Lesson Two Flashcards
What causes climatic variation?
it is due to the uneven heating of the earths surface caused by its spherical shape and angle of rotation.
What causes the seasons to change?
regular shifts in the latitude at which the sun is directly overhead drives the changes associated with the seasons,
What do seasonal shifts in solar energy produce at high latitudes of both hemispheres?
Winters with low average temperature and shorter day lengths and summers with high average temperatures and longer day lengths
what produces spatial and temporal variation in precipitation?
heating of the earths surface and atmosphere drives circulations of the atmosphere and the influences patterns of precipitation
What happens when the sun heats the air?
The air will expand and rise
How do clouds form?
Warm moist air cools as it rises and since cold air holds less water vapour than warm air, the water vapour carried by the rising air mass condenses and forms clouds.
What are hadley cells?
this is when warm air rises, dense cool air descends and creates a loop of currents going from cold to hot and hot to cold. this loop is called a hadley cell. Escentially the formation of clouds.
starting at the equator which cells go towards the north and south in order?
Starting from the equator and moving towards either poles it starts at, Hadley cells, then ferrel cells and finally at the poles we have pololar cells. For both north and south poles.
What is the coriolis effect?
as earth rotates west to east it drags air cells with in to create prevailing wind patterns.
Northern hemisphere coriolis cell pattern.
starting at the equator and going north, the hadley cells go to south west called the northern trade winds. The ferrel cells go north east these are called Westerlies. The polar cells go south west these are called polar easterlies.
southern hemisphere coriolis effect
starting at the equator and going south, the hadley cells are north east which are called Southeast trade winds, then there are the ferrel cells which are south west which are called westerlies and finally there are polar cells which are north east and these are called polar easterlies.
What are climate diagrams?
they explore the relationship between climate and distribution of vegetation. They give a summary of seasonal variation in temperature/precipitation, length and intensity of wet and dry seasons, as well as portion of year during which average minimum temperature is above and below 0 C.
What are soils?
They are a complex ecological system of abiotic and biotic material upon which most terrestrial life depends on. They depend not only on what they grow (plants) but what grows within the soil (organisms)
What are biomes?
Biomes are major divisions of land environment based on specific climate and the common plant species within that area. They are constantly evolving and their boundaries are rather subjective.
What are the four major biomes in canada?
Tundra, boreal (taiga) forest, temperate forest, and temperate grasslands. The location of the biome is based on precipitation and temperature
What is the tundra biome?
Most northerly area, it covers most of the artic circle. Its an open landscape and is dotted with small ponds and clear streams.
Tundra climate and soil
Its cold and dry, very short summer, low precipitation. The soil includes lots peat and humus, as well as has a layer of perma frost.
Tundra Biology
perennial herbaceous plants (mosses, grass, sedges, lichen). Slow, low growing shrubs (willow, birch) animals include, reindeer, caribou, lemmings, etc (migratory species).
Boreal forest biome
wood and water coverage. Dense coniferous forest, temperate forests and grasslands, and are only found in the northern hemisphere.
Boreal climate and soils
climate, winter are usually longer than six months, summers are too short for temperate forests, low temp with long winters means less evaporation rates so drought is infrequent or brief. Soils, low fertility in thick bedrocks, organic layers are high fertility. Low temp and low ph slow rates of decompositions and soil building. risk of permafrost
Boreal biology
dominated by evergreen conifers, willows along side lakes and rivers. plants have adapted to cold winters and low nutrient availability, mosses and non vasulcar plants trap rainfall and shelter a diverse ray of insects. Mammals include moose, wolves, reindeer, etc.
Temperate forest
Contains the largest living organism on earth
Temperate forest climate and soil
climate, moist growing season that is longer than four months, winter is usually around three to four months, snowfall may be heavy but winters are mild so not very cold. Soil, fertile soil but varys , most fertile un deciduous areas having a neutral to to slightly acidic ph. rich in organic matter and nutrients, more dynamic than the boreal forest.
Temperate forest biology
vertically stratified forest, lower layer (herb layer) at bottom, shrub and samplings next, shade tolerant understory trees, and canopy layer on top. All forest strata used by mammals from mice to bears
Grassland biome
largest biome in north america, found at latitudes similar temperature to forests but generally drier. Dominated by grasses and herbaceous species. can experience periodic to severe droughts.
Grassland climate and soil.
climate, maximum precipitation during growing season, can experience year long drought. Soils, productive are deep basic or neutral, fertile and contain large quantities of organic matter. Black prairie soils (fertile) contain the most organic matter. Brown soils (arid grasslands) contain less organic matters,
Grassland Biology
dominated by herbaceous vegetation. historically supporting of huge herds and roving herbivores.
how are humans affecting biomes.
Most of the worlds major cities are in areas that were once temperate forests. We are modify the environment at a scale unlike all other organisms. Urban and agricultural ecosystems are NOT biomes.
Urban ecosystems
have less ecosystem productivity that the ecosystems of the natural biome they replaced. We have reduced, food and habitat for animals, non native plant species, altered climate, increased flood risk.
Agricultural ecosystems
Native plants are removed and replaced with different plants. productivity is often higher than the natural biome they replaced due to to the use of fertilizers. Animal communities are less divers in agricultural areas compared to the natural biome. Fertalizers will alter biochemical cycles which can lead to an increase of green house gas release and cyanobacteria blooms. Hydrilogical cycle can aslo be disrupted causing droughts and water shortages.
