Transcript B - SchoolRack

Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity
I consist mostly of cone-bearing trees, I can
be found south of the Arctic tundra in
northern America, Asia, and Europe, my
trees waxy leaves can withstand the intense
cold and snow because my winters are long
and cold. What biome am I?
I can be found along coastal areas as well
as parts of the Appalachian Mountains. On
the west coast I consist mostly of redwoods
and Douglas firs. I get plenty of rainfall,
some place receive 14 feet of rain a year.
Very little light reaches my forest floor.
What biome am I?
I am a fragile biome. My growing season
is only 6 to 8 weeks. Soil and vegetation
recover very slowly here. Animals in my
area have thick fur and short extremities
to help them keep warm. Tall trees and
plants cannot survive in my area. The
permafrost prevents trees from taking root.
What biome am I?
My winters are cold and my summers are
dry and hot. I am a great biome for growing
crops and raising cattle. The grasses in my
area are drought-tolerant and fire-resistant.
My animals are quick and agile or they can
dig holes to avoid predators. I can be found
mainly in the American mid-west. My area
is prone to wind erosion when humans
remove my grass to grow their crops. What
biome am I?
I have moderate average
temperatures with abundant
precipitation throughout the
year. My trees, such as oaks,
hickories, poplars, and
maples, drop their leaves in
the Fall. My forest floor is
covered with decaying leaves
that are storehouse of
nutrients for future growth.
What biome am I?
People like living here because of my
moderate, sunny climate with mild, wet
winters and warm, dry summers. I have
a thin layer of soil which is not very
fertile. I have dense growths of lowgrowing evergreen shrubs with leathery
leaves that reduce evaporation.
Because of my frequent fires many of
my plants have adapted by storing food
reserves in their fire-resistant roots and
they have seeds which sprout only after
fires. What biome am I?
As you can see I do not have much
vegetation. My winters are cold and my
summers are hot. I have very little
precipitation. I am the result of a rain
shadow effect caused by the Himalaya
Mountains. My animals have thick outer
coatings to help retain moisture. What
type of desert am I?
I am dotted with widely scattered
clumps of trees covered with thorns
to keep the herbivores away. I
have alternating dry and wet
seasons. I have occasional fires
caused by lightning which allows
nutrients to be added back to the
soil. I have many species which
migrate in large herds. My animals
are far-sighted, swift, and stealthy.
What biome am I?
I am found near the equator. I have
uniformly warm temperature year around. I
am dominated by a variety of broadleaf
evergreen plants. My trees are very large
with wide bases and shallow roots. My
dense canopy prevents light from reaching
the forest floor. My soil is acidic and low in
nutrients. Pollination depends on bats,
butterflies, birds, and bees because there
is little wind. What biome am I?
CLIMATE: A BRIEF
INTRODUCTION
• Weather is a local area’s short-term physical
conditions such as temperature and
precipitation.
• Climate is a region’s average weather
conditions over a long time.
– Latitude and elevation help determine climate.
Four major factors determine global
air circulation patterns
• Uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by the Sun
• Seasonal changes in temperature and precipitation
• Rotation of the earth on its axis – Coriolis effect
• Properties of air, water, and land
What color roof do you want on your home if you live in the southwestern part
of the United States? Support your answer.
Ocean Currents:
Distributing Heat and Nutrients
• Ocean currents influence climate by
distributing heat from place to place and
mixing and distributing nutrients.
Tropic of
Cancer
Equator
High mountains
Polar ice
Polar grassland (arctic
tundra)
Temperate grassland
Tropical grassland
(savanna)
Chaparral
Coniferous forest
Temperate deciduous forest
Tropical forest
Desert
Tropic of
Capricorn
DESERT BIOMES
• Variations in
annual
temperature (red)
and precipitation
(blue) in tropical,
temperate and
cold deserts.
Desert Plant Adaptations
• Drop their leaves during hot and dry spells to
survive dormant state
• Succulent plants – fleshy plants store water
• Some have deep roots to tap into
groundwater
• Some have widely spread, shallow roots to
collect water during brief rain showers
• Spines to guard against predators
• Wax coated leaves to reduce water loss
• Grasses and wildflowers store their biomass
in seeds
Desert Animal Adaptations
•
•
•
•
•
Small
Hide in burrows during day and hunt at night
Dormant during periods of extreme heat and drought
Insects and reptiles thick outer coverings
Insects and reptiles feces is dry and a dried concentrate of
urine to minimize water loss
• Get water from dew
Dry urine
Dry feces
Saguaro (“sah-WAH-ro”) cactus
• No leaves
• Store water and synthesize food in their
expandable fleshy tissue
• Reduce water loss by opening their stomata
only at night to take up CO2
-Grow up to 50 feet tall
-Live up to 200 years
-Grow a few inches a year
-Branches around 50 years
Why are desert ecosystems
fragile?
 Soils take a long time to recover
 Slow plant growth
 Low species diversity
 Slow nutrient cycling
 Lack of water
GRASSLANDS AND CHAPARRAL
BIOMES
• Variations in
annual
temperature
(red) and
precipitation
(blue).
GRASSLANDS
• Grasslands occur in
areas too moist for
desert and too dry
for forests.
Savanna Grasslands
• Scattered clumps of trees
• Animals farsighted, swift,
stealthy
• Large herds of hoofed animals
• Seasonal droughts
• Occasional fires
Temperate Grasslands
• The cold winters and
hot dry summers
have deep and fertile
soil that make them
ideal for growing
crops and grazing
cattle.
Chaparral
• Chaparral has a
moderate
climate but its
dense thickets of
spiny shrubs are
subject to
periodic fires.
Why is the tundra a fragile
biome?
 Short growing season
 Soil and vegetation recovers slowly
 Human activities leave scars that persist
for centuries
Which of the following adaptations describes insects and
reptiles which live in the desert?
I. Thick outer coverings to prevent water loss
II. Hunt during the day when it is warmer and
hide in burrows at night
III. To prevent water loss their feces is dry
along with their urine being dry
A. I only
C. I and II only
B. II only
D. I and III only
E. I, II, and III
Which of the following adaptations describes insects and
reptiles which live in the desert?
I. Thick outer coverings to prevent water loss
II. Hunt during the day when it is warmer and
hide in burrows at night
III. To prevent water loss their feces is dry
along with their urine being dry
A. I only
C. I and II only
B. II only
D. I and III only
E. I, II, and III
FOREST BIOMES
• Variations in annual
temperature (red)
and precipitation
(blue) in tropical,
temperate, and
polar forests.
Bromeliad
buttress
Rafflesia – world’s largest
flower which smells like
rotting flesh
Dense vegetation = little wind
Rainforest depends on others to
spread seeds and pollen
Tropical Rain Forest
Stratification of
specialized plant
and animal niches
• Filling such niches enables species to avoid or
minimize competition and coexist
Temperate Rain Forests
• Coastal areas support huge cone-bearing
evergreen trees such as redwoods and
Douglas fir in a cool moist environment.
Taiga (Boreal) Forest
Long winters
Coniferous trees
Low plant diversity
High soil acidity
Soil nutrient poor
D
B
A
F
E
C
Letter
A
B
C
D
E
F
Name the biome
D
B
A
F
E
C
Letter
A
B
C
D
E
F
Name the biome
Chaparral
D
B
A
F
E
C
Letter
Name the biome
A
Chaparral
B
Taiga (Boreal)
C
D
E
F
D
B
A
F
E
C
Letter
Name the biome
A
Chaparral
B
Taiga (Boreal)
C
Tropical Rainforest
D
E
F
D
B
A
F
E
C
Letter
Name the biome
A
Chaparral
B
Taiga (Boreal)
C
Tropical Rainforest
D
Taiga (Boreal)
E
F
D
B
A
F
E
C
Letter
Name the biome
A
Chaparral
B
Taiga (Boreal)
C
Tropical Rainforest
D
Taiga (Boreal)
E
Sub-Tropical Desert (Sahara)
F
D
B
A
F
E
C
Letter
Name the biome
A
Chaparral
B
Taiga (Boreal)
C
Tropical Rainforest
D
Taiga (Boreal)
E
Tropical Desert (Sahara)
F
Temperate Desert (Saguaro NP)
Human impact tropical
rainforest
Human impact on deserts
Human impact on grasslands
Human impact on forests
Human impact on forests
The End
El Niño
El Niño Outlook