Chapter 52
Be able to match the description of a biome to its name
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Briefly describe at least three biotic and three abiotic factors that influence species distribution
Biotic: predation, herbivory, competition, mutualism, parsitism. Abiotic: temperature, water, oxygen, salinity, sunlight, and soil
Explain why the intensity of sunlight varies latitudinally. How does latitude, the tilt of the axis, and rotation around the sun combine to produce seasons?
Earth's curved shape causes latitudinal variation of sunlight intensity. Seasons: tilt relative to orbit around the sun causes variation of solar radiation to different parts of the world, while the rotation of the earth reveals different sides of the earth facing the sun, creating the seasons.
Explain how large bodies of water and mountains affect climate.
Ocean currents influence climate by heating or cooling overlying air masses that pass across the land. Ex: hot days make the land hotter than the water, the air over the land heats up and rises, drawing cool breezes from the water across the land. In contrast, because the temp drops more quickly over land than water at night, air over the now warmer water rises, drawing cooler air from the land back out over the water and replaces it with warmer air from offshore. Mountain currents influence the land similarly, when warm moist air approaches a mountain, the air rises and cools, releasing moisture on the windward side of the peak, while on the leeward sid, cooler dry air descends absorbing moisture and producing a rain shadow. Also affect the amount of sunlight reaching an area.
What characterizes biomes?
terrestrial: named for major physical or climate factors and for vegetation. Grade into each other without sharp boundaries. many have disturbance. Distribution, precipitation, temperature, plants, and animals. Aquatic: physical environment. Show less latitudinal variation than terrestrial. Physical environment, chemical environment, geological features, photosynthetic organisms, and heterotrophs.