Chapter 7 APES (144-149)

Ocean Currents

mass movements of surface water driven by winds blowing over the oceans. These currents help to determine regional climates and are a key component of the earth's natural capital

Density

mass per unit of volume

coastal coniferous or temperate rain forests

these are forests found in scattered coastal temperate areas with ample rainfall or moisture from dense ocean fogs. Ex.: redwood forests of NW U.S. and Canada. Thick stands of these forests consists of large conifers such as Sitka spruce along with others.

cold or northern coniferous forests (boreal forests or taigas)

they are found just south of the arctic tundra in the northern regions across North America, Asia, and Europe. Dominated by a few species of coniferous evergreen trees such as spruce and fir. They typically keep their leaves year round and have small needle-shaped, wax coated leaves that can withstand cold temperatures.

Three major factors affect the circulation of air in the lower atmosphere?

1. Uneven heating of the earth's surface by the sun (air is heated much more at the equator than at the poles. This helps explain why regions near the equator are hot, why polar regions are cold, and why temperate regions in between generally have both warm and cool temperatures. The intense input of solar radiation in tropical regions leads increase evaporation rates of moisture causing more precipitation than do other areas), 2. Rotation of the earth on its axis (the equator spins faster than those at the North or South. Heated air masses rise and move towards cooler areas in the South or North. These masses or atmosphere over the areas are cells. The differing directions of air movement are called prevailing winds which distribute heat and drive ocean currents.) 3. Properties of air, water and land. (Heat from the sun evaporates ocean water and transfers heat to the atmosphere which create giant cyclical convection cells that circulate air, heat, and moisture both vertically and from place to place.)

temperate deciduous forest

A forest characterized by trees that shed their leaves in the fall. Range of the temperatures can be extreme. Vegetation changes with the seasons because of the temperature. They typically have cooler temperatures than and fewer decomposers than tropical forests. They have been harmed the most out of any terrestrial biome by logging and urban expansion

desert

An extremely dry area with little water and few plants

tropical rain forest

Biome near the equator with warm temperatures, wet weather, and lush plant growth. These biomes are the most diverse and are typically warm all year. They are dominated by broadleaf ever green plants

What way do currents flow in the Northern Hemisphere?

Clockwise

What way do currents flow in the Southern Hemisphere?

Counterclockwise

Major human impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems

Deserts: Large desert cities, destruction of soil and underground habitat by off-road vehicles, depletion of groundwater, land disturbance and pollution from mineral extraction Grasslands: Conversion to cropland, release of CO2 to atmosphere from burning grassland, overgrazing by livestock, and oil production and off-road vehicles in arctic tundra. Forests: Clearing for agriculture, livestock grazing, timber, and urban development, conversion of diverse forests to tree plantations, damage from off-road vehicles and pollution of forests streams Mountains: Agriculture, timber and mineral extraction, hydroelectric dams and reservoirs

How does climate affect the nature and location of Biomes?

Differences in long-term average annual precipitation and temperature lead to the formation of tropical, temperate, and cold deserts, grasslands, and forests, and largely determine their locations

Plants and species adapted to the desert

Examples such as the cactus or succulent plants have multiple adaptations that help them. They have no leaves so they can't loose water to the atmosphere through transpiration. They can store water in there and synthesize food in their expandable, fleshy tissue. Another characteristic is they can reduce their water loss via opening pores at night to take up carbon dioxide. Insects and reptiles such as rattlesnakes have thick outer coverings to minimize water loss through evaporation.

Individuals Matter J Michael Fay: Defender of Threatened Wild Places and National Geographic explorer in Residence

He has gathered important ecological data about several major ecosystems by flying over and photographing them and walking through these areas. He flew over the forests of African countries of Gabon and the Congo and studied a vast corridor of forest spanning two countries. The data he collected were used by the government of Gabon to create a system of 13 protected national parks. He also collected data in Californias coastal redwood forests.

What factors influence climate?

Key factors that influence an area's climate are incoming solar energy, the earth's rotation, global patterns of air and water movement, gases in the atmosphere, and the earth's surface features.

Tropical Grassland (Savanna)

biome characterized by warm temperatures, with a dry season and a rainy season, vegetation includes tall grass and scattered trees

Greenhouse Gases

Molecules of certain gases in the atmosphere, including water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide absorb some of this solar energy and release a portion of it as infrared radiation (heat) that warms the lower atmosphere. This is why greenhouse gases play a role in determining the lower atmospheres average temperature and the climate.

How does latitude affect climate?

Places located at high latitudes (far from the equator) receive less sunlight than places at low latitudes (close to the equator). The amount of sunlight and the amount of precipitation affects the types of plants and animals that can live in a place. The closer you are to the equator is typically warmer and colder when farther from the equator.

Rain Shadow Effect

Precipitation falls on the windward side of a mountain range, resulting in lush vegetation & a warm, moist climate on one side, but a desert area on the leeward side.

Core Cases Study A Temperate Deciduous Forest

These forests typically see warm summers, cold winters, and abundant precipitation, rain in summer and snow in winter. Trees that are typically seen are oaks, hickory, maple, aspen and birch. Some predator animals include wolves, foxes and wildcats. They feed on herbivores such as white-tailed deer, squirrels, rabbits, opossums, and mice. Bird species such as warblers, robins, etc... Some mammals such as bears spend their summer storing fat and then hibernate in the winter. Birds migrate to warmer climates in the late fall to avoid the cold. These forests used to thrive but most were cleared after becoming urbanized and have been disturbed more than any terrestrial system by human activities.

How does elevation affect biomes or climate?

With an increase in altitude the type of vegetation changes, because temperature decreases gradually. Hence a change in type of biome could be noticed with an increase in altitude which is similar to a shift in vegetation/biome type from equatorial latitude to polar regions.

cold grasslands (arctic tundra)

a grassland that lies south of the polar arctic ice cap. These treeless plains are bitterly cold, swept by frigid winds, and covered with ice and snow. Winters are long with short days, and scant precipitation falls as snow. Fragile biome. Under the snow, this biome is carpeted with a thick spongy mat of low-growing plants, primarily grasses, mosses, lichens and dwarf shrubs.

Mountains

a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level; a large steep hill. They contain the majority of the worlds forests, which are habitats for much of the planets terrestrial biodiversity. They are often habitats of endemic species found nowhere else on earth. They also serve a critical role in the hydrologic cycle by serving major houses of water

cold deserts

a type of desert such as the Gobi in Mongolia, where vegetation is sparse, winters are cold, summers are warm or hot, and precipitation is low.

tropical deserts

a type of desert such as the Sahara and the Namib of Africa that are hot and dry most of the year. They have few plants and a hard, windblown surface strewn with rocks and some sand.

temperate deserts

a type of desert such as the Sonoran Desert of CA/SW AZ/Mexico where daytime temperatures are high in summer and low in winter and there is more precipitation than in tropical deserts. Sparse vegetation which consists of drought-resistant shrubs

Effect of enhanced greenhouse effect on world

alter temperature and precipitation patterns, raise average sea levels, shift areas where we can grow crops, and where some types of plants and animals (including humans) can live.

Human Activities that contribute to Greenhouse effect

burning of fossil fuels, clearing of forests, and growing of crops release carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.

How does climate affect the nature and location of biomes?

differences in long-term average annual precipitation and temperature lead to the formation of tropical, temperate, and cold deserts, grasslands, and forests and largely determine their locations.

How have human activities affected the world's terrestrial ecosystems?

human activities are disrupting ecosystem and economic services provided by many of the earth's deserts, grasslands, forests and mountains

Weather

is a set of physical conditions of the lower atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, etc... in a given area over a period of hours or days

Climate

is the general pattern of atmosphere conditions in a given area over periods ranging from at least three decades to thousands of years.

Greenhouse effect

is when the sun sends solar energy towards the Earth and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb this heat. When these gases absorb the heat, they send that heat down towards the Earth. Some of these gases in the atmosphere reflect off the Earth going into space, but most are absorbed. This heats the Earth and this heat stays inside the atmosphere since the greenhouse gases act as barrier, not letting heat escape thus resulting in the warming of the Earth. Without this we would be a very cold and lifeless planet

forests

land dominated by trees and other woody vegetation and sometimes used for commercial logging

Biomes

large terrestrial regions, each characterized by certain types of climate and a certain combination of plant life.

La Nina

large-scale weather phenomenon occurs every few years when trade winds in the tropical Pacific ocean increase and causes more upwelling of cold water causing more cold ocean temperature. Shifts the jet stream more towards the north which causes more rain and flooding the in the northwest US and causes intense drought in the Southern US.

El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

large-scale weather phenomenon occurs every few years when trade winds in the tropical Pacific ocean weaken and change direction which increase ocean temperature and the upwelling of cold water lessens. Shifts the jet stream to southern shift and affects the southern US causing floods and heavy rain while in the North causing warmer and dyer conditions.

Grasslands

occur mostly in the interiors of continents in areas too moist for deserts and too dry for forests to grow.

alpine tundra

occurs above the limit of tree growth but below the permanent snow line on high mountains. This has a similar vegetation to that of the arctic tundra but receives more sunlight.

What are two ways the ocean and atmosphere are strongly linked?

ocean currents are affected by winds in the atmosphere and heat from the ocean affects atmospheric circulation.

Permafrost

permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground which could take years to melt.

Where is the highest solar energy input?

the equator

Three Major Types of Climate

tropical (areas near the equator, receiving the most intense sunlight), polar (areas near the earth's poles, receiving the least intense sunlight), temperate (areas between the tropic and polar regions)

temperate grassland

winters can be bitterly cold, summers are hot and dry, and annual precipitation is fairly sparse and falls unevenly throughout the year. Many have been converted to farmland because of their fertile soil (ex. North America/Canada).