practical way to reduce harmful chemicals in contaminated soil and water. In agriculture, fertilizers and pesticides can leach into groundwater, streams, and lakes. Microbes and bacteria can help break down these toxins. One example is atrazine, an environmental toxin found in many fertilizers, which can be removed from soils by the bacterial species Rhizobium and Tricoderma sp. Bioremediation...

key terms and concepts

Explore how climate, depth, and sunlight shape terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, from rainforests to the deep ocean.

Ecosystem Zones and Climate | JoVE K12

JoVE Core series brings biology to life through over 300 concise and easy-to-understand animated video lessons that explain key concepts in biology, plus more than 150 scientist-in-action videos that show actual research experiments conducted in today’s laboratories.

biology

ESS.EES.4.2

Pennsylvania State Academic Standards

Earth and Space Science

3.3.9-12.N

Life Science

interdependent-relationships-in-ecosystems

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

3.1.9-12.I

matter-and-energy-in-organisms-and-ecosystems

Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

3.1.9-12.H

Louisiana Student Standards for Science

High School

Earth Science

Earth’s Systems

HS-ESS2-7

Life Sciences

ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy And Dynamics

HS-LS2-1

HS-LS2-6

Environmental Science

Resources And Resource Management

HS-EVS1-1

Environmental Awareness And Protection

HS-EVS2-3

HS-LS2-4

ohios-learning-standards-and-model-curriculum

Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum

Physical Geology

Earth's Resources

Soil and sediment

Tennessee Academic Standards

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

BIO1.LS2.4

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

BIO.8

BIO.8.b

BIO.8.c

ES.8

ES.8.b

ES.8.d

ES.10

ES.10.a

LS.5

LS.5.b

LS.7

LS.7.a

new-jersey-student-learning-standards-for-science

New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science

Arizona Science Standards

HS.L2

HS.L2U1.19

Alabama Course of Study Science

Ecosystems: Interactions Energy and Dynamics

9-12.B.2.6

Unity and Diversity

9-12.EVS.2.3

9-12.EVS.3.4

Next Generation Science Standards

HS-ESS2-1

HS-ESS2-2

HS-ESS2-6

Earth and Human Activity

HS-ESS3-1

Florida Department of Education

SC.912.E.7

SC.912.E.7.3

SC.912.E.7.4

SC.912.L.17

SC.912.L.17.7

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

BIO.13

BIO.13.B

south-carolina-college-and-career-ready-science-standards

South Carolina College and Career Ready Science Standards

B-LS2-1.

B-LS2-2.

Earth and Space Science (ESS)

E-ESS3-1.

E-ESS3-2.

Georgia Standards of Excellence

SEV1.

SEV1.b

new-york-state-science-learning-standards

New York State Science Learning Standards

HS-LS2-3.

HS-LS2-4.

HS-LS2-2.

Entomology

SEN1.

SEN1.d

Oceanography

SO3.

SO3.2

SO3.3

SEC1.

SEC1.a

SB5.c

myJoVE Corporation

Igneous Volcanic Rock

Source: Laboratory of Alan Lester - University of Colorado Boulder
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The Carbon Cycle

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Igneous Intrusive Rock

Source: Laboratory of Alan Lester - University of Colorado Boulder
Igneous rocks are products of the cooling and crystallization of high temperature ...

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Using Topographic Maps to Generate Topographic Profiles

Source: Laboratory of Alan Lester - University of Colorado Boulder
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determining-spatial-orientation-rock-layers-with-brunton

Determining Spatial Orientation of Rock Layers with the Brunton Compass

Source: Laboratory of Alan Lester - University of Colorado Boulder
Most rock units exhibit some form of planar surfaces or linear features. Examples ...

Making a Geologic Cross Section

Source: Laboratory of Alan Lester - University of Colorado Boulder
Geologic maps were first made and utilized in Europe, in the mid-to-late 18th century. ...

Use models to explain how mantle convection powers plate tectonics.

ESS.EES.2.1

Analyze and interpret data to predict locations of volcanoes and earthquakes based on plate boundaries.

ESS.EES.2.2

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An Overview of Alkenone Biomarker Analysis for Paleothermometry

Source: Laboratory of Jeff Salacup&#160;- University of Massachusetts Amherst
Throughout this series of videos, natural samples were extracted and ...

Topographic Surveying and Contours

Topographic surveying is critical for documenting the Earth's surface, focusing on capturing elevations, slopes, and natural and man-made features. It is ...

Plotting of Topographic Maps

Topographic maps represent the Earth's surface features using contour lines, which connect points of equal elevation to create a two-dimensional ...

Methods of Obtaining Topography

Topography involves measuring and mapping land elevations, natural features, and artificial structures to create accurate representations of the terrain. ...

Use models to explain how plate tectonics influence topography.

ESS.EES.2.3

The Soil Ecosystem

Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not ...

Conditions on Early Earth

What are Biogeochemical Cycles?

The most common elements in organic molecules, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus, are only available in the ecosystem in limited ...

The Water Cycle

The Earth&rsquo;s hydrosphere includes all of the areas where the storage and movement of water occurs. Since water is the basis of all living processes, ...

The Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen atoms, present in all proteins and DNA, are recycled between abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem. However, the primary form of ...

The Phosphorus Cycle

Unlike carbon, water, and nitrogen, phosphorus is not present in the atmosphere as a gas. Instead, most phosphorus in the ecosystem exists as compounds, ...

Carry out investigations to explain how the rock cycle and rates of weathering, erosion, and soil formation influence Earth's systems.

ESS.EES.2.4

Analyze how the geosphere is shaped by plate tectonics and the rock cycle.

Ecosystem Zones and Climate

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