DISTRIBUTION OF

ECOSYSTEMS ON
EARTH

BETHANY SOLIS
LUISA MAE TABALOC
11-EXELLENCE
Introduction
The plants and animals that live in an ecosystem
depend on one another for survival. The earth's
ecosystem, from the hottest and driest to the
deepest ocean floor, is home to unique species of
plant and animal life

“Distribution” includes the pattern or

arrangement of ecological systems. Distribution
depends on the scale of analysis. For example: At
a national scale, most of the forests are located
in the eastern United States, with the distribution
of forests in the West being in the mountains.
THERE ARE TYPES OF THE ECOSYSTEM:

>TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

>TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

> Terrestrial ecosystems are ecosystems found only in land; these

include tropical rainforests, deserts, grasslands, deciduous forests, tundra,
and taiga. Aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems found in bodies of water;
these include lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands, oceans, and seas.

>A terrestrial ecosystem is a land-based community of organisms

and the interactions of biotic and abiotic components in a given area.
Examples of terrestrial ecosystems include the tundra, taigas, temperate
deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, grasslands, and deserts
 TUNDRA The tundra biome is a cold, dry, mostly
TUNDRA treeless biome that encircles the Arctic Ocean. The
average winter temperature is below freezing
(about -26 celsius) for much of the year amd the
precipation falls as snow or ice. Most of the ground
is covered by permafrost, soil that remains frozen
to a depth of about 1 meter. In summer, the
warning temperatures of summer (12 celsius) melt
surface ice, creating many small ponds and
streams. The main producers are a limited number
of flowering plants, mosses and lichens which
provide food to the arctic hares, caribou, and musk
oxen. Mosquitoes provide foofd to small animals
like mice. The most common land predator is the
wolf. (image of tundra)
 Coniferous Forests The coniferous forests are composed
of coniferous trees that remain green throughout the year
with needle-like leaves and produce seeds in cones instead
Coniferous of flowers. Much of Canada, Alaska, and the nortern Rocky
Forests Mountains of the United States have coniferous forests
called taiga. The precipitation falls as snow during winter
with an average temperature of about -10 celsius and as
rain during warmer seasons with an average temperature
of 14 celsius. Warmer temperatures and regular
precipitation make coniferous forests very suitable for
three growth. Herbivores in coniferous forests include
beavers, moose, elk, mice, red squirrels, chipmunks,
rabbits, porcupinesand geese. Wasps, beetles, and other
insects are abundant. Many kinds of birds seek shelter in
the trees. Carnivores include wolves, bobcats, foxes, and
in the northernmost regions, lynxes.
 DECIDOUS FOREST
Deciduous Forests The deciduous forests have trees
that shed all their leaves each year such as maples,
oaks, and birches. This helps the trees conserve water
and energy during winter months. Deciduous forests
are located in temperature climates such as in the
eastern United States, parts of Asia, and of central
Europe.

There are wide varieties of trees and plants in deciduous forests because of its moderate
temperature 6-28 celsius, lots of rain, and a long growing season. Smaller plants, such as
ferns, grasses, and mosses, grow near the ground. Deer are the most common herbivore in
many deciduous forests.
Other plant-eaters inlude turtles, chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels, mice, and many birds. The
omnivores include black bears, opossums, and raccoons. Carnivores are snakes, cayotes,
foxes, insect-eating birds such as woodpecker, and birds of prey such as falcons and owls.
Tropical Rain Forests The tropical rainforests are home to more species
than any other ecosystems on the Earth. These rainforests is divided into
many vertical layers. There are only few small plants that live on the
ground. Organisms live in the trees or in the canopy, the uppermost layer
of the forest. A great variety of hardwood trees provide a home to
monkeys and jaguars in South America. In Africa, they provide a habitat
for leopards. The rainforest trees serve as home for different species of
insects, parrots, crickets, and tree frogs.

GRASSLANDS Grasses are the main types of plants in grasslands.

Grasslands are fertile and can support many species of grasses, but tall
trees are not suitable to grow because grasslands are too dry. These
grasses are the sources of food grazing animals. As grasses die and decay,
these provide nutrients to the soil, thus making the soil fertile. During
the summer, the temperature is mild ( about 30 degree celsius) and cool
to cold during winter (about 0 degree celsius). Grassland with a few
scattered trees is called savanna. Large savanna provide a habitat to
wombats and kangaroos in Australia. The best-known grassland in Africa
is Serengeti Plain which provides a home to giraffes and elephants.
 DESERTS Deserts are arid, meaning they are very dry environments that
receive little amount of rainfall each year. Desert temperatures can reach
over 38 degree celsius. (image of desert) Deserts have very hot climate, but
their evenings may be cold. Plants, like cactus, and animals, like the camel,
are adapted to the lack of rainfall.
The producers, such as cacti, thorny bushes, and small flowering plants
must be able to adapt and survive in dry regions. These animals serve as
food for vultures and snakes. During daytime, many animals burrow in the
ground to keep their body cool. At night, when temperature is much lower,
animals come out to find food. Animals that are active at night are called
nocturnal animals.

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS Aquatic ecosystems can be categorized into two groups namely-
freshwater ecosystems and saltwater ecosystems.
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS Freshwater ecosystems have low salt concentration-usually less than 1%.
About 97% of Earth's surface water is salty. The remaining 3% is freshwater, almost all of which is frozen
in glaciers and the polar ice caps. Less than 1% is available freshwater. Plants and animals living in
freshwater ecosystems are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of
high salt concentration.
There are different types of freshwater
ecosystems .(a. )Ponds and Lakes( b.) Rivers and
A.Ponds and Lakes Ponds are smaller bodies of water stream (c.) Wetlands
sorrounded by land, while lakes are large bodies of freshwater
sorrounded by land. They are formed where water collects in
low places in the ground. Lake Baikal, in central Asia, is the
biggest lake on Earth; it contains about one fifth of the Earth's
freshwater. Plants and algae are important to freshwater
biomes because they provide oxygen through photosynthesis,
and food for animals. In a pound, sunlight reaches down to the
bottom and warms the water evenly. No plants grow in the
depths of some lakes because sunlight cannot react it. Many
creatures, like frog, spend their whole lives in the same pond
from an egg to a tadpole to an adult frog.
b. Rivers and streams Rivers and streams are
moving bodies of freshwater, which usually
originate from the mountains and come from
melting ice or ground water and eventually
flow into the ocean. For example, the Amazon
originates in the Andes Mountains and ends in
the Atlantic Ocean. Plants such as water lilies
grow up from the muddy bottoms toward the
sunlight. Many kinds of animals feed on the
algae-covered rocks. Frogs, fish, salamanders,
and turtles hunt in the water. Many birds and
insects fly to rivers and streams for a drink. The
place where the fresh water from a river meets
the salt water from the ocean is called an
estuary. Estuaries can be part of both the
freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. Plants
grow in the rich mud of estuaries and provide
habitat for many kinds of animals. (image of
Loboc river
c. Wetlands Wetlands have soil wet enough for aquatic plants to grow. The water in
wetlands comes from melted snow, runoff from nearby land, or underground spring.
Wetlands can be dry during part of the year. Organisms living in a wetland has adapted
to this annual wet and dry cycle of weather.

Wetlands serve as links between land and water. It is an area that is filled or soaked
with water at least part of the year.

Wetlands contain diversity of plants, birds, insects, small mammals, snails, and the
other organisms. Plants like mosses absorb and store water to adapt themselves for
the dry seasons. Other plants have roots that grow above the water surface to get
enough oxygen from the air. During the dry season, animals roll in the mud to keep
their body cold and prevent them from getting sunburned. During the wet season,
some animals graze on water grasses and sleep with their nostrils above the water
SALTWATER ECOSYSTEMS The ocean is divided into three zones of life namely,
intertidal zone, neritic zone, and open-ocean zone. (image in the book) Intertidal zone is
the part of the shore that is between the boundaries of high and low tide. Neritic zone
extends out from the intertidal zone across the continental shelf. Oceanic zone is the
part of the ocean above the continental slope and above deep ocean basins.

The ocean is divide into three zones the:( a). Intertidal zone( b). Neritic zone (c.) Open-
ocean Zone
a. Intertidal Zone It is the part of the shore that is between the boundaries of high and
low tide. It is covered by water at high tide and open to the air at low tide.
Photosynthetic organisms such as sea plants and algae thrive in this area because there
is plenty of sunlight in this zone. Many shelled animals develop adaptations for clinging
to surfaces or burrowing in the sand to avoid being carried out to the sea.
b. Neritic Zone The neritic zone extends out from the intertidal zone across the
continental shelf. Three groups of organisms are found in this zone: plankton, nekton,
and benthos. Planktons float at or near the surface, such as algae. Nektons are free-
swimming organisms, such as fish that live at all water depths. Benthos include
organisms that live on the ocean floor. Benthos include algae and plants and animals
such as lobsters, clams, and sponges.
c. Open-Ocean Zone It is the part of the ocean above the continental slope and above
deep ocean basins. This is the largest zone, but fewer organisms live here because
conditions are harsh in greater part of this zone. Sunlight cannot reach down below the
ocean floor. Temperatures in the deepest parts of this ocean life zone are just above
freezing. Water pressure increases greatly with depth. Some organisms that do not need
sunlight can live here.
 conclusion

Diversity of life in saltwater ecosystems includes

photosynthetic organisms in the intertidal zone due to
enough sunlight. The neritic zone includes three groups
of organisms, namely: plankton (floating), nekton (free
swimming), and benthos (ocean floor). The oceanic zone is
the largest zone, but fewer organisms live here because
conditions are harsh in much of this zone.
Thank you
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