Biome Name

Decay is slow - Soil is acidicBiome Name Abiotic Factors Biotic AdaptationsPlantsRiversMarine EcosystemsEstuariesCoral ReefsOceanPolarEcosystemsAt headwaters, usuallycold and highlyoxygenated. As it flows,it will broaden out, warmup and this completelychanges the biota you’llfind.Definition: Fresh andsalt water meetLocation: Close toequator.Consistent watertemperatureShallow waterLow in NutrientsOpen ocean is one of theleast productive areas onearth, too little sunlightto support plant growth.Covers nearly ¾ of theEarth’s surface.Can be consideredmarine ecosystems sincethe base of food chain isphytoplanktonWill vary based on where inthe river they are.Very productive biomebecause it receives lots oflight and nutrients.N/APlants are micro andmacroscopic.Have floating plants.Antarctic--Penguins live here—onlycontinent not used byhumans.BioticAdaptationsAnimalsAt the headwaters,organisms need to hangon.Often used as nursery foryoung.Breeding area for manyfishZooplankton—sea’ssmallest herbivores.Deep ocean animals feedon detritus—floating debrisin the water column.Arctic--Relatively shallow, lots ofnutrients for large varietyof animals in food web,people, seals and polarbears found here.Threats to BiomeIndustry uses water to dispose ofwaste products.Runoff from homes and otherplaces causes changes in acidity,pollution, etc.Dams alter the flow of the water.Many ports are found onestuaries—pollutionHuman populationTemperature is important, too hotor too cold and the animals can’tlive there to create limestoneHuman intrusion (scuba diving) isdamaging if you touch/step on thereefPollution is also a concern.While the oceans are vast, they arebecoming more polluted.Overfishing and some fishingmethods are destroying fishinggrounds.Reserves of minerals draw humansto these fragile ecosystems.The main threat to wildlife hasbeen the increase in tourism—garbage left behind.