chapter 2

Question 1

at what lattitude lies on the southern edge of permafrost

Answer 1

lattitude 56N, fort mcmurray lies just south of this. considered the zero isotherm

Question 2

what determines the location of the zero isotherm

Answer 2

the warm alaskan current and the cold labrador current affect it by driving it northward to 60N in southern Yukon and then veering it southward to 53N along the labrador coast

Question 3

WHEN DID warming of the north begin

Answer 3

30 years ago- there have been warmer temperatures and increase in open water in the arctic

Question 4

Hello

Answer 4

Hi

Question 5

Huh

Answer 5

Nukka

Question 6

global energy balance

Answer 6

the balance between incoming energy emmitted by the sun and outgoing heat from the earth. the energy output by the sun is always constant but the amount retained in the earth varies depending on the amount of greenhouse gas emission

Question 7

angle of incidence

Answer 7

the angle at which the sun’s rays strike the earth surface

Question 8

what do global circulation systems do

Answer 8

it ameliorates the imbalance of energy surplus (tropics) and defeciets (arctic) through ocean currents and atmmospheric winds

Question 9

what are the 5 vegetation zones

Answer 9

aquatic, desert, grassland, forest and tundra

each biome is characterized by a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those physical conditions

Question 10

what was the significance of teh black spruce

Answer 10

once cooling tool place during the little ice age, the ress line retreated southward because its majot species, black spruce required an average temperature of 10 degree or higher to permit regeneartion - this tree line is slowly going more north.

Question 11

the tundra

Answer 11

no trees
found primarily in the NWT and NU but is also in Quebec, NFL, MB, ON,YK.
warmest month average temperature of less than 10 degrees
low precipitation -under 300ml but it does have many wetlands likes bogs as the permafrosts prevents the water from draining.
permafrost prevents root systems (no trees or soil development)
ground level plants avoid high winds

When is the worlds major biogeoclimatic areas, with a cold climate that inhibits most Pinegrove. It’s natural vegetation is limited to dwarf shrubs, such as, grasses, losses and like it. Formed at the end of the last Ice Age, this biome is found in the highest latitudes

Question 12

why are plants in the tundra short

Answer 12

cool, short growing season
avoids winds
horinzontal roots due to cryosolic soils
strong air temperature gradient - warmest at ground level

Question 13

the polar desert

Answer 13

beyond the tundra where even colder temperatures exsist - no tundra vegetation can survive

major life form is primative lichen on south facing slopes

Question 14

artic ice pack

Answer 14

permanent floating ice cap, consistst of old and new ice

old or multiyear ice represents a harder ice that forms the core of the arctic ice cap

new ice or first year ice is one year old

at its biggest in march and smallest in sept.

now a days the ice cap is losing most of its old ice and since young ice more quickly turns to water the pace of ice loss increases

Question 15

is the arctic ocean part of the tundra

Answer 15

it is marine subset

Question 16

what determines the transition from the tundra to the boreal forest

Answer 16

the isothern (mean average temp above 10)
depth of the active layer of permafrost
topography that protect trees from the wind
sout-slope radiation
well-drained land

these may overide the isotherm for both the tundra and boreal transition- “wooden tundra”

Question 17

what is the “wooden tundra”

Answer 17

transition zone at the northern edge of the boreal biome- the proportion of tundra to forest varies
at nsouthern edge of tundra , patches of bush-zied spruce and larch are found in sheltered low-lying areas while the high areas are treeless
strands of more mature trees mixed with open areas consisting of a thick ground cover of lichen are found.

the transition zone represnets a biological and cultural boundary

Question 18

what influences where treeline is?

Answer 18

there is no lattitudial direction but has a northwest to southeast diresction due to two factors:

1: the continental effect:causes the interior of the north to warm in the summer which allows the trees to reach the mouth of the mackenzie river
2: the cold waters of the hudson bay and labrador sea prevent tree growth along the coast