Water Cycle Pack E Flashcards
What is the vegetation like in the tropical rainforest?
- Dense vegetation
- Trees stay green all year
- Always interception
Are there seasons for temperature and precipitation in the tropical rainforest?
- Little to no variations in temperature
- No significant dry spell
What type of precipitation falls in that place, how much and when?
- High average rainfall
- Over 2000mm per year
- Convectional rain due to the intense solar radiation from the sun directly overhead
- There is rapid cycling water due to the heavy rain and high evapotranspiration
- 60% of rainfall is recycled into the atmosphere
- There is really high humidity so warm air can store more moisture
What is the temperature range in the tropical rainforest?
- High average temperatures
- Between 25 and 30°C
What are the soils like in the tropical rainforest?
- Crystalline shields are made of impermeable igneous rocks
- Causes rapid runoff rates
- Sedimentary rocks are porous and permeable (e.g. sandstone, limestone)
- Reduces water runoff rates and store rainwater
- In steep areas, there are higher runoff rates (e.g. West by the Andes)
- In lowlands, there is more infiltration
What are the effects of deforestation in the tropical rainforest?
- Less interception and less stem flow
- Increased surface runoff and therefore increased soil erosion
- Soil goes into rivers and causes siltation and flooding
What is an example of deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia?
- Done for palm oil plantations
- Less water, less evapotranspiration, less rain so forest dieback
- Positive feedback cycle
What is the vegetation like in the grasslands?
- Grasses are the dominant vegetation
- Trees and large shrubs are absent
Are there seasons for temperature and precipitation in the grasslands?
- Hot summers and cold winters
- Rainfall is moderate, usually occurring in the late spring and early summer
What types of precipitation falls in the grasslands, how much and when?
- Annual average is 50 to 90cm
- Amount of rainfall influences the height of grassland vegetation, with taller grasses in the wetter regions
What are the temperatures in the grasslands?
- Summer temperatures can be well over 38°C
- Winter temperatures can be as low as -40°C
What is the soil like in the grasslands?
- Deep and dark, with fertile upper layers
- Nutrient-rich from the growth and decay of deep, many branched grass roots
- Rotted roots hold the soil together
Are there droughts in the grasslands?
- Seasonal droughts and occasional fires occur
- These prevent woody shrubs and trees from becoming established
What are examples of grassland locations?
- Veldts of South Africa
- Pampas of Argentina and Uruguay
- Steppes of Russia
- Plains and prairies of central North America
What is the vegetation like in the tundra?
- Only small plants
- Due to short growing season for plants
- Low transpiration rates
Are there seasons for temperature or precipitation in the tundra?
- ## In summer, temperatures are above 0°C and there is more daylight
What type of precipitation falls in the tundra, how much and when?
- Low precipitation of 50 - 350mm annually
- Precipitation is snow
- Limited moisture is stored in the atmosphere
- There are slow flows
What are the temperatures in the tundra?
- Very cold
- Spends 8 - 9 months below 0°C
- Negative heat balance
- Climate change will lead to higher temperatures and more vegetation
What are the soils like in the tundra?
- Layers of permafrost are barriers to infiltration and percolation
- Active layer thaws and thickens in summer/spring
- Water stored on surface in summer so some evapotranspiration
- Most of Artic tundra is igneous rock, which is impermeable
- There are standing pools of water (e.g. Canadian Shield)
- Typically flat (with gentle slops) so snow and water stay on surface and can’t drain away
