Fragile: Handle with care What you can do to protect Maryland's waterways Brought to you by Maryland's Tributary Teams. Maryland's Tributary Teams -- comprised of local citizens, farmers, business leaders and government officials appointed by the Governor -- are working to keep your local waterways clean and healthy. The health of the streams and rivers that flow through your neighborhood directly affect the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland's Tributary Teams -- working together to make a difference! Top of page | ©1999 Maryland Tributary Strategy Teams
Biomes of the World What's a Biome? Here we see two different biomes—deserts on the left and grasslands on the right. But both are land environments. Images by Bob Protus and Bkell. To make sense of complexity, humans often need to categorize, or group, things. We have food groups, sexes, eye colors, ages, and movie genres, to name a few. The natural world is more varied than we can imagine, and one way to try to make this variation easier to handle is to put different environment types into groups. Usually we group the different natural areas on Earth into categories based on plant and animal life and how they are able to survive in that part of the world. This biome map shows both land (terrestrial) and water (aquatic) based habitat types. A biome is a type of environment that is defined by the types of organisms that live there. Biome vs. Biome categories can be broad or narrow. These are all types of forests, but some people split them into different forest-type biomes. How Different is Different? Desert
Chaparral, Nature's Detergent Chaparral(Creosote Bush) Chaparral is a dwarf tree or shrub generally growing 4 - 12 feet in height. It thrives in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico region. The resin on the leaves is a natural creosote, which is why this bush is also called the creosote bush.The turpenes have properties similar to turpentine, which gives it a strong taste and smell. Many refer to Chaparral as "Nature's Detergent" due to the foamy residue produced from the saponins when the leaves are shaken in water. It is known as a "cure-all" having medicinal properties that assist in the overall well-being of the body and in the healing of a variety of maladies. Chaparral boosts the immune system and helps keep the body in an alkaline state that allows it to naturally fight against infection, microbic invaders and many forms of dis-ease. Let Nature be your Ally, Natur-ally.
s National Ocean Service Education: Estuaries Estuarine habitats are typically found where rivers meet the sea. Mouse over the image to see some of the estuarine areas highlighted in this tutorial. Click on image for more details and a larger image. Estuaries are bodies of water and their surrounding coastal habitats typically found where rivers meet the sea. Estuaries are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world. Of the 32 largest cities in the world, 22 are located on estuaries (Ross, 1995). Estuaries are both beautiful and ecologically bountiful. New York City, with a population of over eight million people, is one example of a major urban area located on an estuary. Estuaries Tutorial is an overview of estuarine habitats, the threats facing them, and efforts to monitor and protect estuaries nationwide. The Roadmap to Resources complements the information in the tutorial by directing you to specific online estuary-related materials from NOAA and other reliable resources. (top)
Ecosystems Ecosystems What lives in the forest? Take a close look at this ecosystem. Obviously there are deer and many types of plants. The Ecosystem Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and with their environment. Organisms are individual living things. Abiotic factors are the nonliving aspects of the environment. An ecosystem is a unit of nature and the focus of study in ecology. A desert ecosystem. When it comes to energy, ecosystems are not closed. Niche One of the most important concepts associated with the ecosystem is the niche. Bird Niches. Habitat Another aspect of a species’ niche is its habitat. Competitive Exclusion Principle A given habitat may contain many different species, but each species must have a different niche. Summary Explore More Use this resource to answer the questions that follow. I) The Concept of the Ecosystem at What makes up an ecosystem? Review
Chaparral Country Wildlife, Animal Species California Montane Chaparral & Woodlands © 2005 Natasha Sherman Name for the Spanish for "scrub oak", the chaparral is a unique plant community, most prominent on hot, dry California slopes. Chaparral is a mixture of various evergreen shrubs, some of them bushy versions of trees found in nearby woodlands. With roots that tap deep sources of water, the shrubs can survive on parched soil. Chaparral forms dense thickets nearly impenetrable to man or large animals. The California Montane Chaparral and Woodlands ecoregion is a combination of sage scrub, chaparral, pinon-juniper woodland, oak woodlands, and different forest types: closed-cone pine, yellow pine, sugar-pine white, lodgepole, and alpine. Only about 30 percent of California Montane Chaparral is still intact. Other areas of chaparral country include California coastal sage and chaparral which extends from northeastern Baja California, Mexico, northward along the Pacific into southern California in the United States. Comments
What Are the Animals That Live in Estuary Biomes? Some fish, like the starry flounder of the Pacific Coast, spend their entire lives in estuary environments. Many others, however, like tarpon in the Gulf of Mexico, only visit estuaries to feed or to rear their young in the relatively hospitable, sheltered habitats. The great barracuda spends its early days in shallow-water estuaries, finding some refuge from marine predators. Such large fish as bull and tiger sharks also periodically enter estuaries to hunt; bull sharks, one of the few sharks able to tolerate prolonged exposure to freshwater, may track well upriver. Blue Planet Biomes - Taiga Biome A biome is the type of habitat in certain places, like mountain tops, deserts, and tropical forests, and is determined by the climate of the place. The taiga is the biome of the needleleaf forest. Living in the taiga is cold and lonely. Coldness and food shortages make things very difficult, mostly in the winter. Some of the animals in the taiga hibernate in the winter, some fly south if they can, while some just cooperate with the environment, which is very difficult. (Dillon Bartkus) Taiga is the Russian word for forest and is the largest biome in the world. The taiga doesn't have as many plant and animal species as the tropical or the deciduous forest biomes. Here is some information about the temperatures and weather in the taiga. Temperature range in the summer gets as low as -7° C (20° F). The main seasons in the taiga are winter and summer. There are not a lot of species of plants in the taiga because of the harsh conditions. Coniferous trees are also known as evergreens.
Chaparral Climate Chaparral Climate Mediterranean Climate (Cs) In the winter the Chaparral climate, also known as the Mediterranean climate, is mild and moist, but not rainy. During the summer it is very hot and dry. The temperature is usually mild but it can get very hot or nearly freezing. This biome only gets about 10-17 inches of rain all year, and most of it comes in the winter. There are many fires in the chaparral because of the heat and dryness. Chaparrals exist in a mid-latitude climate and lie in a belt of prevailing westerly winds. Chaparrals can be found from 30° to 50° N and 30° to 40° S latitudes. bibliography: "Chaparral", New Book of Knowledge 1998 ed. "Climate Zones", Encarta CD-Rom Encyclopedia, (Microsoft Corporation) 1995 ed. "Chaparral Climates", New Book of Knowledge, 2000 ed. Mediterranean Chaparral Mediterranean Climate (Cs) The Mediterranean chaparral has a very interesting climate. The vegetation is mostly made up of shrubs. The fauna is very interesting. by Sarah Nelson, 2001
Estuary An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea.[1] Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments and are subject to both marine influences, such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water; and riverine influences, such as flows of fresh water and sediment. The inflows of both sea water and fresh water provide high levels of nutrients in both the water column and sediment, making estuaries among the most productive natural habitats in the world.[2] Definition[edit] The word "estuary" is derived from the Latin word aestuarium meaning tidal inlet of the sea, which in itself is derived from the term aestus, meaning tide. Classification based on geomorphology[edit] Drowned river valleys[edit] Their width-to-depth ratio is typically large, appearing wedge-shaped in the inner part and broadening and deepening seaward. Fjord-type[edit]
Chaparral Biome - Facts and Information - The Portal of Life The chaparral biome is one that is found in areas of every single continent. However, many people don’t realize it is the same. That is because there are several different types of terrain that this particular biome is associated with. In some areas they are flat plains but in other regions there are hills. Still yet, others consist of mountain terrain areas. They really are lovely areas with lots to offer. A chaparral biome is created when cool water from an ocean merges with a landmass that is at a high temperature. With a chaparral biome you will find that there is a very wet winter and also a very dry summer. These fires are usually the result of lightning striking in the area. The fact that many homes have been built on the edges of these biomes such as in California, it can be a huge threat when such fires break out. What is interesting is that many of the plants found in the chaparral biome have leaves that are made from highly flammable materials. Chaparral Biome Characteristics
Estuaries and Coastal Watersheds | Estuaries and Coastal Watersheds National Estuary Program (NEP) Overview A study* found the networks in NEP areas span more levels of government, integrate more experts into policy discussions, nurture stronger interpersonal ties between stakeholders, and create greater faith in the procedural fairness of local policy than other comparable estuaries. *Building Consensual Institutions: Networks and the National Estuary Program, M. Schneider et. al., American Journal of Political Science, Vol. 47. No 1, January 2003 The NEP was established under Section 320 of the 1987 Clean Water Act (CWA) Amendments as a U.S. Each NEP has a Management Conference (MC) made up of diverse stakeholders including citizens, local, state, and Federal agencies, as well as with non-profit and private sector entities. Currently there are 28 estuaries located along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts and in Puerto Rico that have been designated as estuaries of national significance. National Estuary Program Information Conditions Table of Contents
Chaparral Biome The chaparral biome is found in a little bit of most of the continents - the west coast of the United States, the west coast of South America, the Cape Town area of South Africa, the western tip of Australia and the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. Lay of the land: The chaparral biome has many different types of terrain. Some examples are flat plains, rocky hills and mountain slopes. It is sometimes used in movies for the "Wild West". Chaparral is characterized as being very hot and dry. Fortunately, the plants and animals are adapted to these conditions. The animals are all mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry weather. So, if you ever go somewhere that is like chaparral, make sure to bring some sunscreen and lots of water! by Lucy M. 2000 bibliography: "Biomes". Ricciuti, Edward.