Climate and Biomes

Question 1

Climate:

Answer 1

• Long-term weather patterns of an area (30+ years).
• Climate describes an area’s temperature, precipitation, and vegetation.
• The Koeppen Classification Scale

Question 2

Factors that Determine Climate:

Answer 2

• Latitude (Tropical, temperate, and polar zones)
• Topography
• Air Masses
• Ocean currents

Question 3

Tropical Climate:

• temperatures
• precipitation levels
• vegetation

Answer 3

• Constant high temperature
• Up to 600 cm. of rain
• Dramatic vegetation and High Biodiversity

Question 4

Dry (arid or semi-arid) Climate:

• air mass
• precipitation levels
• vegetation

Answer 4

• cT air mass dominates
• Low precipitation
• Vegetation is scarce

Question 5

Subarctic and Tundra

Answer 5

• Subarctic is a subclass of continental climates

- Tundra is a subclass of polar climates

Question 6

Microclimate

Answer 6

A localized climate that differs from the main regional climate.

Question 7

Heat Island

Answer 7

A place in which the climate is warmer than the area around it – lots of buildings and little vegetation.

Question 8

Biome

Answer 8

Biomes are large geographic regions which have similar climate; and plants and animals with similar adaptations.

Question 9

Tundra

• Climate
• Plants
• Animals
• Air masses
• Soil

Answer 9

• A biome where avg. temp. are extremely low (long, cold winters).
• Low precipitation, very few plants (grasses)
• Polar Bears
• cP and A air masses
• Soil is permanetly frozen

Question 10

Taiga

• Climate
• Plants
• Animals
• Air masses
• Soil

Answer 10

• A biome where avg. temp. are low most of the year. (Long winters)
• Little precipitation (mostly snow!); Evergreen trees (needle-like trees that conserve water)
• Grizzly bears, elk, moose
• cP and A

Question 11

Deciduous Forest

• Climate
• Plants
• Animals
• Air masses
• Soil

Answer 11

• A biome of warm, humid summers and dry, cold winters; 4 seasons!
• Moderate precipitation, seasonal forests (drop leaves in winter)
• Black bears, foxes, deer
• Maritime and Continental Air masses
• Rich, thick soil

Question 12

Desert

• Climate
• Plants
• Animals
• Air masses
• Soil

Answer 12

• A biome where temp. is really high at day, cold at night
• Very low precipitation; cactuses (store water
• Coyote, javelina, mountain lions
• cT air mass
• Light-colored, salty, thin soil (no water)

Question 13

Grasslands

• Climate
• Plants
• Animals
• Air masses
• Soil

Answer 13

• A biome where summer and winter temp. can be extreme!
• Low to moderate precipitation; 4 seasons and lost of grasses
• Bison, wolves, Prairie dogs
• mT and cP air masses
• Temperate grasslands can be rich

Question 14

Rainforest

• Climate
• Plants
• Animals
• Air masses
• Soil

Answer 14

• A biome where avg. temp. is high; lots of rain
• Forest, lots of plants and trees
• Jaguar, tapirs, primates, many living in trees, insects, etc…
• mT air mass
• Soil is intensely weathered

Question 15

Ice Age and Interglacial Interval:

Answer 15

• An ice age is a period of extensive glacial coverage of the Earth.
• An interglacial interval is a warm period.

Question 16

El Niño:

• Place
• Flow direction/trade winds
• Weather effects

Answer 16

• Warming of a current in the Pacific that is usually cold.
• Trade winds allow warm water from the Pacific Islands to flow East (to South America)
• Occurs along the South American coast every 2-7 years.
• California and the Gulf Coast can experience severe weather, and floods.
• Fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic

Question 17

Climate Change and Global Warming:

Answer 17

• People are contributing to this by burning fossil fuels
• Carbon Dioxide emissions are released by burning fossil fuels
• A solution includes using alternatives and Go-green sources.

Question 18

Biosphere

Answer 18

All life on Earth!

Question 19

Biodiversity

Answer 19

The amount (number) and variety of species on Earth.

• Rainforest have the most biodiversity
• Deserts (or tundras) have the least biodiversity

Question 20

La Niña

• Trade winds
• Direction of water

Answer 20

• Abnormal cooling of Earth’s ocean surface in the Pacific.
• Caused when temperatures drop in the Pacific, blows east.
• Strong trade winds blow surface water towards the west (SE Asia), creating colder surface temperatures off South American coast. We get strong upwelling.
• Dry and mild conditions in the south. Severe droughts in the southeast. Cold temperatures along the Pacific coast.

Question 21

Upwelling

Answer 21

Brings up cold, nutrient-rich waters to the surface.

• Encourages seaweed growth and support blooms of phytoplankton.
• This happens along the coast, and when this happens it creates animal diversity.

Question 22

Deep Ocean Currents

Answer 22

Currents controlled by water density - temperature and salinity (90% of ocean water moves here).

Question 23

Factors which Reduce Biodiversity:

Answer 23

• Human population growth
• Habitat Alteration
• Monoculture
• Deforestation
• Urban Development
• Invasive Species
• Pollution
• Overharvesting

Question 24

Rain-Shadow Effect

Answer 24

One side of a mountain has lots of vegetation because rain is able to occur there, but the other side of the mountain has little vegetation, since it is blocked off from precipitation

https://images.app.goo.gl/2pceiJsaTHADyz7p7

Question 25

Regulation of Climate:

Answer 25

In coastal areas, climate is regulated by the ocean nearby (due to convection currents).

• Ocean cools and heats faster than land
• This means in inland areas, seasons are more extreme.

Question 26

Natural causes of Climate change:

Answer 26

• Very low sunspot activity
• Change in Earth’s orbit (more elliptical!)
• A change in Earth’s tilt (nutation)
• Earth’s wobble on its axis (precession)