Climate, Biomes, & Populations Flashcards
Climate
Long term prevailing weather conditions in an area
Weather
Daily conditions of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind and moisture
Sun
Ultimate source of energy and driver of climate; shapes the other climate forces: wind and water
Weather or climate? There are more sunny days per year in Los Angeles than in Seattle.
Climate
Weather or climate? A thunderstorm damaged trees in my neighborhood last summer.
Weather
How does the angle of sunlight impact temperatures across the world?
Low angle of incoming sunlight hits the North Pole and South Pole, so those regions are cooler. Sun is overhead at equinoxes, so those regions experience hotter climate.
Why is climate seasonal?
Due to the tilt of the Earth and it’s annual orbit around the sun.
What are the features of the landscape that contribute to regional variation in climate?
Bodies of water, topography (mountains), and vegetation
Specific heat
Amount of energy required to raise temperature; water has a higher specific heat than land or air
T or F? Oceans warm up slower during the summer and cool off slower during the winter?
T
Do regions w/o forests experience hotter and drier climate?
Yes, because forests promote higher rates of photosynthesis and transpiration so lower temperatures and more precipitation is seen in those areas
What determines species distribution?
Biotic factors, abiotic factors, and dispersal
Biotic factors
Living factors; organisms in an environment
Species interactions: predation, parasitism, competition, mutualism, herbivory
Ex: urchins graze on seaweed and limit its distribution
Abiotic factors
Non living factors; the physical and chemical properties of an environment
Physical characteristics: temp., water and oxygen, salinity, sunlight, and rocks & soil
Ex: increasing water temps. along coast of Tasmania allowed sea urchin to expand its distribution
Dispersal
Movement of individuals away from centers of high population density or from their area of origin; evolutionary history plays a role
Mountains can act as barriers to dispersal
Biomes
Major type of biological assemblage; largely determined by climate on land and depth and salinity in water; two fundamental aspects: primary productivity and biodiversity
Primary productivity
Amount of plant growth in a given area over a given time
Biodiversity
Number of species
Disturbance
An event such as a storm, fire or human activity that changes a community; ex: frequent fires can kill woody plants and maintain the characteristic vegetation of savanna
List terrestrial biomes.
Tropical forest, broadleaf forest, coniferous forest, chaparral, grassland, savanna, desert, and tundra
Rank the following biomes from driest (1/top) to wettest (4/bottom)
Tundra, Tropical forest, Desert, Coniferous Corest
- Desert
- Tundra
- Coniferous forest
- Tropical forest
Benthic zone
Bottom surface of an aquatic environment
Pelagic zone
Open water component of aquatic biomes
List aquatic biomes.
Intertidal, coral reefs, oceans (pelagic), oceans (benthic), wetlands, lakes, estuaries, and river/streams
Invasive species
An introduced (non native) species that becomes overpopulated and harm its new environment
