climate and biomes

• Climate


  Long-term prevailing weather conditions in an area
• Weather


  Daily conditions of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, and moisture

  
• Specific heat


  Amount of energy required to raise temperature
• Biomes


  Major type of biological assemblage
• Primary productivity


  Amount of plant growth in a given area over a given time
• Biodiversity


  Number of species
• Biotic factors


  Living factors; the organisms in an environment
• Abiotic factors


  Non-living factors; the physical and chemical properties of an environment
• Dispersal


  Movement of individuals away from centers of high population density or from their area of origin
• Invasive species


  An introduced (non-native) species that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment
• Disturbance


  An event such as a storm, fire, or human activity that changes a community
• Benthic zone


  The bottom surface of an aquatic environment
• Pelagic zone


  The open-water component of aquatic biomes
• The earth's climate is driven by the sun
• Biomes reflect earth's climate
• Weather and Climate are not the same
• The sun


  • It is the ultimate source of energy and driver of climate
  • It shapes the other climate forces: wind and water
• Climate Patterns: Key things to remember

  • The sun makes things hot
  • The earth is curved
  • The earth is tilted
  • Hot air rises, cold air sinks
  • Hot air holds more water than cold air
  • Wind pushes water around
  • Water changes temperature slower than air

  
• The intensity of sunlight


  Is affected by the angle of impact

  
• Sunlight is most direct and therefore most intense at the equator

  
• At the poles, sunlight hits at an oblique angle, making the light energy more diffuse and less intense

  
• Climate is seasonal


  Due to the tilt of the Earth and its annual orbit around the sun

  
• Global air circulation and precipitation

  1. Intense sunlight causes water to evaporate near the equator, and warm, wet air masses rise and flow from the tropics toward the poles

  2. Rising air masses release water and cause high precipitation, especially in the tropics

  3. Dry, descending air masses create arid climates, especially near 30º north and south

  
• Global precipitation patterns reflect patterns of air circulation

  
• The earth spins faster near the equator

  Bending the wind
• Wind pushes water


  Creating ocean currents
• Features of the landscape

  • Topography (mountains)
  • Bodies of water
  • Vegetation
• Bodies of water


  Moderate regional climates
• Mountains create orographic effects

  1. Cool air flow

  2. Precipitation

  3. Rain shadow

  
• Forests


  Can alter climate at local and regional scales
• The climate is hotter and drier in regions where forests have been cut down
• Biotic factors


  The organisms in an environment
• Abiotic factors


  The physical and chemical properties of an environment
• Geographic features (e.g. mountains, oceans) can act as barriers to dispersal
• Species transplants are used to determine if dispersal is limiting distribution
• Biomes


  • Largely determined by climate on land and depth and salinity in water
  • Two fundamental aspects: primary productivity and biodiversity
• The same biome in different parts of the world harbors different species with similar characteristics
• Terrestrial Biomes


  • Tropical
  • Broadleaf
  • Coniferous
  • Chaparral
  • Grassland
  • Savanna
  • Desert
  • Tundra
• The distribution of terrestrial biomes is largely determined by climate
• Aquatic Biomes


  • Intertidal
  • Coral Reefs
  • Oceans (Pelagic)
  • Oceans (Benthic)
  • Wetlands
  • Lakes
  • Estuaries
  • Rivers and Streams