Biosphere

- The biosphere contains the entirety of Earth’s living things.

- “zone of Life”
- It is the global ecological system integrating all living things and their relationship, including their
interactions with the elements of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
- “biosphere” was coined by Geologist Edward Suess
Biomes
 World’s Major Communities
 Classified according to the predominant vegetation characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular
climate

Four Major Biomes 3. Desert

1. Aquatic - Characterized by low rainfall (less than 50 cm/
- Includes freshwater and marine. year).
- It houses numerous species of plants and - Deserts have specialized vegetation as well as
animals. specialized animals that can adapt to its
condition.
2. Forest - Types of desert
- Includes tropical, temperate, and boreal forests,  Subtropical
as well as taiga.  Coastal
- Has distinctive features dominated by grasses  Cold deserts
rather that large shrubs or trees.  Polar Deserts
- Types of Forest
 Temperate Coniferous Forest 4. Tundra
 Subalpine Coniferous Forest - It is the coldest of all biomes.
 Freshwater Swamp Forest - It has low biotic diversity and simple vegetation
 Lowland Equatorial Evergreen Rain Forest structure.
 Mangrove Forest - 3 Kinds of Tundra
 Boreal Forest or Taiga  Arctic
 Peat Swamp Forest  Alpine
 Antarctic

Flow of Matter in the Biosphere

-movement of the substances through the biosphere is collectively known as biogeochemical cycle.
-the cycle shows the movement of these substances from their nonliving reservoir through the various food chains of
the ecosystem and the return to the oxygen, carbon dioxide-oxygen, and water cycles.

1. Nitrogen Cycle
i. Nitrogen Fixation 2. Oxygen Cycle
ii. Nitrification 3. Carbon Cycle
iii. Nitrate Assimilation 4. Water Cycle
iv. Ammonification
v. Denitrification

Movement of Energy in the Biosphere

When light energy reaches Earth
 Light is reflected back into space
 Light is transmitted through an object
 Light energy is absorbed and captured in photosynthesis

Considerations in Energy Transfer (Law of Thermodynamics)

1. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed (first law)
2. No transfer of energy is 100% complete (second law)

The total amount of energy is accounted for in these ways:

 Energy incorporated in tissues that will be available for the next trophic level;
 Energy used in metabolism of the organism;
 Energy remaining as organic waste utilized by bacteria and fungi (decomposers)

*The 10% Rule of Energy Transfer