Environmental Variables

Affecting the Biomes

SUNLIGHT

• Sunlight powers the photosynthesis that supplies energy

to nearly all life on earth. It is also essential for vision,
which many animals rely on for catching food, spotting
predators, etc.
TEMPERATURE

• Organisms can survive within a specific, limited range of

temperature. If the body temperature either rises above
or falls below that range, the critical chemical reactions
in the tissues get “out of sync” with one another,
resulting in metabolic chaos.
WATER AND DISSOLVED SALT

• Precise balance of water, dissolved salts, and organic molecules in

the body fluids of organisms must be maintained to keep the cels
alive. Many plants and animals cannot survive in dry conditions,
such as deserts, because they cannot acquire and store water that
are needed by their body cells. But some organisms cannot equally
live in swamps or marshes because of too much water in the soil.
• Salinity, the concentration of dissolved inorganic salts, affects the
ability of the organisms to control their water balance.
OXYGEN

• The concentration of available oxygen can be an

important limiting factor in a variety of environments.
Bacteria can either be aerobic or anaerobic. Too much
oxygen for anaerobic organisms can be fatal as lack of
oxygen is for aerobic, Air-breathing animals need more
oxygen to sustain life.
 METABOLIC WASTE

• All organisms produce metabolic waste products. Plants

release oxygen byday, give off carbon dioxide bynight, and
discard leaves and stems on a seasonal basis. Waste
products have to enter the biogeochemical cycle wherein
they are broken down and carried away.
NUTRIENTS

Distribution of nutrients is important in determining

whereorganisms can grow and where they cannot. The
more nutrients avaiablein a given area, the more living
things can successfully survive.