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APES Chapter 6 Notes
Biogeography: Climate, Biomes, and Terrestrial Biodiversity
What is the difference between Weather and Climate?
Weather-- ____________________ tropospheric properties such as:
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Temperature
Cloud cover
Climate—The __________________________________________ weather of an area.
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Averaged over at least ____________.
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Determined by two main factors:
Weather is very Changeable:
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Masses of air are _______________ ____________.
Weather front—the _________________ between _____________________________
Warm front—
Cold front—
Weather Extremes:
 Tornadoes—form over ______________ when _______ _________________ and
________ ________________ meet during a _______________.

Tornado season in the United States is ______________________________________

Tropical cyclones—
*Hurricanes—
*Typhoons—
Hurricanes: Good or Bad?
Negative effects:
 Kill and ___________ people, ______________ and _______________________
Positive effects:
 Flush excess _____________ from land ___________

Carve ________________ through _________________________ allowing huge
quantities of ___________ seawater to flood bays and marshes which can
_________________ production of _______________________________ species
of ________________ and __________.
How does Global Circulation of Air Affect Regional Climates?
Factors that determine global air circulation patterns:
1. Uneven ______________ of the Earth’s _______________
2. _______________ changes occur because the Earth’s axis is ___________
3. The Earth ___________ on its _________. *Causes the
____________________
4. Long term _______________ in the __________ of ____________ energy
striking the Earth.
*Milankovitch Cycles—Earth’s ___________ (22,000 yrs.), _____
(44,000
yrs.) and ____________ in the __________ of the Earth’s
___________ (100,000 year cycle)
How do Ocean Currents Affect Regional Climates?
Ocean Currents:
 Redistribute _______ received from the sun and influence _________ and
___________
For example:
 The __________________brings ___________ water up from the tropics
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What are Upwellings?
 Wind blowing along steep _____________ coasts of ______________ push
__________ ________ away from land.
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This water is replaced by __________, ___________________ bottom waters called
_________________.

_______________ from ____________ support ___________ __________________ of
phytoplankton, zoophankton, ______ and _____________________.
What is El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)?
 During an _______________, the prevailing westerly winds _________ or
__________

This causes _________________ to cease.
*Surface water along North and __________________ becomes
____________
*______________ are ____ brought to the surface causing a
________________ in the numbers of some ________________.
*Can trigger ____________ weather changes over _________ of the globe,
especially the _____________ and ______________________.
What is La Nina?
 Sometimes El Nino is followed by _________________
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Westerly winds are ______________ than normal resulting in more
_______________
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Also results in _____________ weather changes over _________ of the globe.
*___________ water in the ___________
*More _________________________
Greenhouse Effect
 Gasses in the atmosphere, known as _______________________, trap _________
wavelength radiation (_______________) from the _______ warming the air.

Greenhouse Gasses:
*_________________
*_________________
*_________________
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Without the natural ____________________ effect, the Earth would be a
___________, mostly ______________ planet.
What are Microclimates?
 Various __________________ features create __________ climate conditions, or
____________________, that __________ from the general climate of a region.
Examples:
*Mountains:__________________________________
*Vegetation:__________________________________
*Cities:_______________________________________
What are Biomes?

_______________________ regions of the Earth characterized by _______________
or organisms adapted to the ________________.

Annual _________________, __________________, and _______ are the most
important _______________ factors that influence the location of biomes.
APES Chapter 7 Notes
Aquatic Ecology: Biodiversity in Aquatic Systems
Two Types of Aquatic Zones:
Marine (saltwater)
*Estuaries
*
*
*coastal marshes
*
*oceans
Freshwater
*__________ and ponds
*
Main types of organisms in aquatic life zones:
Phytoplankton--______________________--microscopic ________________________
Zooplankton--________________________--______________________ primary and
secondary __________________ ranging from ________________________ to large
___________________________
Characteristics of Aquatic Life Zones
 __________ pronounced and fixed _______________ ________________ than
terrestrial ecosystems.
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More ____________________ and _____________ food chains and food webs.
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______________ ___________________ to monitor due the their size and because
they are largely ________________ from view.
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In addition to ________________ levels, the most important _________ factors in
aquatic life zones are:
1. ________________ for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is confined
mostly to the ____________ level, or _______________ zone.
2.__________________
3._________________________ (DO)—most fish die when the dissolved
oxygen
levels fall below _____ ppm
*Factors influencing DO levels include:
*_________________________
*_________________________________________
*____________________________________________________
4. Availability of _________________
Special Aquatic Life Zones:
 Estuaries—An _______________ between the marine environment and the
land where large volumes of _____________________ from land and
__________ ocean water _________.
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Intertidal Zone—The area between ____________ and ____________;
changing ____________ and ____________ levels, numerous _____________
__________
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Coral reefs—form in _________, ___________ coastal waters of the
__________ and _________________
*Amoung the world’s oldest, _______________, and ______________
ecosystems.
*Home for about _____________ of all marine species.
*Often called the ________________________
*________________________ to damage because they:
*_________________________________
*_________________________________
*_____________________________________________________
Freshwater Zones:
Standing water—
Flowing water—
Freshwater Lakes
 Classified according to their _____________ levels.
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Oligotrophic—yound, _______ lake with _______ nutrient levels and _________
food.
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Eutrophic--_________, more shallow lake with ___________ nutrient levels and
_____________ feeding relationships.
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Mesotrophic—lakes the fall _________________ the two extremes.
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Cultural eutrophication –occurs when human activities speed the
eutrophication processes.
*________________ in runoff are carried into a like causing a rapid in
________________________ that then die and __________.
*________________ bacteria causing the __________ of the plants, remove
_____________ amounts of ___________ causing the ___________ of many
other species.
APES: Homework Assignment
Chapter 6
Name: ________________________________________
6-1 Weather
1. Define the term : weather
How are computer models used in weather forecasting?
2. What is a weather front?
What occurs at the boundaries of a front?
3. Briefly describe how tornadoes and cyclones form.
Describe two advantages to ecosystems associated with hurricanes.
1.
2.
Look at figure 6-5 on page 114 to answer the following questions.
a. Rate the tornado risk in this part of North Carolina:
b. What is the closest state to North Carolina that has a HIGHEST risk rating?
c. Speculate: why is the risk in the western part of the United Sates so much lower than it is in
the east?
6.2 Climate
1. Define the term: climate
So, in general how is a location’s climate different than its weather?
2. Look at Figure 6-7 (page 116) to answer the following.
a. In general, what direction do currents flow in the Northern hemisphere?
b. In the Southern hemisphere?
3. Figure 6-11 (page 118).
a. Describe the pattern associated with convection cells of air as you move away from the equator.
4. What are upwellings?
a. How are they important to the fishing industry?
5. Pg. 120: Make a list of the 5 most important greenhouse gases.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
6. What are microclimates?
a. How are they related to the rain shadow effect?
6-3 Biomes: Climate and Life on land
7. What point about biomes distribution is being made by Figure 6-22 on page 124?
8. Explain the major point(s) being made in Figure 6-37 on page 137.
6-8 Lessons From Geographic Ecology
9. What are the most important ecological lessons made from a study of Geographic Ecology?
a.
b.
c.
10. Which biome is associated with each of the following?
Characteristic
Biome
a. succulent plants
b. broad leaf evergreens
_____________________
_____________________
c. “Every drop Counts”
d. wax-coated leaves (minimize transpiration)
_____________________
_____________________
e. large herds of grazing/browsing animals
f. permafrost
_____________________
_____________________
Chapter 7
Section 7-1 (page 145)
1. Compare and contrast the following (use examples to illustrate your answers):
a. freshwater and marine life zones:
a. phytoplankton and zooplankton:
b. nekton and benthos:
2. Name two advantages and two disadvantages associated with living in water (Fig. 7-3).
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Sect. 7-2
3. What percentage of the earth’s inhabitable volume is found in the ocean?
4. Although it only occupies ____% of the world’s ocean area the coastal zones contain ___% of all
marine species.
5. Name 4 variables that are constantly changing in the intertidal zones that make it difficult for
organisms living there.
a.
b.
c.
d.
6. Describe at least one economic service provided by barrier islands.
7. Describe two reasons why coral reefs are said to have narrow ecological niches (small range of
tolerance).
8. Make a list of four major threats to coral reefs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Section 7-3 Freshwater Life Zones
9. Briefly describe each of the following freshwater life zones.
a. littoral zones:
b. limnetic zone:
c. profundal zone:
d. benthic zone:
10. Define the following: thermal stratification:
How is the following term related to the term defined above: fall overturn?
11. What is a watershed?
North Carolina’s watersheds