APES Test 1 - Climate, Succession, Terrestrial, Aquatic Biomes and Ecosystem Services Flashcards
How does the angle of insolation vary with latitude? Describe average yearly temperature range as it relates to latitude.
- As latitude increases the angle of insolation decreases
- Winter in Northern Hemisphere and Summer in the Southern Hemisphere during the Winter Solstice (23.5°S)
- Summer in Northern Hemisphere and Winter in Southern Hemisphere during the Summer Solstice (23.5°N)
What causes seasons, varying angle of insolation and changing day length?
Tilted axis & Position of the Earth during revolution around the Sun
How may global winds affect the climate of a region? Give an example.
- Unequal heating of Earth’s surface
Circulates heat and moisture - Influenced by the rotation of the Earth
- Ex. Winds bring over warm moist air from an Ocean causing the climate in that region to be warmer and humid
Describe the qualities of high and low pressure.
- High pressure: higher pressure at the center, winds blow away from high pressure, swirls in the opposite direction from a low pressure system, the winds of a high pressure system rotate clockwise north of the equator and counterclockwise south of the equator
- Stable atmospheric conditions and fair weather
- Low pressure: air rises, leading to unstable air and poor weather
- Where the atmosphere is relatively
How may ocean currents modify the climate of a region? Give an example.
- Temperature of currents affect climate. Contribute to heat energy, nutrient and dissolved oxygen distribution
- Warm currents heat the air over the ocean and bring higher temperatures over land
- Ex. warm ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream warm entire continents, and help create and sustain global climate conditions
How does distance to water affect climate and temperature range?
- Water moderates temperature
- Farther from water: warmer summers, cooler winters, larger range in temperature
- Closer to the water: cooler summers, warmer winters, smaller range of temperature
What is the Orographic Effect? Explain and include a diagram.
Prevailing winds bring warm, moist air over high ground to cause formation of clouds and precipitation over the mountain side closest to the warm water. Then, the water creates a rain shadow and dry air descends and warms on the other side of the mountain (leeward).
Describe the factors that cause the Urban Heat Island Effect.
- Buildings materials heat up faster
- Human activities generate heat (energy use, transportation)
- Waste heat: Second law of thermodynamics
- Less permeable surfaces (leads to more runoff)
- Bioswale
- Building density causes less circulation
- Less air flow
Describe how various methods of mitigation would work to reduce temperature and runoff.
- Using renewable energy
- Trees and vegetation provide shade
- Balanced water cycle
- More infiltration/permeable surface: Less runoff
In what region does an El Niño event begin? Describe how global winds change during an El Niño event. What are the effects of an El Niño event?
El Niño begins off the west coast of South America and shifts trade winds in the Tropical Eastern Pacific Region
- Starting of weak trade winds
- Drought in Australia and Indonesia, air pressure increases
- South America, air pressure decreases, has less upwelling → less nutrients → less productivity
Describe Primary Succession, steps involved, stages and species involved.
- Begins on bare rock (no soil)
- Lichen - pioneer species (first that grows, mutualistic relationship with algae/fungus) breaks down rocks
- Early successional species - tolerate harsh conditions, establish right away, need a lot of sunlight herbal layer
- Mid Successional species - shade intolerant - trees, shrubs, grasses
- Late successional species/climax community = biome
a. Equilibrium: balanced system
- Able to maintain a variety of species (highest biodiversity)
Describe Secondary Succession. Contrast secondary succession to primary. Relate
to Stillwell. (Much faster than primary succession - already has soil)
- Occurs when an existing community is destroyed or disrupted.
- Relate to Stillwell: secondary succession - already has soil so it is easier develop
How are elevation and latitude related to terrestrial biome development?
- As latitude increases, temperature decreases and terrestrial biome development is difficult: Tropical rainforests → Temperate Forest → Taiga → Tundra → Polar Ice
- As Elevation increases, temperature decreases
Terrestrial Biomes: you should know the general locations of each, general characteristics, climate of each and be able to recognize the corresponding Climatogram.
- Tundra - average temperatures below freezing, permafrost, low precipitation
- Taiga (boreal forest/coniferous forest) - average temperatures hover around 32℉, greater rainfall during humid summer months
- Temperate Grassland (prairie/plain) - hot summers and cold winters, semi-arid rainfall in spring/summer but not enough to support trees
- Mid-Latitude Desert - warm and dry, leeward sides of mountain ranges
- Tropical Rainforest (jungle) - high average temperatures, small temperature range, abundant precipitation
- Temperate Deciduous Forest - average temperature ~ 50℉, 4 seasons, considerable rainfall
- Savanna (tropical grassland) - warm with distinct wet and dry seasons
- Chaparral - consists of various terrain, mountains and plains with forests, similar in desert dryness
- Polar Desert/Ice Sheet - covered in ice sheets, no vegetation
Identify and describe each of the 4 zones of a freshwater lake. Draw a labeled diagram that shows zonation.
Littoral: shallow water along the shore, productive area due to the input of nutrients, highest biodiversity, rooted and emergent (out) vegetation
Limnetic: away from the shore, sunlight penetrates, photosynthesis occurs
Profundal: no light penetrates
Benthic (Bottom): Bottom surface, nutrients and organic matter accumulate, is in ALL zones
Contrast oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes. Include temperatures, bottom substrate, productivity levels, transparency, depth etc.
- Oligotrophic: NEW
- small supply of nutrients → low
- productivity
- Deeper and colder
- Rocky substrate (bottom surface)
- Low Turbidity (amount of suspended solids)
- Low biodiversity
- Mesotrophic:
- Transitional zone
- Eutrophic: OLDER
- Large supply of nutrients → high productivity
- Soft, mud, dead organic matter substrate
- High turbidity
- Higher biodiversity
Describe marine ocean zonation. Include amount of sunlight, location, nutrients, productivity & biodiversity. Draw a labeled diagram that shows the zonation.
- Intertidal Zone
- Between high and low tide
- Organisms that are here must adapt to extreme temperatures, dedication, environmental changes
- Photic Zone
- Sunlight penetrates → photosynthesis occurs here
- Aphotic Zone
- No photosynthesis → low productivity
- Benthic
- Bottom surface
Marshes & swamps: bridge between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
- Regions are generally inundated with water year-round (seasonally or permanently waterlogged land areas)
- Wetland/Marsh: predominant vegetation is grasses (spartina, phragmites, etc.)
- Swamps: predominant vegetation is trees (cypress)
- Productivity
- Sunlight penetrates
- Shallow
- Influx of nutrients
- Migratory waterfowl & nesting sites
- Rest area for migration
- Protecting nesting area
- Cleanse water
- Wetlands act as a sponge → trap and broken down
- Recharge to groundwater
- Permeable surface allows recharge to groundwater
- High Concentrations of endangered species
- ⅓ of species in wetlands are endangered
- Human expansion, toxic water
- Help to control flooding
- Absorb flood water, high tides, runoff
Human Impact on Wetlands
- Wetlands have suffered severe losses in many parts of the world. Approximately ½ of all original wetlands in the United States Have been drained, filled, polluted or otherwise degraded.
- Most draining relates to agriculture. Drainage of wetlands provides rich organic soil for crop production.
- Most coastal wetland development in suburban areas relates to housing development. (NYC, LI region)
- Wetlands were commonly used as landfills and waste disposal sites
- Many wetland regions are currently protected by State & Federal laws. Permits to change any wetland system are particularly stringent.
Estuaries: bridge between freshwater & marine ecosystems, terrestrial & aquatic ecosystems
- Typical locations:
- Where rivers enter an ocean
- Partly enclosed area
- Ex. Peconic bay on Long Island
- Cross sectional view
- Brackish water: mixture of fresh & salt water ~ 17 ppt concentration of salt
- Salt water wedge: more dense saltwater remains at bottom
Benefits of estuaries
- Extremely fertile
- Additional benefits: same as marshes & swamps
- Highest productivity per unit area of all biomes
Coral reef
Shallow regions near the shore in tropical locations; extremely slow growth; mutualistic relationship between polyps & algae (Algae produce O2 and supply glucose to the polyp. The polyp provides a protected environment.) carbon sink; high biodiversity; coral bleaching occurs mainly due to human impact.
Human Impact on Coral Reef
- Removal of vegetation on land: (deforestation/development)
- Turbidity increases
- Deposition of sediments
- Coral dies
- Pollution:
- Toxicity
- Chemical - fertilizer, pesticides
- Warming of ocean
- Tourism:
- Oil on skin can poison coral
- Harvested for personal gain
- Sensitive - out of zone of tolerance
- Ocean Acidification: coral is composed of calcium carbonate CaCO3
- CaCO3 reacts with acid H2CO3
- More CO2 in atmosphere and get absorbed in the ocean → ocean gets more acidic → carbonate acid forms → pH goes down → coral dissolves/ or can’t form
Water diversion
Diverting fresh water from river to inhabitants → increase in salinity for ocean → get out of zone of tolerance → coral dies
O2 and CO2 concentration vs. depth
- Oxygen O2 / Dissolved Oxygen DO Concentrations
- O2 maximum at surface, light available for photosynthesis
- Carbon dioxide CO2 Concentrations
- CO2 maximum in deep water, no photosynthesis
- Respiration occurs
- Decomposition of sinking, dead organic matter
- Intersection: Compensation of Depth
Compare and contrast GPP to NPP. Review the NPP GPP R equation.
Primary productivity - the rate at which solar energy is converted to organic substances by photosynthesis products (autotrophs)
NPP = GPP - R
Net Primary Productivity = Gross Primary Productivity - Respiration
GPP = Energy stored during photosynthesis (sunlight)
R = Energy used for cellular work
NPP = Energy stored as biomass
Review the reading Everglades: Paradise almost lost.
A hurricane hit → Army of Engineers constructed the Hoover Dike to prevent flooding → Lake Okeechobee from recharging the Everglades → water drained and converted to land → agrochemicals got into Everglades → non-native plants expand → farmers forced to clean runoff → agricultural land located at the Southern end of the Everglades → Army Corps of Engineers rebuild canals, levees, and pumps
Provisioning services: any type of benefit that can be EXTRACTED from nature
- Food
- Raw materials
- Fresh water
- Medicinal resources
- Fuel
Regulating Services: benefit provided by ecosystem processes that moderate natural phenomena. Work together to make ecosystems clean, sustainable, functional, and resilient to change (INDIRECT USE)
- Local climate and air quality
- Carbon sequestration and storage
- Moderation of extreme events
- Waste-water treatment
- Erosion prevention and soil fertility
- Pollination
- Biological control
- Water flow
Cultural Services: Non-material benefit that contributes to the development and cultural advancement of people
- Recreation and mental, and physical health
- Ecotourism
- Aesthetic appreciation and inspiration for culture, art, design
- Spiritual experience and sense of place
- Education
- Stewardship
Supporting Services: Benefit - Supports provisioning, regulating, and cultural services
- Natural processes such as photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, creation of soils
- Allow Earth to sustain life, ecosystems, and people
- Examples: habitat for species, maintenance of genetic diversity
- Habitats for species
- Maintenance of genetic diversity
