Lesson 3/4 - Biomes And Climate Change

Question 1

Biomes

Answer 1

Defines a biotic community;
characterized by the plant and animal life found in a specific area
• They are open systems because they exchange matter and energy with the surroundings
• Vary because of precipitation, temperature, soil type, topography, etc.

Question 2

Tundra

Answer 2

Location: arctic regions of North America and Eurasia
• Low temperatures and precipitation.
• Permafrost (frozen ground) makes it difficult for organisms to survival.

Question 3

Taiga/Boreal forest

Answer 3

• Location: South of Tundra region
• Sunlight: more sunlight year-round = longer growing season than Tundra

Question 4

Deciduous forests

Answer 4

Location: between 30-60°N latitude; all over world.
• Climate is more moderate, warmer temperatures and lots of precipitation.

Question 5

Grassland

Answer 5

Location: anywhere that has low amounts of precipitation, about 20 mL per year; prairies and savannah
• lots of sunlight; more in summer
• Not enough moisture for large plants to grow

Question 6

Rain forest

Answer 6

Location: anywhere with 200 cm/year precipitation and always warm
• Sunlight: Lots of sunlight, 1 season

Question 7

Desert

Answer 7

Location: with less than 25cm/year precipitation
• Sunlight: hot during day due to high insolation levels
• Only drought resistant plants. Animals only come out at night.

Question 8

Adaptations

Answer 8

Dry: fat leaves prevent water loss
• Wet: air filled bladders for floatation
• Hot: large, thin ears maximize heat loss
• Cold: Tiny ears prevent heat loss

Question 9

What impact would an increase in CO2 have on out biosphere?

Answer 9

An increase in greenhouse gases would increase the amount of energy reflected back to earths surface, increasing the average global temperatures.

Question 10

Historical data

Answer 10

• HISTORICAL DATA IS COLLECTED BY ANALYZING TINY BUBBLES IN YEARLY
LAYERS OF ICE
• THIS ALLOWS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF
CONCENTRATIONS OF VARIOUS CHEMICAL SPECIES THROUGH
HISTORY
• AVERAGE YEARLY TEMPERATURE CAN ALSO BE MEASURED THIS WAY

Question 11

Growth rings in trees

Answer 11

• HISTORICAL DATA IS ALSO COLLECTED BY ANALYZING GROWTH RINGS IN TREES
• THIS ALLOWS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PRECIPITATION AND GROWTH OVER THE LIFETIME OF A TREE

Question 12

What properties of a tree ring tells us about the climate during it life?

Answer 12

• Width, thinner rings show years with low precipitation …
• Proximity to the surface, the newest rings are found closer to the surface
• Colour, can indicate the particles found in the precipitation ie. Soot from forest fires.