Studied by 33 people
climate
the type of weather patterns that a place has, on average over a long period of time (50-100 years)
weather
a term that describes the condition of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, wind, and atmospheric pressure
biomes
a major climate region with particular plants and animal communities. Earth has 6 important biomes
humidity
a measure of how much water vapor is in the air
latitude
a line that goes side to side, used to record exact locations
longitude
a line that goes up and down, used to record exact locations
altitude
the vertical distance (height) or (elevation) above a baseline such as sea level
biodiversity
the variety of life in a defined area
adaptations
an inherited trait that helps organisms survive
desert
a climate region that averages less than 35cm of rainfall per year
rain shadow effect
moist air rises and travels up a mountain then cools, so there is very little moisture left
grassland
climate regions with too little rainfall to support a forest
temperate forest
climate regions with large trees in the mid latitudes that have four seasons
deciduous
trees loosing leaves at the end of growing season
tropical rainforest
climate regions found near the equator that have a lot of rainfall and high biodiversity
tiaga
the largest climate region found in the higher latitudes also known as the boreal or coniferous forest
coniferous
a tree that makes pine cones
tundra (arctic and alpine)
a climate region located in the high latitudes known as the coldest land biome
permafrost
a frozen layer of ground which has a layer of soil above it
carbon sink
anything that stores more carbon dioxide that gets released into the atmosphere
latitude, precipitation, elevation, topogrophy, distance from a large body of water
what are the factors that affect climate
the sun
what is the major source of energy for weather
deserts, grasslands, tiagas, tundras, temperature decidous forests, tropical rainforests
what are the 6 main land biomes
near the equator because this is where the sun is closest to being above our heads year round
Where is the earth hottest and why
if a region is near water, it wont have hot or cold water because water cools and heats fast (high specific heat)
How does water (humidity, precipitation, proximity to large bodies of water) affect biomes and climate
30, 30, 35
Most deserts are found between ____°N and _____°S and receive less than ______cm of rainfall per year.
rainshadow- caused by the rain shadow effect
Fog- moisture filled air comes from the ocean, small amounts of rain, very windy
name and explain the two types of deserts
on every continent except for antarctica
where are grasslands found
Savannahs (tropical)- 2 seasons wet and dry, 50-127cm of rainfall per year
Temperate- 4 seasons 50-89cm of rainfall per year
Differentiate between the two types of grasslands
Steppe, outback, veld, prarie
What other names are used to describe grasslands around the world?
middle latitude regions
Where are temperate deciduous forests found?
75-150
The annual average rainfall in a temperate deciduous forest is ____ to _____ cm.
no, its the only forest with 4 seasons. The savannahs have wet and dry season
Is the temperate deciduous forest the only biome to have seasons? Explain.
23.5,23.5, equator
Tropical rainforests found between _____ °N and _____°S (near the _____________).
bannanas, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, cinnimon, coconut
What are some foods that are only found in the rainforest
because land gets cleared, land topsoil washes away causing unusable farming land
Why is destruction of the tropical rainforests a problem for the whole world
boreal, coniferous
The taiga may also be called a ________________ or ______________ forest.
50, 70
The taiga is found between _____° and _____°N.
40-100cm
How much precipitation does the taiga get?
Vegetation
Taiga is the Russian word for
evergreen trees with needle like leaves
What kinds of trees grow in the taiga
the air spaces in between snow crystals prevents the ground underneath from loosing more and more heat
how can snow keep things warm
Tundra
What is the coldest biome on Earth
treeless land
Tundra is from a Finnish word, meaning
Alpine- high altitude, in the mid latitudes
Arctic- near the arctic cirlce 66.5 N
What is the difference between an alpine tundra and the Arctic tundra
permafrost is frozen ground which has a small layer of soil over it and its called a carbon sink because it stores more carbon dioxide than is released in the atmosphere
What is permafrost, and why is it called a “carbon sink?”
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