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Biogeography: Climate, Biomes,
and Terrestrial Biodiversity
G. Tyler Miller’s
Living in the Environment
13th Edition
Chapter 6
Dr. Richard Clements
Chattanooga State Technical Community College
Modified by Charlotte Kirkpatrick
Key Concepts
 Factors influencing weather
 Factors influencing climate
 Effect of climate on distribution of biomes
 Characteristics of major biome types
Weather and Climate: A Brief
Introduction
Weather: short term properties of the troposphere
at a particular place and time
 Physical properties:
Temperature, Pressure, Humidity, Precipitation,
Sunshine, Cloud cover, Wind direction and speed
 Weather Model: Meteorologists use a
variety of devices (weather balloons, aircraft, radar
satellites) to gain data on atmospheric pressures,
precipitation, temperatures, wind speeds, and locations
of air masses and fronts.
Air Masses and Fronts
Air Masses: moving air across the land or sea. They
contain air that is wet or dry, warm or cold, and high or low
pressure
Front: Boundary between two air masses with
different temperatures and densities
Warm front: Advancing warm air mass replacing
a cooler one. Rises up and over a mass of cool air due to
density difference.
Cool front: Advancing cool air mass replacing a
warm one. Stays close to the ground and wedges under
the warm air due to density difference. Creates
thunderheads.
Air Masses and Fronts
Warm front
Cold front
Fig. 6-2
p. 111
Highs and Lows
 High pressure system: Cool dense air that descends
toward the earth and becomes warmer. Fair weather.
 Low pressure system: less dense warm air spirals inward
toward the center of a low pressure air mass. Center of the
low rises and its warm air expands and cools. Stormy
weather.
Air always flows from areas of high pressure to
areas of low pressure, aiming to reach the
equilibrium. But, because of the deviating force
caused by the rotation of the Earth (namely Coriolis
effect) it does not flow in a straight line. Instead of
it, the winds form a spiral: inwards and upwards in
low pressure systems, downwards and outwards in
high pressure systems.
Tornadoes and Hurricanes
Descending
cool air
Severe
thunderstorm
Tornado forms when
cool downdraft and
warm updraft of air
meet and interact
Rising
warm air
Severe thunderstorms
can trigger a number
of smaller tornadoes
Rising
updraft
of air
Figure 6-3
Page 112
Slide 3
Tornadoes and Hurricanes
Rising winds exit
from the storm at
high altitudes.
The calm central
eye usually is about
24 kilometers
(15 miles) wide.
Gales circle the eye at speeds
of up to 320 kilometers
(200 miles) per hour.
Moist surface winds
spiral in towards the
center of the storm
Figure 6-4
Page 113
Slide 4
Tornadoes and Hurricanes
Prince William
Sound
Gulf of Alaska
Risk of Tornadoes
CANADA
Highest
High
Medium
UNITED STATES
Low
Grand Banks
Tropical Cyclone
Frequency
High
Moderately
high
MEXICO
Atlantic
Ocean
Figure 6-5
Page 114
Slide 5
Climate
Temperature
Precipitation
Uneven heating
Seasons
Earth’s rotation:
Coriolis Effect
Properties of air
and water
See Fig. 6-4 p. 124
Fig. 6-6
p. 115
Seasons
Fig. 6-8 p. 116
Uneven Heating of the Earth’s
Surface
Air Circulation
Fig. 6-9 b & c p. 1117
Air Circulation and Climate
Zones
Fig. 6-11 p. 118
Major Climate Zones
Cold
Cool Temperate
Warm Temperate
Tropical
(equator)
Tropical
Warm Temperate
Cool Temperate
Cold
Climate type
Figure 6-9a
Page 117
Slide 11
LOW
PRESSURE
HIGH
PRESSURE
Heat released
radiates to space
Cool, dry
air
Condensation
and
precipitation
Falls, is compressed, warms
Rises, expands, cools
Warm,
dry air
Hot, wet
air
Flows toward low pressure,
picks up moisture and heat
HIGH
Moist surface warmed by sun
LOW
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
Figure 6-10
Page 117
Solar
radiation
Convection
cell
Cool
Warm
current
Cool
current
air
Equator
Warm
air
Warm
water
Warm
current
Cool
current
Polar
front
Cold
water
Figure 6-12
Page 118
El Nino and La Nina
El Nino
1.
2.
3.
4.
Prevailing westerly winds
weaken or cease.
Surface water along the
south and north American
coasts becomes warmer and
The normal upwellings of
cold, nutrient rich water are
suppressed, which decreases
primary productivity and
causes a decline in some fish
populations.
Can trigger extreme weather
along 2/3rds of the globe
(pacific and Indian oceans.
La Nina
• Cooling counterpart that
follows El Nino.
• More Atlantic Ocean
Hurricanes
• Colder winters in Canada
and NE
• Warmer and drier winters
in the SE and SW U.S.
• Wetter winters in the
Pacific NW
• Torrential rains in SE Asia
• Lower wheat yields in
Argentina
• More wildfires in Florida
Short-Term Climate Changes: ENSO
Fig. 6-14 p. 119
Upwelling
Movement of
surface water
Wind
Diving birds
Fish
Upwelling
Zooplankton
Phytoplankton
Nutrients
Figure 6-13
Page 119
El Niño
Drought
Unusually high rainfall
Unusually warm periods
Figure 6-15 page 120
Temperature/Change (°F)
+3
+2
1982–83
El Niño conditions
La Niña conditions
1997–98
+1
0
-1
-2
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
Year
Figure 6-16
Page 121
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse gases: H2O (v), CO2, CH4, N2O,
and CFC’s
Fig. 6-17 p. 121
Rain Shadow Effect
Microclimates:Local climatic conditions due
to topography of the area
Fig. 6-19 p. 122
Sea Breeze and Land Breeze
• Sea Breeze is the
movement of cool air
on land to replace the
the warm air as it
ascends. At daytime
Cool air
descends
Warm air ascends
Land warmer than
sea; breeze flows
onshore
Figure 6-19 (1)
Page 122
Slide 26
• Land Breeze is the
movement of cool air
from land to sea as the
warm air ascends. At
nightime.
Cool air
descends
Warm air
ascends
Land cooler than
sea; breeze flows
offshore
Figure 6-19 (2)
Page 122
Slide 27
Biomes: Climate and Life on Land
 Relationship between latitude and altitude
 Succulent plants
 Evergreen plants
 Deciduous plants
 Coniferous plants
Tropic of
Cancer
Equator
Tropic of
Capricorn
Arctic tundra (polar grasslands)
Boreal forest (taiga), evergreen coniferous
forest (e.g., montane coniferous forest)
Desert
Tropical rain forest,
tropical evergreen forest
Temperate deciduous forest
Tropical deciduous forest
Temperate grassland
Tropical scrub forest
Dry woodlands and
shrublands (chaparral)
Tropical savanna,
thorn forest
Semidesert,
arid grassland
Mountains
(complex zonation)
Ice
Figure 6-20
Page 123
Biomes: Latitude and Altitude
Fig. 6-22 p. 124
Refer to Fig. 6-20 p. 123
Biomes: Characteristics
•
•
•
•
Average temperature range
Average precipitation
Latitude/Altitude
Adaptations
Desert Biomes
Tropical deserts
Temperate deserts
Cold deserts
Refer to Fig. 6-25 p. 127
Desert Biomes
Figure 6-23
Page 126
Temperate Desert Food Web
Red-tailed hawk
Gambel's
quail
Producer
to primary
consumer
Primary
to secondary
consumer
Yucca
Jack
rabbit
Agave
Collared
lizard
Prickly
pear
cactus
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
All producers and
consumers to
decomposers
Roadrunner
Diamondback rattlesnake
Darkling
beetle
Bacteria
Fungi
Kangaroo rat
Figure 6-25
Page 127
Human impact on Deserts
Large desert cities
Soil destruction by vehicles
and urban development
Soil salinization from irrigation
Depletion of underground
water supplies
Land disturbance and pollution
from mineral extraction
Storage of toxic and radioactive
Wastes
Large arrays of solar cells and
solar collectors used to produce
electricity
Figure 6-26
Page 128
Grassland, Tundra, and Chaparral
Biomes
Tropical grasslands
Temperate grasslands
Polar grasslands (Arctic tundra)
Permafrost
Alpine tundra
Chaparral
Refer to Figs. 6-29, 6-30, and 6-32 pp. 130-133
Distribution of Grasslands
Polar Tundra
Alpine Tundra
Temperate Grassland
Tropical Savanna
Figure 6-27
Page 129
African Savanna Animals
These grazing species share vegetation resources by
having different feeding niches
Dry Grassland
Moist Grassland
Cape buffalo
Wildebeest
Beisa oryx
Topi
Grant's zebra
Warthog
Thompson's
gazelle
Waterbuck
Figure 6-29 (1)
Page 130
Dry Thorn Scrub and Riverine Forest
Figure 6-29 (2)
Page 130
Riverine Forest
Giraffe
African elephant
Gerenuk
Dry Thorn Scrub
Black rhino
Greater
kudu
Bushbuck
Dik-dik
East African
eland
Blue duiker
Temperate Tall Prairie Food Web
Golden eagle
Pronghorn antelope
Coyote
Grasshopper
sparrow
Grasshopper
Producer
to primary
consumer
Primary
to secondary
consumer
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
All producers and
consumers to
decomposers
Blue stem
grass
Prairie
dog
Bacteria
Fungi
Prairie
coneflower
Figure 6-30
Page 131
Arctic Tundra (polar grassland) Food Web
Producer to
primary
consumer
Long-tailed jaeger
Grizzly bear
Primary to
secondary
consumer
Caribou
Mosquito
Snowy owl
Arctic
fox
Horned lark
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
All consumers
and producers
to decomposers
Willow ptarmigan
Dwarf
Dwarfwillow
willow
Lemming
Mountain
Mountaincranberry
cranberry
Moss campion
campion
Moss
Figure 6-32
Page 133
Human impacts on grasslands
Conversion of savanna and
temperate
grassland to cropland
Release of CO2 to atmosphere from
burning and conversion of grassland
to cropland
Overgrazing of tropical and
temperate
grasslands by livestock
Damage to fragile arctic tundra
by oil production, air and water
pollution,
and vehicles
Figure 6-33
Page 134
Forest Biomes
 Tropical rainforest
 Tropical deciduous forest
 Temperate deciduous forest
 Evergreen coniferous forest (boreal forest)
 Temperate rain forest
Refer to Figs. 6-34, 6-37, 6-38, and 6-40 pp. 135-140
Figure 6-35
Page 136
Forest Biomes
Temperate coniferous forests
Temperate deciduous forests
Tropical rain forests
Tropical Rainforest Food Web
Harpy
eagle
Blue and
gold macaw
Ocelot
Producer
to primary
consumer
Primary
to secondary
consumer
Squirrel
monkeys
Climbing
Slaty-tailed
monstera palm
trogon
Slaty-tailed
trogon
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
Katydid
Green tree snake
Tree frog
All producers and
consumers to
decomposers
Ants
Bromeliad
Fungi
Bacteria
Figure 6-34
Page 135
45
Harpy
eagle
40
Rainforest Niche
Stratification
Height (meters)
35
Emergent
layer
Toco
toucan
Canopy
30
25
20
Understory
Wooly
opossum
15
10
Brazilian
tapir
5
Black-crowned
antpitta
0
Shrub
layer Figure
6-37
Ground
Page
layer
137
Temperate Deciduous Forests Food Web
Producer
to primary
consumer
Broad-winged
hawk
Hairy
woodpecker
Primary
to secondary
consumer
Gray
squirrel
White oak
White-footed
mouse
White-tailed
deer
Metallic
Metallic woodboring
beetle
wood-boring
and
larvae
beetle
and
Mountain
winterberry
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
All producers and
consumers to
decomposers
Shagbark hickory
May beetle
Fungi
Bacteria
Long-tailed
weasel
Racer
Wood frog
Figure 638
Page 138
Evergreen Coniferous (Taiga or Boreal)Forest Food Web
Blue jay
Great
horned
owl
Marten
Balsam fir
Moose
White
spruce
Wolf
Bebb
willow
Pine sawyer
beetle and larvae
Producer
to primary
consumer
Primary
to secondary
consumer
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
All producers and
consumers to
decomposers
Snowshoe
hare
Fungi
Starflower
Bacteria
Bunchberry
Figure 640
Page 140
Human impact on forests
Clearing and degradation of tropical
forests for agriculture, livestock grazing,
and timber harvesting
Clearing of temperate deciduous
forests in Europe, Asia, and
North America for timber, agriculture,
and urban development
Clearing of evergreen coniferous
forests in North America, Finland,
Sweden, Canada, Siberia,
and Russia
Conversion of diverse forests to less
biodiverse tree plantations
Figure 6-41
Page
Mountain Biomes
Mimic latitude
Snow line
Islands of biodiversity
Human impact on mountains
Landless poor migrating uphill
to survive
Timber extraction
Mineral resource extraction
Hydroelectric dams and reservoirs
Increasing tourism
(such as hiking and skiing)
Air pollution from industrial and
urban centers
Increased ultraviolet radiation from
ozone depletion
Figure 6-4
Page