Ecology Unit 1

energy budget

earth’s ratio of incoming to outgoing energy

greenhouse gases

chemicals that absorb and re-emit infared radiation

latitude

distance from the equator (north or south)

intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)

region that gets high amounts of sunlight and rain, varies depending on time of year

rain shadow

effect created when a mountain range causes one side to receive more rain than another, leading to completely contrasting ecosystems

equinox

happens in march and september, when the equator gets the most direct sunlight

june solstice

northern hemisphere gets the most direct sunlight, marks the start of summer

southern hemisphere gets the least sunlight, marks the start of winter

december solstice

southern hemisphere gets the most sunlight, marks the start of summer

northern hemisphere gets the least sunlight, marks the start of winter

precipitation

This occurs when warm air cools, releasing water

warm, moist air rises at ITCZ

1st step of hadley cells

rising air cools, causing rain

2nd step of hadley cells

cool, dry air falls back down to earth

3rd step of hadley cells

falling air warms and flows back to the equator

4th step of hadley cells

biome

a community defined by climate and a set of plants and animals

tundra

limited rain and sun, permafrost leads to nutrient-poor soil

rainforest

gets plenty of rain with a consistent warm temperature, nutrient-rich soil leads to high species diversity

savanna

grassy, sparse trees with many wet/dry seasons

desert

very dry and consistent temperature, plants adapted to harsh environment