UNIT 2 BIO PART 1

weather

conditions of the lower atmosphere like temperature, humidity, cloudiness

how long does weather last

short term; less than 10 years

climate

average weather over long-term periods of time (10’s-1000’s of years)

what factors determine climate

factors such as latitude, vertical/horizontal movements, temperature, etc

latitude

angular distance from the equator
sun hits equator directly but for other regions an angle

two types of movement of water

vertical and horizontal

vertical movements

1) parallel winds move water away from coastline, causing upwelling and downwelling

upwelling

cold water rises at the coastline, nutrients along with it

downwelling

warmer water comes down to replace water from upwelling

horizontal movement

Moves water to surface (driven by wind)

the temperature of water will

influence the climate of the regions around it

biomes

regions with similar, natural communities that have adapted to the climate of that area

climate-defined communities

different climates have different communities, and thereby different biomes

4 things that determine a biome

temperature, precipitation, altitude and latitude

aquatic biomes:

freshwater
marine

terrestrial biomes

desert, forest, grassland, tundra

desert biome

located north and south of the equator
more dry than hot

4 desert types

tropical, temperate, cold, and frigid

tropical desert climate

hot/dry year round

temperate desert climate

hot summers, cold winters, vegetation

cold desert climate

warm summer, very cold winter

frigid desert climate

extreme cold

desert producers

shrubs, grass, succulents, sparse vegetation

desert producer adaptation

1) succulents store water in leaves
2) grasses have long roots to capture water in deep soil
3) spiky leaves/spines retain moisture

consumers (desert)

arthropods, insects, scorpions, jackrabbits, snakes, lizards

desert consumer adaptations

1) conservation of water
2) nocturnal behavior
3) avoid/dissipate heat

human impact on desert

irrigation, salinization, hunting, mining, waste disposal

salinization (desert)

irrigated water salts are left in the soil after evaporation and transpiration, dries soil

grassland biome temperature

cold winters, warm summers.

grassland biome climate

precipitation is better than deserts, but not enough for trees

grassland biome soil

fertile, retains moisture

grassland biome location

every continent but antarctica

grassland biome types

tropical, temperate, chapparal, tundra

tropical grassland climate

warm year round, abundant rain, dry seasons example: Savanna

temperate grassland climate

cold winters, hot and dry summers

grassland producers

grass, trees, shrubs, though limited by erratic fires + precipitation

grassland producer adaptations

drought resistant (long roots to reach moisture anywhere)
fire and grazing resistant due to silica

grassland consumers

bison, antelope, lion

grassland consumer adaptation

herds to fend predators
migration to find water when seasons are dry

human impact (grasslands)

hunting, agriculture (fertile soil)

desertification

overgrazing by domestic cattle leaves no plants to retain moisture in the grasslands, turning it into a desert

tundra (temperature)

short summer and winter

tundra (climate)

15-24 cm of precipitation (snow) yearly, wet topsoil

permafrost (tundra)

frozen soil under topsoil

tundra producers

short grasses (moss, lichen)

tundra producer adaptations

short growing seasons
grow close to ground and group up for heat

tundra consumers

small rodents, rabbits, caribou, polar bear [predator], fox [predator]

tundra consumers adaptation

thick fur
migration
natural antifreeze [insects]

human impact on tundra

melting of frost affects climate change
pollution from mining and oil drilling

human impact on tundra #2

wolf hunting causes caribou overpopulation

chaparral (temperature)

-10—>38 degrees celsius

chaparral (climate)

wet and very dry winters
25-50 cm precipitation

chaparral (soil)

coarse due to lack of nutrients

chaparral (locations)

primarily california and mexico

chaparral (producers)

shrubland, deep roots and thick bark to withstand fire

chaparral (consumers)

jackrabbit, mule deer [primary], puma, coyote [predator]

chaparral (consumer adaptation)

nocturnal
dissipation of heat

3 types of forest biomes

temperate deciduous, northern coniferous [boreal forest/taiga], tropical rain

temperate deciduous forest (temperature)

greater temperature range [-30 to 30 degrees celsius)

temperate deciduous forest (climate)

75-150 CM/year precipitation
seasonal changes

temperate deciduous forest (producers)

deciduous trees, lower vegetation, shrubs, smaller plants

temperate deciduous forest (producer adaptation)

leaves are lost in fall to conserve water
lower vegetation develops quickly in spring (before leaves fall out)

temperate deciduous forest (consumers)

birds insects, small mammals
browsing animals (deer, moose)
predators: wolves, bears

temperate deciduous forest (consumer adaptation)

1) Hibernation and food storage
2) Migration and camouflage in lost leaves

Northern Coniferous (Boreal Forest/Taiga) Temperature

(-40 to 30 degrees celsius)

Northern Coniferous (Boreal Forest/Taiga) Soil

Acidic Soil from pine needle shedding

Northern Coniferous (Boreal Forest/Taiga) Climate

30-90 CM precipitation, mostly snow

Northern Coniferous (Boreal Forest/Taiga) Producers

trees with needles, lower vegetation

Northern Coniferous (Boreal Forest/Taiga) Producer Adaptation

Needles conserve water
dark colors keep plant warm so that water is able to be transported through plants
pinecones protect seeds from the cold

Northern Coniferous (Boreal Forest/Taiga) Animals

Small mammals
Browsers (deer, moose)
Predators (bears, bobcats, wolves

Northern Coniferous (Boreal Forest/Taiga) Animal adaptation

thick coat, hibernation, migration

Tropical Rainforest (temperature)

Constant temperature of 20-25 degrees Celsius

Tropical Rainforest climate

Constant precipitation
soil is poor due to nutrients being washed away by constant rain

Of all biomes, the tropical rainforest has the greatest

biodiversity

Tropical Rainforest (producers)

tall trees and epiphytes

Tropical Rainforest (producer adaptation)

epiphytes sit on tree branch and hangout in air to capture moisture

Tropical Rainforest (producer adaptation) #2

climbing vines climb up trees to get sunlight

Tropical Rainforest (Animals)

Birds (macaw-primary consumers), primates, large cats, snakes

Tropical Rainforest (Animal Adaptations)

Climbing, camouflage

human impact on tropical rainforests

Deforestation, Hunting, Climate Change

Ecological Equivalent

organisms that perform similar roles in different biomes
- each is adapted to its own biome.