Major Ecosystem Types

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Why This Matters

When you're tested on ecosystems, you're not just being asked to recall where rainforests are located or how much rain deserts get. You're being tested on your understanding of how climate drives ecosystem structure, why certain adaptations evolve in specific environments, and how ecosystems provide services that sustain life on Earth. The exam expects you to connect abiotic factors—temperature, precipitation, soil type, and seasonal patterns—to the biotic communities they support.

Think of ecosystems as nature's experiments in survival. Each one represents a different answer to the question: how do organisms thrive under these specific conditions? By grouping ecosystems by their underlying mechanisms rather than memorizing them alphabetically, you'll be ready to tackle comparison questions, explain why biodiversity varies across biomes, and analyze human impacts on ecosystem services. Don't just memorize facts—know what concept each ecosystem illustrates.

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Climate-Driven Terrestrial Ecosystems

Temperature and precipitation are the primary abiotic factors that determine which terrestrial biome develops in a region. These ecosystems demonstrate how climate patterns shape vegetation structure, which in turn determines what animal communities can be supported.

Tropical Rainforest

• Highest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth—warm temperatures (25-30°C year-round) and rainfall exceeding 2000 mm annually create ideal growth conditions
• Stratified canopy structure with emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor layers providing distinct microhabitats for specialized species
• Critical carbon sink storing an estimated 25% of terrestrial carbon, making deforestation a major contributor to climate change

Temperate Deciduous Forest

• Four distinct seasons drive the characteristic leaf-drop cycle—trees shed leaves to conserve water during cold winters when soil water is frozen
• Nutrient-rich soil results from annual leaf litter decomposition, supporting diverse understory plants and decomposer communities
• Moderate biodiversity with wildlife adapted to seasonal changes, including hibernation, migration, and food storage behaviors

Coniferous Forest (Taiga)

• Evergreen needle-leaved trees dominate because needles reduce water loss and can photosynthesize immediately when brief summers arrive
• Acidic, nutrient-poor soil develops from slow decomposition of waxy needles in cold temperatures, limiting understory growth
• Largest terrestrial biome by area—spans northern latitudes across North America, Europe, and Asia, providing critical habitat for species like moose and wolves

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Water-Limited Ecosystems

When precipitation is scarce or highly seasonal, ecosystems develop distinctive structures and species with specialized water-conservation adaptations. These biomes test your understanding of limiting factors and evolutionary responses to resource scarcity.

Desert

• Less than 250 mm annual precipitation defines this biome—extreme aridity selects for water-conserving adaptations like succulence, deep roots, and nocturnal activity
• Extreme temperature fluctuations occur daily because sparse vegetation and dry air don't retain heat, creating hot days and cold nights
• Vulnerable to desertification as climate change and overgrazing expand desert boundaries into formerly productive land

Grassland

• Precipitation between 250-750 mm annually—enough to support grasses but too little for forests, with seasonal drought preventing tree establishment
• Fire-maintained ecosystem where periodic burns remove woody plants, recycle nutrients, and stimulate grass regrowth from protected root systems
• Highly fertile soil with deep, organic-rich topsoil makes converted grasslands the world's most productive agricultural regions

Savanna

• Scattered trees in a grass matrix result from seasonal rainfall patterns—wet seasons support tree growth while dry seasons favor fire-resistant grasses
• Large herbivore populations including elephants, zebras, and wildebeest shape vegetation through grazing pressure and seed dispersal
• Fire as an ecological driver maintains the tree-grass balance; without fire, many savannas would transition to closed woodland

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Extreme Cold Ecosystems

Low temperatures limit decomposition, growing seasons, and the types of organisms that can survive. Tundra ecosystems demonstrate how extreme cold creates unique ecological conditions and why they're particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Tundra

• Permafrost (permanently frozen soil) prevents deep root growth and tree establishment, limiting vegetation to mosses, lichens, and low shrubs
• Short growing season of 50-60 days concentrates reproduction and growth into a brief summer burst, with species adapted to rapid life cycles
• Climate change hotspot—warming temperatures thaw permafrost, releasing stored methane ($CH_4$) and carbon dioxide ($CO_2$), creating a dangerous positive feedback loop

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Aquatic Ecosystems

Water-based ecosystems are defined by salinity, depth, flow rate, and light penetration rather than temperature and precipitation. These systems cover most of Earth's surface and provide essential ecosystem services including oxygen production, nutrient cycling, and food resources.

Freshwater

• Includes rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams—distinguished from marine systems by low salinity (less than 1% dissolved salts)
• Critical for human survival providing drinking water, irrigation, and transportation, yet freshwater represents only about 3% of Earth's water
• Highly threatened by pollution, damming, invasive species, and water extraction—freshwater biodiversity is declining faster than terrestrial or marine biodiversity

Marine

• Covers 71% of Earth's surface and contains 97% of Earth's water, with distinct zones based on depth and light penetration
• Phytoplankton produce approximately 50% of global oxygen through photosynthesis, making ocean health critical for atmospheric composition
• Ocean acidification from absorbed $CO_2$ threatens calcifying organisms like corals and shellfish by reducing carbonate ion availability for shell formation

Wetland

• Transitional ecosystems where water saturates soil for part or all of the year, including marshes, swamps, bogs, and floodplains
• Disproportionately productive relative to their area—wetlands filter pollutants, buffer floods, recharge groundwater, and support high biodiversity
• "Kidneys of the landscape"—this nickname reflects their water purification function, removing excess nutrients and sediments before water enters lakes and oceans

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. Which two terrestrial ecosystems are both maintained by periodic fire, and how does fire benefit each one differently?

2. Compare the adaptations of plants in deserts versus tundra—both face water stress, but for different reasons. What causes water limitation in each biome?

3. If an FRQ asks you to explain why tropical rainforests have higher biodiversity than coniferous forests, what three factors would you discuss?

4. Wetlands, tropical rainforests, and tundra permafrost all play important roles in the carbon cycle. Rank them by vulnerability to releasing stored carbon due to human activity, and explain your reasoning.

5. A region receives 400 mm of annual precipitation. Could it be a desert, grassland, or savanna? What additional information would you need to determine which ecosystem would develop there?