Global Climates and Biomes

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Global Climates and Biomes
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Weather v. Climate

• Weather
• a. short-term conditions
• b. temperature, humidity, precipitation
• Climate
• a. average weather that occurs in a certain
  region
• over a period of time
• b. based on temperature and precipitation

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Earths Atmosphere

• Five layers of gases
• a. troposphere
• - N, O, and H2O vapor
• - location of weather
• b. stratosphere
• - ozone (O3) layer
• - absorbs the suns UV-B and UV-C
  radiation

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• c. mesosphere
• d. thermosphere
• - blocks harmful x-ray and UV-radiation
• - Northern Lights
• e. exosphere

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Unequal Heating of Earth

• 3 causes
• a. variation in angle of Sun rays striking
  Earth
• b. variation in surface area from suns rays
• distribution
• c. albedo reflection of sunlight from
  Earths
• surface
• - higher the albedo, the more solar
  energy
• is reflected and less that is absorbed

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http//bcs.whfreeman.com/friedlandapes/668210__69
0859__
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Atmospheric Convection Currents

• Air has 4 properties
• a. density
• b. water vapor capacity
• c. adiabatic heating or cooling
• d. latent heat release

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• Density
• a. determines air movement
• b. dense air sinks
• Water Vapor Capacity
• a. saturation point
• - temperature of air decreases, vapor
• condenses, clouds form, precipitation
  occurs

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• Adiabatic Cooling and Heating
• a. response to change in pressure
• b. cooling
• - lower pressure of rising air allows air
  to
• expand resulting in lower temperature
• c. heating
• - air sinks, pressure increases decreasing
  in
• volume, and temperatures increase

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• Latent heat release
• a. energy is released when water vapor
• condenses into liquid water

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Convection Currents

• Global patterns of air movement initiated by
  unequal heating of Earth
• Hadley Cells
• a. air sinks at 30 degrees N and S
• Polar Cells
• a. air sinks at 90 degrees N and S

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Coriolis Effect

• Key component Earths rotation
• a. faster rotation speed at equator
• - deflection of objects moving directly
• north and south
• ex) Earth rotates east, object goes west
• b. easterlies and westerlies

http//bcs.whfreeman.com/friedlandapes/668210__69
0859__
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Earths Tilt and Seasons

• Causes different parts of the Earth to experience
  different temperature and precipitation
• Titled axis 23.5

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Ocean Currents

• Driven by temperature, gravity, winds, Coriolis
  Effect and location of continents
• Currents
• a. redistribute heat from the sun
• b. influence climate and vegetation

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• Gyres
• a. patterns of water circulation
• b. northern hemisphere counterclockwise
• southern hemisphere clockwise

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Upwelling

• Bring plant nutrients from the deeper parts of
  the ocean to the surface
• Support large populations of phytoplankton,
  zooplankton, fish, fish-eating seabirds

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El Nino-Southern Oscillation

• Approx. every 3-7 years
• Steps
• a. trade winds near S. America weaken
• b. allows warm equatorial water to move
• eastward toward the west coast of S.
  America
• c. suppresses upwelling off coast of Peru
• (decreases productivity)

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Rain Shadow

• Windward side of mountain
• a. air rises, expands, cools, condenses,
• precipitates
• Other side of mountain (rain shadow)
• a. air sinks, temps rise, dry weather

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_shadow
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Biomes

• Combination of temperature and precipitation
• Contains distinct plant growth based on climate
• Climate determines animal species
• Climate diagrams

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• Climate Diagrams
• a. growing season
• b. relationship between temperature and
• plant growth

http//www.heritagechristian.ca/science/science7/c
limatograms.html
http//mytriptothetundra.blogspot.com
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Terrestrial Biomes

• Three categories
• a. tundra and boreal forest
• b. temperate
• c. tropical
• Within these, there are 9 biomes

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• Tundra
• a. cold and treeless with low-growing
  vegetation
• b. artic tundra, alpine tundra, antartic
  tundra
• c. short growing season
• d. permafrost impermeable frozen soil layer
• e. slow decomposition

http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/tundra.htm
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• Boreal Forest
• a. Taiga
• b. coniferous (cone-bearing) evergreen trees
• c. cold winters, short growing seasons
• d. slow decomposition

http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/boreal.htm
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• Temperate Rainforest
• a. coastal biome
• b. 12-month growing season
• c. very large trees
• d. slow decomposition due to cool temps

http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/temprain.htm
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• Temperate seasonal forest
• a. deciduous forest
• b. broadleaf deciduous trees
• c. four distinct seasons
• d. rapid decomposition
• e. greater productivity
• f. one of first biomes converted to
  agriculture

http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/tempded.htm
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• Woodland/Shrubland
• a. chaparral southern California
• b. hot dry summers, mild rainy winters
• c. 12-month growing season
• d. plant growth constrained by low
• precipitation in summer and low
• temperatures in winter
• e. poor nutrient soil

http//apenvkretzer.wikispaces.com/Period7
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• Temperate Grassland/Cold Desert
• a. lowest average annual precipitation
• b. cold harsh winters, hot dry summers
• c. fires
• d. cold desert rain shadow of Rocky Mtns
• e. nutrient rich soil

http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/desert.htm
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• Tropical Rainforest
• a. warm and wet
• b. little seasonal variation
• c. high productivity
• d. rapid decomposition
• e. more biodiversity per hectare than any
• other terrestrial biome

http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/troprain.htm
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• Tropical Seasonal Forest/Savanna
• a. warm temperatures
• b. distinct wet and dry seasons
• c. savannas open landscapes dominated by
• grasses and scattered deciduous trees
• d. fertile soil agriculture and grazing

http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/tropdry.htm
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• Subtropical Desert
• a. 30 degrees N and S
• b. extremely dry
• c. sparse vegetation
• d. hot deserts

http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/desert.htm
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Aquatic Biomes

• Characterized by
• a. salinity
• b. depth
• c. water flow
• Two Categories
• a. freshwater and saltwater (marine)

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• Streams and Rivers
• a. flowing fresh water
• b. streams narrow, small amounts of water
• rivers wide, large amounts of water
• c. inputs of organic matter

http//www.johnharveyphoto.com/cgi-bin/search.pl?A
dvanced2SearchIncludesphotossetmetaEnumTag16s
etMetaTag16160
http//savannahnow.com/news/2009-10-22/savannah-ri
ver-fourth-most-polluted-nation
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• Lakes and Ponds
• a. standing water
• b. distinct zones
• - littoral zone
• - limnetic zone
• - profundal zone
• - benthic zone

http//www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/lano/main.php
http//www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/pond.htm
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• Freshwater Wetlands
• a. submerged by water for part of the year
• b. shallow enough to support vegetation
• c. swamps, marshes, and bogs
• d. highly productive providing ecosystem
• services

http//medent.usyd.edu.au/arbovirus/mosquit/freshw
et.htm
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• Salt Marshes
• a. along the coast (temperate)
• b. found in estuaries
• c. contain nonwoody emergent vegetation

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• Swamps
• a. along tropical and subtropical coasts
• b. mangrove trees (salt tolerant)
• - help protect coastlines from erosion and
  
• storm damage

http//inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/marine/mangrove/ma
ngrove.htm
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• Coral Reefs
• a. found in warm, shallow water
• b. most diverse marine biome
• c. lives in water thats poor in nutrients
• d. relationship with photosynthetic algae
• e. coral bleaching

http//ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/photos/o
cean-corals/
http//travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-
heritage/great-barrier-reef/
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• Open Ocean
• a. distinct zones
• - photic
• photosynthesis
• - aphotic
• lacks sunlight for photosynthesis
• chemosynthesis
• - benthic
• ocean floor

http//cnx.org/content/m45562/latest/
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Terrestrial v. Aquatic Biomes
Terrestrial Aquatic
Temperature and precipitation affect the rate of decomposition and productivity of soil Differences in water flow, salinity and depth explain why different species of producers and consumers live in different regions