Download Geographic Ecology, Climate, and Biomes

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Name _______________________
Geographic Ecology, Climate, and Biomes
I.
Introduction
A. A large region of land characterized by a distinct climate and species adapted to it is
called a _______________.
B. The type of biome in a certain area is determined by the _______________ that live
there.
C. The types of plants that live in a certain area is determined by _______________,
principally _______________ and _______________.
II.
Climate
A. Vs weather: there is a difference
1.
Weather—
Includes such things as:
2.
Climate—
B. The atmosphere
1.
2.
Compostion
Component
% by volume in dry air near sea level
Structure—Figs 20-2 and 20-3, pgs 434-435
Layer
Thermosphere
Mesopause (boundary)
Mesosphere
Stratopause (boundary)
Stratosphere—ozone=earth’s sunscreen
Tropopause (boundary)
Troposphere—where weather is made and the greenhouse effect occurs
(CO2, H2O, O3, N2O, CH4, CFC)
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Notice in the figures how temperature and pressure vary with altitude. Make
note of it.
C. More about weather
1.
Weather is a direct result of…
2.
Fronts
3.
a.
cold front—advancing…
b.
warm front—advancing…
c.
cold fronts contain dense air, so as they advance, they push warm air up
ahead of them. This rising air expands, cools, water condenses, and
often produces rain with a front.
Atmospheric pressure
a.
caused by air molecules striking things; force per unit of area
b.
measured with a barometer
c.
average sea level pressure is 29.92” of Hg, or 760 mm Hg or 101.325
kPa or 1013.25 mb, or 14.7 lb/in2 or 760 mm torr or 101,325 Pa or 1.0
atm. Remember that from chemistry? I didn’t think so.
d.
Uneven heating of the earth’s surface leads to air pressure differences,
which causes a lot of the weather we see, particularly WIND.
e.
Low pressure vs high pressure
Condition
low pressure
high pressure
Vertical air movement
Horizontal air movement
Isobars
General weather
4.
Humidity—a measure of the amount of ____________________ in the air.
Effects human comfort.
a.
relative humidity- a percentage of how much water a parcel of air
contains compared to how much it COULD contain. Greatly dependent
on temperature, so it is often misunderstood.
b.
Dewpoint—temperature at which…
Gives a much more accurate picture of what it “feels like” outside
< 60 oF=
60-70 oF=
>70 o F=
>80 oF=
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D. Things that effect climate (especially, temperature and precipitation, the most important
climatic factors, environmentally speaking)
1.
Uneven heating of the earth’s surface
a.
sun angle
direct at the ____________________
dispersed as you move _____________________________
b.
tilt of the earth on its axis: _______ o Fig 6-7
This creates the ____________________.
2.
Global circulation of air
a.
The earth spins faster at the ____________________ than at the
_______________. As a result, air is deflected in predictable ways as it
moves across the earth’s surface. This creates ____________________
winds and the is called the ____________________ ______________.
See Fig 6-8 on pg 107.
b.
As air rises and falls, it creates six convection cells called
____________________ cells that distribute heat and moisture over the
earth’s surface. See Fig 6-10 on pg 107.
3.
Long-term variations in solar radiation
4.
Ocean currents
a.
b. also help mix and distribute nutrients
c. upwelling—when persistent offshore winds push surface water away and
brings up cold, nutrient rich water. Fig 6-11, p 108
5.
El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and La Nina, Fig 6-12, pg 108
a.
Normally (La Nina), winds off South America blow ______________
(westward)
b.
this creates upwelling along the western South American coast =
__________ fishing
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c.
Every 3-7 years, the normal winds slacken or reverse, causing
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
global weather effects. See Fig 6-13, p 109
Topography and other Microclimates
a.
the rainshadow effect (Fig 6-15, pg 110)
moist air hits a mountain range, it is forced to ____________, which
causes it to __________ water to _______________. This creates
_____________ conditions on the _______________ side of the
mountain. On the far side of the mountain (_______________), there is
less moisture available, and is considerably _______________. This
is how some _______________ are formed.
b.
The Urban Heat Island
Cities tend to hold heat in the materials used to build them, so they are
_______________ in the winter and _______________ in the summer.
c.
Mountain slopes
In the northern hemisphere, the _______________ side of a mountain
gets more sun and is therefore warmer and drier.
d.
Moderation by water
Water has a very high _______________________, which means it is
slow to warm up or cool down. As a result, areas near water tend to be
influenced by it.
Miami vs. Miami Beach:
San Fransicko:
Jolly Olde England:
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III.
Deserts
A. General characteristics
1.
precipitation:
2.
location:
3.
land coverage:
4.
vegetation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
tropical
temperate
cold
semi
B. Types
ECOTONE
C. Organism adaptations
1.
2.
plants
a.
leaves:
b.
flowers:
c.
roots:
d.
photosynthesize:
e.
thorns & toxins
animals
a.
activity:
b.
skin/covering:
c.
water use:
d.
ears:
D. Human impact
1.
Are deserts tough or fragile?
a.
growth:
b.
nutrient cyles:
c.
species diversity:
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2.
IV.
d.
water:
e.
recovery time:
Water
a.
Salinization
b.
depletion of aquifers
3.
Mining:
4.
Storage:
5.
solar cells:
Grasslands and Chaparral
A. General grassland characteristics
1.
precipitation:
2.
vegetation:
3.
seasonal drought, fires, and grazing herbivores
1.
SAVANNA/ Tropical grassland
B. Types
2.
3.
a.
alternating…
b.
fires
c.
occasional:
d.
grazing hoofed mammals
temperate grassland
a.
a.k.a
b.
soil:
c.
winter:
TUNDRA/polar grassland
a.
land coverage:
b.
climate:
summer:
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4.
c.
permafrost:
d.
vegetation:
e.
fragile
f.
soil:
Alpine tundra
Similar to arctic tundra, found on mountain slopes below snow line,
No permafrost
C. Human impact on grasslands
1.
2.
Conversion to cropland
a.
Erosion and desertification:
b.
release of CO2 from agriculture
damage to tundra from mining activities
D. CHAPPARAL/ temperate shrubland
V.
1.
climate:
2.
vegetation:
3.
fires & flooding
Forests
A. Enough precipitation to:
B. Types
1.
Tropical Rain Forest
a.
Temp:
b.
Precipitation:
c.
Biodiversity:
d.
Vegetation:
e.
Nutrients:
f.
Soil:
g.
Land coverage:
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2.
3.
4.
5.
TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FOTEST/ tropical seasonal forest/ tropical
monsoon forest
a.
climate:
b.
vegetation:
Temperate deciduous forest
a.
Climate:
b.
soil:
c.
vegetation:
d.
biodiversity:
TAIGA/EVERGREEN CONIFEROUS FOREST/ BOREAL FOREST
a.
Climate:
b.
biodiversity:
c.
vegetation:
d.
soil:
e.
land coverage:
Temperate rain forest/coastal coniferous forest
a.
climate:
b.
location:
c.
vegetation:
C. Human impact on forests
Deforestation for agriculture, timber, livestock, urbanization, monoculture (TDF)
VI.
Mountains
A. General characteristics
1.
going up = going north
2.
the snow line & climate control
3.
soil:
4.
biodiversity:
5.
forests are here
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B. Human impact
1.
timber
2.
mining
3.
dams/reservoirs
4.
overuse
5.
ORVs
6.
UV radiation:
VII. Latitude and altitude variations