Climate Unit - Biomes and Climatographs Flashcards
what is a biome
a large geographical region with a particular range of temperature and precipitation levels
how do biomes function
as a system or set of interconnected parts
why are biomes open systems
because they exchange both matter and energy with their surroundings
whats an open system
any system that exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings
what is a closed system
any system that does not exchange matter with its surroundings but still exchanges energy
what is an example of a closed system
earths hydrosphere
what is an example of an open system
cells and biomes
how do biome division make it easier for scientists
they allow them to predict how different groups of organisms may be affected by changes that occur due to the continuous climate trends/patterns within an area
what are the characteristics of a tundra biome
- little solar energy during winter months
- annual amount of insolation is lowest of all the biomes
- very cold temperatures
- little precipitation
where can tundra biomes be found
in the arctic regions of North America and Eurasia, with most being found in the arctic circle
where can taiga biomes be found
it is a broad belt around earth just south of the region of tundra biomes
what is taiga dominated by
evergreen conifer trees
what is another name for the taiga biome
boreal forest
what is the main characteristic of the taiga biome
more precipitation and higher temperatures on average than tundra, longer growing season than the tundra
what distinguishes the deciduous forest biome
tress that lose their leaves
where are deciduous forest biomes typically found
in parts of North and South America, Europe, Asia, Japan and Australia
what are the characteristics of a deciduous forest biome
more moderate climate, longer growing season than taiga, and higher average temperatures than the taiga biome, have 4 seasons with a longer summer
what is the grassland biome
grassy regions with few or no trees
where do grassland biomes occur
in any region where precipitation is at least 20cm per year but is still too low to support the growth of trees
where do grasslands occur
on all continents and may be known by different names depending on their distinguishing factors
what are rainforests
biomes containing the richest diversity of plants and animals in all of the biomes
what are the characteristics of a rainforest biome
have over 200cm of rain every year and are always warm
what are the characteristics of a desert biome
always have less than 25cm of rainfall per year and have relatively little plant life
what are the 6 different types of biomes on earth
tundra, taiga, deciduous forest, grassland, rain forest and desert
what biomes are in Canada
tundra, taiga, grassland and deciduous
what biome is most of Canada made up of
taiga
what determines the insolation of an area
altitude, number of hours of daylight and the time of year
what are the determinants of albedo
cloud and dust cover, natural greenhouse effects interaction with insolation giving each area a particular net radiation budget
what causes predictable global wind patterns
convection currents and the Coriolis effect
what do global wind patterns do
transfer thermal energy between areas at or near the equator and those at or near the poles
what do ocean currents do
moderate air temperaute
how does the hydrologic cycle contribute to thermal energy transfer
though the release and absorption of thermal energy that occurs when water warms, cools and changes phases
how do you analyze the impact of climate factors on an area
a climatograph
whats a climatogrpah
summary of the average temperature for each month of the year for a given location, presented as a graph
what does the vertical axis on the left of a climatograph show
average precipitation in millimetres
what does the vertical axis on the right of a climatograph show
the average temperature in degrees celsius
where are the months of the year shown on a climatograph
on the horizontal axis
how are the values for average precipitation and temperature always plotted
precipitation is always plotted as a bar graph and temperature is always plotted as a line graph
what must happen to compare the climates of different areas using a climatograph
the scale of the vertical axis on each climatograph must be the same
what does a straight line in a climatograph show
the place is near or at the equator
what does an up and down curve show in a clamatgoraph
the presence of seasons in that place
what can climatographs also help do
help to identify factors that determine the climate of an area
what factor has the #1 effect on climate
insolation
what should you do if you are seeing something climate-related that cannot be explained by the latitude of the two places; what do you do if both places have the same latitude but completely different climates
think ocean; if one of them is closer to a large body of water that will affect its climate
what is the main cause of the natural greenhouse effect
presence of water vapour in our atmosphere
what does solar energy consist of
electromagnetic waves at different wavelengths which together make up the electromagnetic spectrum
what are the radiation wavelengths in the range that we can see called
visible light
how are different types of radiation distinguished from each other in the electromagnetic spectrum
by their wavelengths
