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BIOMES EARTH’S POSITION IN SPACE NORTH CAROLINA CLIMATE AND HUMAN IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS WHAT IS CLIMATE? The average temperature and precipitation in an area and any variations from those norms Powered by the sun and the angles the radiant energy hits earth Complex exchange of energy and moisture among Earth’s spheres or complex interactive physical system FACTORS THAT AFFECT CLIMATE Latitude Elevation Topography Water bodies Atmospheric circulation Vegetation LATITUDE As latitude increases, the intensity of the sun decreases Between 23.5 degrees N and 23.5 degrees S forms the tropical zone (sun at a 90 angle) Temperate zones are 23.5 and 66.5 degrees N and S of the equator Polar zones are 66.5 degrees N and S to the poles (energy strikes at the smallest angle) ELEVATION Height above sea level Higher the elevation the colder the climate Also determines the amount of precipitation TOPOGRAPHY Mountains and the Rain Shadow effect The windward side of the mountain gets the precipitation and the leeward side gets very little. Creates deserts on the leeward side of the mountain WATER BODIES The temperature of the body of water influences the temperature of the air above it Have cooler summers and milder winters than those farther inland at the same latitude ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION Global winds influence climate because they distribute heat and temperature around Earth Formation of high and low pressure zones VEGETATION Can affect both temperature and precipitation patterns in an area Influences how much of the sun’s energy is absorbed and how quickly it is released (transpiration) Transpiration influences precipitation KÖPPEN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM Widely accepted Uses mean monthly and annual values of temperature and precipitation 5 groups: Humid tropical, Dry, humid middle latitude with mild winters, humid middle latitude with severe winters and polar HUMID TROPICAL CLIMATES (WET TROPICS) High temperature and year round rainfall Biome- Tropical rainforest 10% of Earth’s land area Average 25 C and 200 cm of rain Solar radiation is constantly high Influenced by the equatorial low HUMID TROPICAL CLIMATES ( TROPICAL WET AND DRY) Have savannas, a tropical grassland with drought resistant trees Amount of precipitation is considerably less than the wet tropics DRY CLIMATES Precipitation is not as great as the loss of water by evaporation 3 variables used to establish boundary between wet and dry climates: average annual precipitation;; average annual temperature and the seasonal distribution of precipitation (rain in the warmest months) DRY CLIMATES (CONT) In regions defined by a general water deficiency there are two climatic types: arid or desert and semiarid or steppe Semiarid is more humid and typically surrounds a desert DRY CLIMATES-LOW LATITUDE DESERTS AND STEPPES In the vicinity of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn Stretch from the Atlantic coast of Africa to northwestern India, Mexico and the southwestern US 40% of the continent of Australia is desert and the rest is a steppe Caused by the subtropical high DRY CLIMATES- MIDDLE LATITUDE DESERTS AND STEPPES Exist because of the positioning in the interior of a land mass Occupy sites on the leeward sides of mountains (caused when tectonic plates collide) Rain shadow deserts HUMID MIDDLE –LATITUDE CLIMATES WITH MILD WINTERS HUMID SUBTROPICS Located on the eastern side of the continentssouth-eastern US. Hot sultry summers, evening thunderstorms Winters are mild, frost is normal in the higher elevation affected by middle latitude cyclones HUMID MIDDLE –LATITUDE CLIMATES WITH MILD WINTERS MARINE WEST COAST Western side of continents Strong winter rainfall Summer has stable conditions with a subtropical high Also known as the Mediterranean climate HUMID MIDDLE –LATITUDE CLIMATES WITH MILD WINTERS DRY-SUMMER SUBTROPICAL West side of continents( 40-50 N and S latitude) Ample rainfall all year Mild winters and cool summers HUMID MIDDLE-LATITUDE CLIMATES WITH SEVERE WINTERS HUMID CONTINENTAL Central and eastern portions of N America and Eurasia Summers and winters are severe Precipitation greater in the summer than the winter Winter precipitation is determined by the passage of fronts HUMID MIDDLE-LATITUDE CLIMATES WITH SEVERE WINTERS SUBARCTIC Called the taiga or coniferous forest largest stretch of continuous forest on the surface of earth Long and bitterly cold winters Fairly warm summers POLAR CLIMATES Mean temperature of the warmest month is 10 C (50 F) Extremely long days in the summer and winters are perpetual night that are bitterly cold Two types: tundra and ice cap POLAR CLIMATES- TUNDRA Treeless climate in the Northern Hemisphere Winters are severe, summers are cool Yearly precipitation is small POLAR CLIMATE- ICE CAPS Mean average temperature is never above 0 C No vegetation Mountainous areas and Greenland and Antarctica HIGHLAND CLIMATES Cooler and wetter but most are similar to the lower elevations Every change in slope creates a new microclimate. South facing slopes are warmer and drier North facing slopes cool and damp EARTH’S POSITION IN SPACE The third planet from the sun Orientation to the sun is always changing Aphelion- when it is the farthest away from the sun and can travel the fastest (Solstices) Perihelion- when it is the closest to the sun and travels the slowest due to the gravitational pull from the sun (equinoxes) EARTH’S POSITION IN SPACE Also controls the climates due to the changes in the angle that solar radiation reaches Earth creating the seasons that are seen in many climates TERRESTRIAL BIOMES Biomes are determined by the climate and the climax community that dominates that area Include: Tropical Rainforest Temperate forests Deserts Grasslands Tundra FRESHWATER BIOMES Aquatic biomes with low salt concentrations Include: Ponds and Lakes Rivers and Streams Wetlands MARINE BIOMES Covers 71% of the Earth’s surface Different oceans: Indian Pacific Atlantic Arctic ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC FACTORS Abiotic (non-living) factors of a biome include: wind, water, sand, dirt, clay, salt content, altitude and temperature changes Biotic factors (living) include birds, fish, deer, humans, and plants BIOIDIVERSITY Increases the stability in an ecosystem The state of North Carolina very diverse or has a variety of plants and animals NC has 4,000 species of plants, 2,000 species of fungi, and 500 species of moss and lichens WHAT AFFECTS BIODIVERSITY Human population growth and consumption of raw materials.. This is called an ecological footprint. We use up the land and the resources the land provides to keep up our lifestyle. (US and Germany rank the highest) Pollution also affects biodiversity with nonpoint and point source pollution (including thermal pollution) HOW CAN WE HELP BIODIVERSITY Conservation and management strategies can reduce some of the negative effects Management strategies include reducing erosion, keeping wetlands and floodplains Reducing pollution, fragmentation, habitat loss and not introducing invasive species DESTRUCTION OF WETLANDS There are several ways that wetlands are destroyed Drained and converted to farmland Development and road construction waste disposal Mosquito control DESTRUCTION OF WETLANDS (CONT) Causes habitat loss and fragmentation, this is seen in Louisiana Mosquito control adds toxic chemical to the water Urbanization is the major loss of wetlands NORTH CAROLINA’S CLIMATE Humid subtropical Differences in altitude cause changes in the biomes because the amount of rainfall/temperatures changes with the different regions Charlotte NC COASTAL PLAINS OF NC The coastal plain (outer and inner) is a low flat area near Atlantic Ocean, It occupies 45% of NC and very rich soils for tobacco, soybeans and cotton PIEDMONT OF NC Located between the coastal plains and the mountains It is a plateau that is that is distinguished by hilly, rolling land MOUNTAINS OF NC Area is smaller than the Piedmont and the coastal plains Occupies the western part of the state Has many different mountain ranges including the Great Smokies and Appalachians HUMAN IMPACT ON GLOBAL CLIMATE Didn’t begin with the onset of the modern industrial period but it has been occurring for thousands of years Altering ground cover, use of fires and domesticating animals RISING CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS Combustion of fossil fuels has added great quantities of CO2 in the atmosphere Clearing forests, especially in the tropical rain forest has helped Plants take in and reduce the levels through photosynthesis The amount has been increasing for decades ROLE OF TRACE GASES Include methane, nitrous oxide, and CFC’s They absorb wavelengths of Earth’s outgoing radiation. The role of carbon dioxide and trace gases isn’t the same everywhere CLIMATE FEEDBACK MECHANISMS (POSITIVE) Warmer surface temperatures increase evaporation rate which places more water vapor in the atmosphere, this reinforces the temperature increase that carbon dioxide causes Melted sea ice absorbs the radiation and this will increase the temperature NEGATIVE FEEDBACK MECHANISMS Global temperature change causes more cloud coverage which reflects the radiation but they can also increase albedo and add to the temperature which is stronger than the reflection AEROSOLS Aerosols are the tiny, often microscopic liquid and solid particles that are suspended in the air. Include soil, smoke, sea salt and sulfuric acid that can come from dust storms and volcanoes Most human contributed aerosols come from the combustion of fossil fuels HOW DO AEROSOLS AFFECT CLIMATE? Sulfate compounds produce acid precipitation Increases clouds albedo and more radiation is reflected back to space, causing a net cooling effect Are distributed unevenly all over the globe ACID PRECIPITATION AND THE CHANGES IN SOIL PH Extremes in acidity or alkalinity may affect plant growth Ideal soil is slightly acidic between 5-7 on the pH scale ACID PRECIPITATION AND OCEAN PH The oceans have reduced the effects of global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide They have also absorbed nearly half of the fossil fuel emissions When carbon dioxide is absorbed, it causes ocean acidification since carbonic acid is produced Causes devastating effects on the marine life POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL WARMING Sea level Rise: threatens coastal cities, wetlands and low-lying islands. There will be more flooding, increased soil erosion and saltwater encroachment into coastal rivers and aquifers POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL WARMING Arctic Sea Ice: decline in sea ice Could be part of a natural cycle as well as human interaction Permafrost: the extent found in the Northern Hemisphere has declined. The melting of permafrost may reinforce global warming