2.4 Climate and Biomes

Abiotic Factor

A non-living, physical factor that may influence an organism or ecosystem; for example, temperature, sunlight, pH, salinity, precipitation.

Albedo

The proportion of light that is reflected by a material or surface.

Alpine Tundra

Biomes that are cold with low precipitation, located at high altitudes ("apline" = relating to high mountains)

Altitude

The height of something from a surface, such as the sea level.

Arctic Tundra

Biomes that are cold with low precipitation, located at high latitudes ("artctic" = North Pole)

Biome

A collection of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions.

Boreal Forest

Forests with a really cold climate, with low levels of biodiversity ("boreal" = of the north or northern regions).

Chaparral

Scrubland plant communities composed of broad-leaved evergreen shrubs, bushes, and small trees usually less than 2.5 metres

Climate

This describes how the atmosphere behaves over relatively long periods of time. The two main factors determining an area's climate are its average temperature, with its seasonal variations, and the average amount and distribution of precipitation.

Coniferous

Relating to trees or forests. Refers to conifers, woody evergreens that have cones and needles rather than leaves

Continentality

Degree to which a place's climate is affected by being far from the ocean (farther inland = larger temp range and less precip)

Cyclone

A large, low-pressure storm system with strong winds that rotate around a center; can be tropical or extratropical (used in Indian Ocean and South Pacific)

Deciduous

A tree or shrub that sheds it leaves each year (used to refer to trees and forests)

Desert

Driest of biomes, recieves very little rainfall. Can be hot or cold ("arid" = very dry)

Ferrel Cells

Driest of biomes, recieves very little rainfall. Can be hot or cold ("arid" = very dry)

Forest

Biome dominated by trees and other woody plants

Freshwater

Salinity less than 1% (Ponds and lakes, streams and rivers, wetlands; "marine" is oppostie)

Glacier

Large mass of slowly moving ice.

Grassland

(Also prairie ... NOT savanna) Open and continuous, fairly flat areas of grass. They are often located between temperate forests at high latitudes and deserts at subtropical latitudes

Hadley Cells

Part of the tricellular model. The circulation of air away from and back to the Equator is driven by solar energy and includes the movement of air through density differences.

Hot Desert

Desert with a hot and dry climate over the year.

Hurricane

Severe tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic or Northeast Pacific Ocean.

Latitude

The angular distance from the equator (north or south of it) as measured from the centre of the Earth (usually in degrees).

Limiting Factors

Factors that can significantly impact population size.

Longitude

The angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees

Mangroves

Coastal trees and shrubs adapted to saltwater, with tangled roots that stabilize shorelines and support marine ecosystems.

Marine

Aquatic biome with a salinity level greater than 1%.

Mediterranean

A biome with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, found in regions like California and the Mediterranean Basin.

Mountain

A large landform that rises prominently above its surroundings, usually formed by the movement and collision of tectonic plates.

Mud Flats

Coastal wetlands that are exposed at low tide, rich in nutrients, and important for marine and bird life.

Permafrost

A layer of soil below the surface that remains below freezing temperature all year; occurs mainly in polar regions and at very high altitudes.

Polar Cells

The circulation of air at the poles driven by solar energy and including the movement of air through density differences, part of the tricellular model.

Meadow

(Also pasture) General term for a grassland, often with wildflowers, that can exist in various climates.

Prairie

(Also called steppe in Eurasia and pampas in South America) Temperate grassland with deep, fertile soil and few trees. Found mainly in North America

Precipitation

Water in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail that falls from clouds or condenses. One of the factors that determines biome location.

Productivity

Rate of the generation of biomass in an ecosystem in a unit of time.

Rainforest

A dense, biodiverse forest usually located in areas with heavy rainfall; can be tropical (low latitudes) or temperate (mid-latitudes).

Rain Shadow

Areas on the leeward side of a mountain that receive little rain.

Savanna

(Also Temperate Grassland) A grassy plain in subtropical and tropical regions.

Shelf

(Also continental shelf) Portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea (costal). Very rich in nutrients. THIS IS UNDERWATER

Shrubland

(Also: scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush) is a plant community characterized this vegetation type

Solar Radiation

Energy emission from the sun.

Swamp

Wet area with large amounts of water and vegetation.

Taiga

(Also boreal forest) Biome that consists of cold, dense forests of coniferous trees, found in high latitudes.

Temperate

A climate region with moderate temperatures and distinct seasons, found between the tropics and polar regions.

Temperate Forest

A biome with moderate temperatures, distinct seasons, and a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees.

Temperate Grassland

A terrestrial biome characterised by grasses and shrubs, located in mid-latitudes with moderate temperatures and distinct seasons.

Temperature

A measure of the average kinetic energy in particles of a substance - often used to describe relative hotness or cold.

Tri-Cellular Model

A simplified explanation of atmospheric circulations that create the climate zones on the Earth.

Tropic of Cancer

Latitude 23.5 degrees north of the Equator

Tropic of Capricorn

Latitude 23.5 degrees sounth of the Equator

Tropical Climate Zone

A climate with stable high temperatures and high precipitation levels

Tropical cyclone

A rapidly circulating storm system with a low-pressure centre that originates in the tropics and is characterized by strong winds.

Tropical Grassland (savanna)

A grassland biome typically located between 5 and 20° north and south of the equator with much sunshine, high temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons.

Tropical Rainforest

Forest biome with consistent sunshine, temperatures of 26-28 °C, and annual precipitation of 2 000-5 000 mm

Tundra

A land with an extremely cold climate and low biodiversity with short growing seasons and harsh conditions.

Typhoon

A severe tropical cyclone in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.

Weather

This describes the conditions in the atmosphere (temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed, etc.). Over a short period of time.