Lecture 14

Question 1

T/F species have a range of tolerance along environmental gradients

Answer 1

true
they can only tolerant so much temp, pH, salinity
they only perform best at a certain tolerance

Question 2

what are lethal zones

Answer 2

the extremes of the environmental gradients
- species cant survive, performance = 0

Question 3

what are the optimal conditions

Answer 3

species have the best suitable conditions for growth, reproduction - reproduction = more strict
performance = the best

Question 4

what is an ecological niche

Answer 4

all of the environmental factors that determine where it can live
what climate it prefers, what it eats

Question 5

what is the Hutchinsonian niche

Answer 5

the optimal values of 2 different environmental gradients = in the middle
EX: scarlet Macaw - parrot - graph shows precipitation and average temps –> shows that they are the most optimal in warm wetlands

Question 6

what is the temperature a function of

Answer 6

latitude (up and down)
- high latitude = colder - seasonality shows different temperatures - summer to winter function)
- smaller latitude = warmer - seasonality is function of rainfall - dry to wet seasons

Question 7

what is rainfall dependent on

Answer 7

atmospheric circulation, ocean currents and rain shadows
- these factors determine biomes

Question 8

T/F is light shines on the earth in a higher angle (close to 90) it will cover a greater area

Answer 8

false
high angle = heat spreading at a smaller area
lower angle = heat spreading at a higher area
- at the equator the sun = closest to perpendicular (90 degrees) this is why it has the strongest and hottest heat

Question 9

explain Hadley cells and what they create

Answer 9

they make regions near the equator rain
moves in cycles 30 degrees to the North and back towards the equator - again
- they are placed at +/-30* latitude on both the top and bottom hemispheres
- as the heat rises from the sun and moves further from Earth, it cools down (low pressure) and condenses into vapour –> causing rain near the equator, the rest of the cool air = dries and moves towards the +/-30* latitude (away from the equator) and when it falls back down = very dry and high pressured- this makes very dry deserts in these areas

Question 10

explain Ferrell cells

Answer 10

**creates temperature climate zones
- the movement is driven by the Hadley and Polar cells - not by the direct solar heating
1. the dry air from the Hadley cells that are sinking between +/-30 and 60 latitudes = high-pressure zones - they become warm
2. this warm air rises towards the +/-60* latitudes (towards the poles)
3. the air cools as it rises but also comes in contact with the very cool air coming from the poles = the polar front where they interact
4. when the relatively warm and cold air interact, the warm is forced to rise above the cold bc warm has a lower density (lighter, floats) - the warm rises to 60 lat
5. this causes low-pressure zones, very cloudy and precipitation
6. as the warm air moves above the cold polar air at 60 lat, it cools down as it cycles back and sinks towards the equator (30 lat)
7. sinks and causes a high pressure zone and cycle is complete

Question 11

what do high pressure and low pressure mean in terms of the weather

Answer 11

high pressure = air sinking = deserts
lower pressure = air rising = rain, wet climates

warm = less dense = floats better than cold
cold = more dense and heavy = sinks easier

Question 12

explain polar cells

Answer 12

1. poles = very cold air (90 lat), minimal sunlight, cold temps - this cold air from the lack of sun sinks towards the surface of the poles = high-pressure zones = dry cold climate
2. this very cold, heavy air moves towards the equator - it may slightly become room temperature as it is is close to the warm ground temps - it moves southward until 60* lat
3. The room-temperature air comes into contact with the ferrel warm air - ferrel air rises - less dense, cooler air is below. this interaction at the polar front = low pressure zone = cloudy and rain
4. a mixture of this air is sent back into the Ferrel cell and back to the polar cell - towards the poles to become very cold

Question 13

what is the intertropical convergence zone

Answer 13

a narrow belt near the equator where the trade winds that move from east to west come in contact with the winds from the northern and southern hemisphere
- The belt shifts to the Northern Hemisphere during summer and the Southern Hemisphere in winter.
- the winds coming from the northeast (NH) and the southeast (SH) meet at the ITCZ - it carries warm moist air from the oceans
- this ocean air and regular surface air that is being heated up from the equator = warm and less dense = rise - as rise = cold = heavy clouds = lots of rainfall = tropical rainforests

Question 14

why it the ITCZ important

Answer 14

major role in the global weather patterns + water cycle
- controls the rainfall near the equator - rainforests and keeps the monsoon seasons in the Asian, African and American regions (summer –> winter)
- when the ITCZ is further from the equator - monsoon
- when it is closer to the equator = rainfall

Question 15

what is the Coriolis effect

Answer 15

the rotation of the earth and how it deflects winds in different directions
- moving away from equator = deflected E ward
- moving towards equator = deflected W ward

Question 16

westerlies wind

Answer 16

in the NH and SH (40* lat)
- the wind moving away from the equator is actually pushed to the east (right)
the 40* lat in the SH = lots of ocean = roaring 40s - strong winds)

Question 17

easterlies winds

Answer 17

in the NH and SH = 60* lats
- movement of air in the poles
- moves to the west
* east winds move west

Question 18

what are doldrums

Answer 18

low wind areas near the equator

Question 19

where does vegetation grow in terms of climate

Answer 19

grows with the increase in moisture and temperature
- regions with certain combos of moisture and temperature develop certain types of vegetation
- seasonality is important

Question 20

what are biomes

Answer 20

rainforests
deserts
grasslands
tundras

Question 21

T/F plants grow better in wet and dry climates

Answer 21

false
wet and warm

Question 22

what are maritime climates

Answer 22

a type of climate that is found near the oceans
- moderate temp

Question 23

what is continental climates

Answer 23

climates are extreme
- regions away from oceans

Question 24

what does oceans having thermal inertia mean

Answer 24

oceans heat up and cool down more slowly than land. This is because water has a high heat capacity
- water = absorb and store large amounts of heat = inertia

Question 25

what is orographic precipitation

Answer 25

warm moist air rising up mountain side = condensing vapor cloud = precipitation
on other side = rain shadow = dry cool air moving down and warming up as it sinks

Question 26

what is a rain shadow

Answer 26

created from the shadow of a mountain = cool air sinks = warm air as it sinks

Question 27

T/F the latitudinal patterns are complicated by distribution of landmasses thus temperatures vary more when they are away from oceans

Answer 27

true
- landmasses = less oceans = NH = temps vary more

Question 28

where do the driest deserts occur

Answer 28

where large bodies of water push air inward to the landmasses - on the edges of the continents near oceans

Question 29

what are other factor that animals are limited by

Answer 29

mostly climate and vegetation but sometimes ecological versatility (wide range of climate adaptions), limited dispersal, limited by other organisms

Question 30

what is ecological niche modelling

Answer 30

also called species distribution modelling
- uses the data from where a species presently lives and predicts where it can live
- useful to know how species will react when faced with challenging environments

Question 31

what direction are species moving as a result of climate change

Answer 31

towards the poles
equator = too hot