Life of Land Flashcards
biome
major division of the terrestrial environment, distinguished primarily by their predominant plants
natural history
how organisms in a particular area are influenced by factors such as climate (temp and precipitation: direct on consumer and indirect on food-source), soils, predators, competitors and evolutionary history (selective pressure that are similar may produce similar traits and help survival)
primary producer
plants and other photosynthetic organisms. sun energy
secondary producers
consumers that become food when they die
how is latitudinal and seasonal variation in temperature caused?
uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun and tilt of the earth
seasons
- 5 degree tilt of earth
- between tropics of cancer and Capricorn there is little change in temp or day length
- high lats there is large change
precipitation
caused by air currents
- sun heats air at equator and warm air holds more moisture and ascends. as it cools, water condenses, forming clouds = moist tropical climate at equator
- some ascending air spreads north and south, dry air collects moisture = deserts at 30 degrees
- subtropical and polar air masses meet creating a moist tropical climate at 60
Coriolis effect
apparent deflection of winds to the right in the north and the left in the south because the earth rotates from west to east
wind types
poles: polar easterlies
30-60: westerlies
0-30N: north east trade winds
0-30S: south east trade winds
climate diagrams
relationship between distribution of terrestrial vegetation and climate
- seasonal variation, temp, precipitation, wet and dry seasons
- precipitation line should be above temperature line
how might microclimate shape terrestrial biomes?
when temp and moisture differ from prevailing climate
effect of mountains on biomes
colder at higher elevations
rain shadow effect: dry climate on the leeward side (opposite ocean) of a mountain as moisture is lost as air cools over the mountains
soil
mixture of living and non-living (weathering of parent material and or/bedrock to make sand, silt and clay) material upon which most terrestrial life depends
O, organic horizon
top layer of organic matter. absent on agriculture and deserts. decomposers and animals and bacteria help
A horizon
mixture of minerals such as clay, slit and sand and organic matter from O
