Lab 7

                                                                    Part 1 Biomes Using Google Earth.


I have found out today, that I live in a biotic community called Grasslands 142;1. Plains and Great Basin. This is very wide ranged area, located 30 miles north of Prescott, AZ It contains valleys and mountains.Prescott National Forest borders with Kaibab national forest, just about 10 mils north of Paulden, AZ, which spreads out in all directions along the Highway 89

This area houses many different species of animals and plant, of course there are many birds too. Most noticeable, in my opinion are the cacti family. They ca be identified as a specialist species, because they prefer to live in certain conditions. For an example, they do not need much water, because  most cacti live in habitats subject to at least some drought. Many live in extremely dry environments. Cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. Cactus spines are produced from specialized structures called areoles, a kind of highly reduced branch. Areoles are an identifying feature of cacti. As well as spines, areoles give rise to flowers, which are usually tubular and multipetaled. In the absence of leaves, enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Cactus stems also store water, and are often ribbed or fluted, which allows them to expand and contract easily. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. The tallest free-standing cactus is Pachycereus pringlei, with a maximum recorded height of 19.2 m (63 ft),^[4] and the smallest is Blossfeldia liliputiana, only about 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter at maturity. Many cacti have short growing seasons and long dormancy, and are able to react quickly to any rainfall, helped by an extensive but relatively shallow root system. (Wikipedia)
















http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailCactus.php?genus=Opuntia&species=phaeacantha




References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cactus


http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/


http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/PlantCommunities/PlantComList?PlantCom=grassland










Part 2 HOW WE WRECKED THE OCEANS

http://www.ted.com/talks/jeremy_jackson