Deserts and other climates

Why are most of the world's deserts located around 30 degrees north and south latitude

-Hot air from the equator rises, then cools, moisture is lost, and the dry air comes down at 30 degrees north and south

what are some differences in the climates of coastal areas and areas in the center of a continent?

-rainfall/snowfall (more of this is coastal areas- moisture)

Stocky member of the mustelid/weasel family that sometimes hunts with a cayote.

badger

stocky, burrowing mustelid of the American deserts

badger

stocky, burrowing mustelid of the American grasslands and deserts?

badger

poisonous lizard of the desert?

beaded lizard or the gila monster

Desert dwelling canid that also lives in the neighborhoods of ATL.

cayote

Endangered mustelid (weasel) of the American grassland/ lives in prairie dog towns.

ferret

Carnivorous rodent of the North American prairies

grasshopper mouse

carnivorous mouse of the North American grasslands?

grasshopper mouse

what are biomes?

groups of ecosystems which share similar climates, topography, and soil type and as a result have organisms with similar adaptations

Large/ long-eared laomorph (hare) of the American Southwest

jack rabbit

hopping rodent of the American deserts that rarely, if ever, drinks water

kangaroo rat

Fastest land animal in the world (lives in Africa).

Cheetah

Snake-eating cuckoo of the cartoon fame.

road runner

lizard-eating cuckoo of the American deserts

road runner

lizard-eating cuckoo of the American deserts?

road runner

Why do most deserts undergo extreme temperature fluctuations during a 24 hour period?

the sun heats the ground, then gives off heat

How can the act of putting out grass fires result in in the grasslands becoming forests?

-Fire would kill off woddy species- don't put out fire- woddy can flourish- FOREST. -putting out fires in the grasslands can STOP the nutrients from returning to the soil, and can stop the "monopoly" that fires allow the grasses to have. -Fires reduce the buildup of dead grass -Fire returns nutrients to soil.

Describe the life cycles of desert annual plants. How does this life cycle help them deal with dry conditions? How do the seeds know when to germinate?

-They only grow after it rains -seeds are water soluble germination inhibitors (prevents from growing, but dissolves in water) -stays dormant for extended time (drought avoiders) -flowers, set seeds, then dies

Why do creosote bushes appear to grow in rings in the Mojave desert?

-They put chemicals in soil so no seeds will grow around, but their own seeds won't grow either. It is one bush, but it gets bigger and the old in the middle dies out.

Is the life cycle of the spadefoot toad more like a desert annual or perennial?

-annual (drought avoider) -spends life underground -they come out when it rains and reproduce

Describe and give examples of three ways that animals actively deal with hot, dry conditions

-camels don't sweat until 106 degrees -camels can close nostrils and have webbed feet (don't sink in sand) -kangaroo rat has efficient kidneys -camels can drink a lot of water in one sitting -active at night

the snowshoe hare is heavy-bodied with relatively small ears. The jackrabbit is lanky, with long legs and and very large ears. What do these animals body shapes have to do with their ability to thrive in their respective climates?

-ears are good heat radiators because you lose more heat with a bigger surface area -if its cold you want less surface area and vise versa

what effects does putting out fire have in grasslands?

-forest areas intrude on grasslands -rids of dead grass (good) and puts nutriants back in -no more insulation for ground

How do some organisms avoid heat, cold, or drought?

-hibernate -migrate -spade foot toad (only come out when wet) -annual plants -burrow -nocturnal

What are the climatic differences between grasslands and deserts, and between grasslands and savannahs?

-it rains more in grasslands than in deserts -there are scattered trees in the savannah and more rainfall than grasslands

Why are grasses resistant to grazing and fires?

-leaves get eaten and burned from fire, but will grow back -if you rid of the growth tissue, it won't grow back

Why are most lizards in the desert active during the day and most small mammals are active at night?

-lizards are cold blooded (body changes with temp) -deserts= hot day, cold night -too cold to be active at night -small mammals are warm blooded & have to work to stay cool during the day (avoid losing water)

What are the adaptations of the camel to life in the desert?

-long hair on top and front (protect from sun) -start day with subnormal body temp -don't start sweating until 106 degrees -can loose 40% water -webbed toes -hump is fat -can close nostrils

What is the advantage of large ears in desert mammals? (3 animals that use this)

-loose heat through ears (more surface area) -jack rabbits, elephants, and fennecs

define nocturnal, diurnal, and crepuscular

-nocturnal: active at night -diurnal: active in daytime -crepuscular: active at dawn and dusk

what are two types of root systems that allow a plants to get water in a dry environment?

-shallow/diffuse: absorb water quickly -deep/tap: ground water

Give 3 factors that cause temperature differences within a relatively small area

-water (makes things cooler) -vegetation (cooler in shade) -altitude -topography

How has the cactus adapted to life in the desert?

-they are resistors -diffuse shallow roots -distasteful chemicals/ thorns -stores water -thick waxy cuticle -open stomates at night only

Desert- living rattlesnakes (which are cold- blooded like lizards- take temp. of surroundings.) hunt small rodents like mice. Explain WHY they normally only hunt in the first few hours after dark, not during the day time and not late at night.

-they hunt small rodents, which are active at night because it is too hot for warm blooded things. -Too cold for the snakes after the 1st few hours of night- 1st hours are an even temperature that is manageable. -The DAYTIME is way too hot for snakes- b/c they are cold blooded they take to the temp. of surroundings.

how do desert perennial plants keep their water (or use less of it) once they get it?

-thick cuticle -keep stomates closed -leaves arranged vertically (only get some sunlight) -thorns -lose leaves when its dry

Largest native grazing animal in North America.

Bison

Poisonous lizard of the US and Mexico.

Gila monster

Hopping rodent of the US that almost never drinks water

K rat/ Kangaroo rat.

what is the world's largest rodent?

cabbybara

What 2 species of grasses dominate the former prairies of the US?

corn/wheat

What is the most abundant large grazer in the North American grasslands today?

cows

canid found in both deserts and eastern US deciduous forests

coyote

List 4 species of African antelope

gazelles, kudos, wildabeast, impala, and dikdik

poisonous lizard of the desert

gila monster

Why is the climate so dry in eastern Washington and Oregon?

heat hits cascades, then cools and rains. It snows on the top of mountain (moisture is lost). Then the dry air comes down on the eastern side

bone-crushing scavenger and predator of the African savannah?

hyena

what is unusual about the grasshopper mouse?

it is a carnivore

Largest carnivore in Africa

lions

what are the three big cats of the African savannah?

lions, cheetahs, and leopards

felid found in both American Basin and in the American deserts

mountain lion

Big cat found from the N. forests to the tip of South America

mt. lion/ cougar & puma.

explain how human activities have lead to the conversion of some grasslands into deserts or dry brushlands

over-farming/over-grazing

Fastest land animal in US.

pronghorn

Name the 2 large, native grazing animals of the North American praries

pronghorn, bison

Name 4 grazing animals

rhino, buffalo, giraffes, and hippos

How is it possible that two areas could receive the same annual rainfall, but one is forested and one is a grassland?

seasonal rainfall or fire

sanginivorous mammal (eats blood) which is particularly abundant in northern Mexico

vampire bats

List 4 species of large herbivores in the African savannahs

zebras, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and buffalos