Transcript Biomes and Climate

The Role of Climate
Biomes
What is climate?
• Weather – day to day condition of the
Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time
and place
• Climate – average, year-after-year
conditions of temperature and precipitation
in a particular region
The Effect of Latitude on Climate
• As a result of differences in latitude and
thus angle of heating, Earth has 3 main
climate zones:
– Polar zones – cold areas around the North
and South poles
– Temperate zones – between the polar and
tropical zones; have seasons that range from
hot to cold
– Tropical zones – near the equator; almost
always warm
Latitude and Altitude Affect the
Climate
• Gets colder the higher up you go (altitude)
• Gets colder the farther north/south of the
equator you go (latitude)
• Most of food on Earth is grown between
30-60 degrees north and south of the
equator
• -- Do we live in this latitude??--
Global Warming Potentials
(100 year time horizon)
Greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Hydrofluorocarbons (e.g., HFC 134a)
Perfluorcarbon (e.g., CF4)
Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)
GWP
1
21
310
1300
6500
23,900
Acid Rain
• "Acid rain" is a broad term referring to a mixture
of wet and dry deposition (deposited material)
from the atmosphere containing higher than
normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The
precursors, or chemical forerunners, of acid rain
formation result from both natural sources, such
as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and
man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur
dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)
resulting from fossil fuel combustion.
Ozone Depletion
• Stratospheric ozone depletion is a concern
because the ozone layer in the stratosphere
keeps 95-99% of the suns ultraviolet radiation
(UV) from striking the earth.
• More UV means:
–
–
–
–
–
–
more melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers
more eye cataracts
weakened immune systems
reduced plant yields
damage to ocean eco-ecosystems
more damage to plastics
Ozone Depleting Substances
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)
– contains: Cl, F, C
– long-lived, non-toxic, non-corrosive, and nonflammable
– in 1960’s used in refrigerators, air
conditioners, spray cans, solvents, foams
– phase out by 1996 in developed countries
Biomes
• Ecosystems are grouped into a larger biome
• Depends on the climate and the type of plants
in that area
• 2 types: Terrestrial Biomes (on land)
Aquatic Biomes (in the water)
The species that live In each biome are
different, but may look and act similar to
species in other biomes. Because of similar
niches in each biome.
• An ecosystem is all the living and
nonliving factors that affect an
organism.
• A biome is a major region that is
characterized by its climate,soil
type(s), and the dominant plants,
animals, and other organisms that live
there. A biome is made up of many
individual ecosystems.
Types of Biomes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tundra
Desert
Chaparral
Temperate grassland
Tropical savanna
Taiga (boreal)
Temperate forest
Tropical rainforest
Northwestern coniferous forest
Tundra
• Northernmost biome
• Frozen layer of subsoil (permafrost)
• Low-growing vegetation adapted to
extreme cold and a short growing season
Tundra
• Arctic tundra can be found in Antarctica
and the North Pole, North of the Arctic
Circle.
• Grass, lichen and herbs
• Many insects during warm season
Arctic Tundra
Boreal Forest (Taiga)
• Short growing season
• Acidic, mineral-poor soil
• Coniferous trees adapted to cold winters
Taiga
• The word taiga means, "marshy pine
forest" in Russian.
• one of the most fragile biomes.
• Found in Northern Hemisphere.
• Growing season very short
• Nearly constant daylight in summer
• Many lakes and swamps
Boreal Forest
Temperate Rain Forest
• High precipitation
• Large conifers dominate
Temperate Rain Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
• Precipitation relatively high
• Soils rich in organic matter
• Broad-leaf trees that lose their leaves
seasonally dominate
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate Grassland
• Deep, mineral-rich soil
• Moderate but uncertain precipitation
Temperate Grassland
Chaparral
• Climate of wet, mild winters and dry
summers
• Thickets of small-leaf evergreen shrubs
and trees
Chaparral
smallest biome.
grows between forest and grassland, or
between desert and grassland biomes.
Many plants and trees have leathery
leaves, gnarled bark, and intimidating
thorns.
Often called “scrub”
Chaparral
Desert
• Both
– temperate (cold deserts)
– subtropical or tropical regions (warm deserts)
• Low levels of precipitation
• Organisms with specialized waterconserving adaptations
Desert
Desert
• Deserts take up 8.6 million square miles
on Earth
• Get less than 25 cm of rain each year
• Has little or no vegetation
• Driest places on earth
• Often located on the dry side of mountain
ranges
Tropical Grassland (Savanna)
• Tropical areas with low or seasonal rainfall
• Widely scattered trees interspersed with
grassy areas
Savanna
• Found near equator between tropical rain
forest and desert biomes
• Grass, scattered trees, shrubs, many with
thorns
• Many grazing animals
• Have a wet and dry season
• Plants and animals most active during wet
season.
Savanna
Tropical Rain Forest
• Mineral-poor soil
• High rainfall evenly distributed throughout
the year
• High species richness, high productivity
Rainforest
over half of the world's plant and animal
species live here. All fit into only seven
percent of the world's land.
Found in: Central Africa, Southeast Asia,
Philippines, New Guinea, Central and
South America.
Rainforest
• Layers:
• Top – Emergent layer – tallest trees above
rest of forest
• Next – canopy – top of normal trees
• Lower canopy – epiphytes – plants that
grow on tree trunks – not soil - because
light is so far from ground.
• Understory – lowest level, much darker
Tropical Rain Forest