4.4 Biomes Flashcards
What is weather?
The condition of the atmosphere at a specific place and time
Includes rain, snow, sleet, wind, temperature, etc.
What is climate?
The average weather conditions in an area including temperature and precipitation
Reflects long-term patterns rather than short-term variations.
What are the five factors that determine weather and climate?
- Altitude
- Latitude
- Earth’s Topography
- Oceans and Large Lakes
- Earth’s prevailing winds
How does altitude affect temperature?
Temperature drops 3.5 degrees for every 1000 ft of altitude increase
Higher elevations generally have cooler temperatures.
How does latitude influence temperature?
As the distance from the equator increases from 0 degrees latitude, a corresponding decrease in temperature is experienced
Areas closer to the equator are typically warmer.
What role do ocean currents play in climate?
Ocean currents can moderate weather, affecting temperature and precipitation patterns
For example, San Francisco and St. Louis have different climates despite being at the same latitude.
What is the rain shadow effect?
Mountain ranges cause moisture-laden air to rise, condense, and precipitate on the ocean-facing side, leaving the opposite side dry and arid.
What causes the formation of deserts at 30 degrees latitude?
- Warm dry air descends from the equator
- Prevailing winds are from the west
- Dry air cannot pick up much moisture due to adjacent cold currents
What is desertification?
The expansion of deserts as a result of man-made changes to the environment
Can be caused by activities such as deforestation and overgrazing.
What defines a desert in terms of evaporation and precipitation?
A desert is any area in which the annual rate of evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation.
Fill in the blank: The two major factors that influence the kind of vegetation in a geographic area are _______ and _______.
Temperature and Precipitation
What is the impact of climate change on terrestrial biomes?
Climate change impacts world climates and subsequently terrestrial biomes, including changes in precipitation and temperature patterns.
What adaptations do inhabitants of prairie grasslands have?
Inhabitants are uniquely adapted for life on the prairie, thriving in conditions found nowhere else in the world.
True or False: The distance from substantial water can affect desert formation.
True
Deserts like the Gobi are located far from any major water sources.
The ten differnet groups of regional climate commuities of Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems are called:
biomes
Biomes are descried in terms of
abotic factors like climate and soil type and biotic factors like plant and anmal life
organisms within each biome can be characterized by:
adaptatons that enable them to live and reproduce successfully in the environment
Even within a defined biome, there is often considerable variation among plant and animal commuities because
of differences in exposure, elevation, or local soil conditions
Mountain ranges and polar ice caps are not usually classified into biomes becuase:
they are not easily defined in terms of a typical commmunity of plants and animals
