biomes & abiotic factors

How do we determine what biome an ecosystem is a part of?

combination of biotic and abiotic factors

Are all ecosystems in a biome identical? In what ways may they vary?

temp, precipitation, ocean currents,

What is climate? What is weather? How are they different?

climate: long term descriptions of average weather patterns at a location measured over long periods of time

weather: short term variation in temperature & precipitation at a given location

How do the angle of the sun and latitude combine to determine climate regions and patters?

direct sunlight makes them more biologically productive

How do air cells function and how are they related to precipitation patters?

the continuous heating and cooling of air generates specific patterns of circulation

What specifically are Hadley cells?

the two cells between 30 degrees latitude and the equator

What is the Coriolis effect? How is it involved in wind and water circulation patterns?

What are the ways that ocean currents can impact climate patterns?

occur due to convective heating of water due to solar radiation & geothermal heating

What is meant when the ocean or other bodies of water are described as heat sinks?

What is a rain shadow?

a dry, low-precipitation area found on the leeward (downwind) side of a mountain range

What are seasons?

annual regular fluctuations of temperature & precipitations

Why do seasons occur? Describe the physical orientation of earth during a solstice and during an equinox

due to the angle of the earth’s axis

Be able to name and describe the 7 terrestrial biomes that we covered in class.

tropical rainforest, subtropical deserts, temperate grasslands, temperate forests, boreal forests, tundra, polar regions

Which terrestrial biome has the highest biological productivity?

tropical rainforest

What is meant by an anthropogenic biome? Provide an example

biomes that have been highly modified by humans, ex: farming

When did anthropogenic biomes begin to be evident?

What 4 abiotic factors are specifically important to aquatic biomes?

salinity, water depth, water flow, nutrient availability

What is salinity? How does it compare between fresh and marine water?

the amount of solute in water, freshwater has minimal & marine has high

What are the 5 zones of marine biomes?

intertidal, neritic, oceanic, photic, aphotic

How does light penetration impact ocean biomes? Which color penetrates the deepest? Which color penetrates the shallowest?

Where is most fresh water on the earth?

frozen in glaciers & polar ice caps

Where is most accessible fresh water on the earth located?

Great Lakes

What are the five zones of lake biomes?

littoral, limnetic, photic, aphotic, benthic

What is lake turnover? Why does it happen? Why is it important?

occurs every spring and fall to fertilize the lakes

What is a wetland?

shallow aquatic biomes

What is the difference between a swamp and a bog?

swamp: shallow, have little water flow

bog: acidic wetlands filled with decaying vegetation

Describe a river/stream

shallow, flowing downhill to the ocean

Describe and estuary?

form where rivers flow into the ocean

What is a watershed? Why are they important?

means that no biome or ecosystem is truly isolated, provide drinking water