GHY 104 1st Edition Exam 4 Study GuideGlobal Climate Classification- Koppen Climate Classification - Primary letters A: Tropical B: Arid C: Mesothermal D: Microthermal E: Polar- Secondary Letters f: rainfall all year w: winter dry s: summer dry m: monsoon- For Bclimates S: semi-arid W: desert- For E climates F: permanent ice T: tundra- Tertiary Letters- For C and D climates a: hot summer b: warm summer c: cool summer d: very cold winter- For B climates h: hot k: cold- Know ClimographsIntro to Biosphere- Climate has a very important influence on the distribution and abundance of life form on Earth. - Biogeography – is the study of spatial patterns of biodiversity, how they change over time, and what causes these patterns. - Ecosystem Essentials- Ecosystems - the set of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components of a given environment.- Components of an ecosystem are linked through flows of nutrients and energy.- Photosynthesis and Respiration- Everything begins with the soil (abiotic), followed by plants (biotic). Without these two, no life would exist on this planet. - Photosynthesis – creates the stored energy = sugars. - Respiration – this burns the sugars to make energy.- The difference between the two is called net photosynthesis = net primary productivity.- Net primary productivity produces biomass = stored carbohydrates.- Net Primary Productivity- Biomass – is the net dry weight of all this organic material and its stored chemical energy. It can be measured. - Carbon cycle - Invasive species- Deforestation and carbon cycleTropical Climates and Biomes- Tropical Rain Forest Climates (Af)- Amazon River Basin - Congo River Basin- Indonesia and southeastern Asia- Central America- Tropical Monsoon Climates (Am)- Tropical Savanna Climates (Aw)- Consistent daylength and insolation input- Consistent warm temperatures throughout the year- Rainfall influenced by ITCZ- Shifts seasonally with high sun period- Warm ocean currents, unstable maritime air masses- Epiphytes live off the forest floor.Deforestation of the Tropics- Trees and plants = carbon, hydrogen, oxygen- Rain forests ast as a carbon sink, a location where carbon is stored naturally- Deforestation and burning of the rain forest release carbon back to the atmosphere- Carbon exists in the atmosphere in the form of CO2 gas- CO2 is a greenhouse gas and traps longwave radiation from leaving the Earth.Tropical Seasonal Forest and Scrub Tropical Savanna- Difference between the two is based on the amount of trees.- Savanna mostly grasses with few isolated trees, while seasonal forests are mostly trees with grasses in-between.- Exists poleward, on either side of rain forest. - Africa has largest expanse of both. - Flat-topped trees (acacia) – very fire dependent ecosystems- Great biological diversity in wildlife.Desert Climate and biomes- Low-Latitude hot Deset Climates (BWh)- Midlatitude Cold Desert Climates (BWk)- Low-Latitude Hot Steppe Climates (BSh)- Midlatitude Cold Steppe Climates (BSk)- Potential for evaporation exceeds rainfall (called moisture efficiency)- Cover 35% of Earths surface- Most extensive geographically of the 14 major climate groups- Nearly half of the U.S. is classified as arid and semiarid. - Plants are sparse but specifically adapted:- Xerophytes: adapted to aridity, are drought resistant, and able to store moisture- Climate controls:- STHP: dry, subsiding air over land masses- Shifting STHP: produces semiarid conditions around periphery of arid areas.- Rain shadows: found on leeward sides of mountain ranges after all moisture was dropped on the windward side.- Continentality: interiors of continents are far from the moderating effects of bodies of water.- cT air masses: but these are uncommon in North America Desert Biome- Types of plants in deserts- All are generally classified as Xerophytes- Phreatophytes: plants that grow along water courses with deep tap roots- Ephemerals: plants that wait years for rainfall events- Succulents: plants that store water for long periods to survive continued aridity- Halophytes: plants specifically adapted to the very salty environment often found in deserts - Adaptations by plants to survive in deserts:- Long, deep taproots: mesquite tree, sometimes up to 100 feet in length- Succulence: cacti that have thick, fleshy, water-holding tissue (barrel cactus)- Spreading root systems: capture any available moisture that strikes the ground (saguaro cactus)- Waxy coatings on leaves: inhibits moisture loss- Drought deciduous plants: lose leaves in drought- Reflective surfaces on leaves - Palatability: bad taste to distract herbivory- Desertification – expansion of the desertMesothermal Climates and biomes- Humid Subtropical (Hot-Summer) Climates- Cfa, Cwa- Mississippi is a Cfa climate- C = warmest month above 10 ⁰C, coldest month above -3 ⁰C = seasonal climates- f = year-round precipitation- a = hot summer, warmest month above 22 ⁰C- w = winter dry, with > 70% of rainfall concentrated in summer months- Marine West Coast Climates- Cfb, Cfc- Mediterranean (Dry-Sumer) Climates- Csa, Csb- Kudzu “The vine that ate the south”- Perennial, leguminous vine. Deciduous, losing its leaves in the fall after a killing frost - Introduced in the U.S. in the late 1800s as an ornamental (fragrant blossoms)- In the 1930s, U.S. Department of Agriculture imported kudzu to help control erosionon bare banks and fallow fields throughout the South. - The vines grow as much as a foot per day during summer months. - Under ideal conditions, kudzu vines can grow sixty feet each year.- Now killing off our native vegetation, which cannot compete for light resources with the fast-growing vine!- Mediterranean Climates (Csa, Csb)- Greatest expanse is in the Mediterranean Sea region of Europe.- Wet winters (70% of precipitation), dry summers = “s”.- In summer, STHP shifts northward, causing very dry summers (July is the driest month in SanFrancisco).- In winter, STHP moves southward, allowing the westerlies to again flow from west to east, bringing moisture in the form of midlatitude cyclones. - C = Mesothermal = seasonal temperatures - Shrubland=maquis=chaparral- Shrub: A woody plant of relatively low height, having several stems arising from the base and lacking a single trunk. - Europe = maquis- California = chaparralMicrothermal climates and biomes- Humid Continental Hot-Summer Climates- Dfa, Dwa-
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