intro to ecosystems

1. Exploring Ecosystems
What is an ecosystem?

2. These region are called biomes. Some of these areas
would be prairies, tropical rainforests, and deserts.

3. Abiotic Factors
Abiotic or non-living factors are important to biotic
or living species. Some abiotic factors are
elevation, nutrients, rainfall, rocks, slope, aspect
to the sun, soil, temperature, and wind.

4. This area might be high above timberline in the
mountains of Colorado.
Some abiotic influences might be altitude, clouds, rocks,
and soil.

5. Biotic factors
 Living things- plants,,
animals, microbes etc.

6. Garden of the Gods is a city park near the base of
Pikes Peak. From here we can see four of the five
life zones (ecosystems) of Colorado’s Front
Range ecology; foothills, montane, sub-alpine,
and alpine.

7. The plains are the fifth life zone found on the front
range in Colorado.

8. Subalpine
Alpine
Montane
Foothills
Plains

10. High elevations
Colder
T temperature decreases 3 degrees
he
per 1000-foot rise)
Shorter frost-free season (6 weeks)
Snow possible any month
More rain/snow
Average 40 inches in the Colorado alpine.

11. Low elevation
Warmer
Longer frost-free season
Colorado S prings - 21 weeks
Less Rain/snow
(average in Colorado Springs
is 15.4 inches)

12. Ecologica l cha nges due to increa sing eleva tion a re
simila r to those ca used by increa sing la titude. A trip
up Pikes Pea k is like a trip to the Arctic tundra , except
the Arctic ha s extreme sea sona l differences in da ylight,
a nd the a lpine receives more intense sunlight.

13. As elevation changes, life
zones and climates change.