Black and yellow argiope

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Black and yellow argiope
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head shot
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Biology of California Climate
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Climate the globe and the sun
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Hot air rises2. As it rises, it coolstrue,
but why?
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Ideal Gas Law

• PV nRT

thus, T PV/nR T temperature P pressure V
volume n number of meolecules R gas constant
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Adiabatic cooling
Adiabatic lapse rate 10C per 1000 m
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Hadley cells one reason deserts are dry
Sinking air at 30º latitude is dry
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Consequences of westerly winds for CA climate?
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Climate effects of ocean

• Size of land mass relative to oceans
• Proximity of land to ocean
• Ocean currents

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Global ocean currents
Lets say this means cold current (from pole)
Lets say this means warm current (from equator)
Note differences between east and west coasts
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More specific to CA climate Effect of mountain
ranges Rain shadows on E side of ranges
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Other slope-related effects

• N-facing vs. S-facing slopes
• Changes in precipitation along an altitudinal
  gradient (complex)
• Changes in atmospheric filtering (UV, etc.)
• Changes in wind
• And remember, changes in temperature

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Climate is important, but its not everything
what other factors explain why organisms (like
trees) live where they do?