Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity

1. Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity Chapter 7

2. The Earth Has Many Different Climates • Weather –local areas short term temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover and other physical conditions of the lower atmosphere • Climate – general atmospheric conditions measured over a long period of time

3. What Factors Influence Climate? • An area's climate is determined mostly by solar radiation, the earth’s rotation, global patterns of air and water movement, gases in the atmosphere, and the earth’s surface features.

4. Air circulation in lower atmosphere due to • Uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun • Rotation of the earth on its axis • Properties of air, water, and land

5. Connections between Wind, Climate, and Biomes • Wind • Indirect form of solar energy, • part of the earth’s circulatory system for heat, moisture, plant nutrients, soil particles and long lived air pollutants Dust blown from West Africa – soil nutrients in Amazonian rain forests, toxic air pollutants in the US

6. The Earth Has Many Different Climates • Prevailing winds blowing over the oceans produce mass movements of water called currents. Driven by prevaining winds and the earth’s rotation, the major oceancurrents redistribute heat from the sun from place to place., thereby influencing climate and vegetation.

7. Global Air Circulation • Currents • Prevailing winds • Earth’s rotation • Redistribution of heat from the sun 60°N Cold deserts Air cools and descends at lower latitudes. Westerlies Forests 30°N Northeast trades Hot deserts Warm air rises and moves toward the poles. Forests Solar energy 0° Equator Air cools and descends at lower latitudes. Southeast trades Hot deserts 30°S The highest solar energy input is at the equator. Westerlies Forests Cold deserts 60°S Fig. 7-3, p. 142

8. Energy Transfer by Convection in the Atmosphere LOW PRESSURE HIGH PRESSURE Heat released radiates to space Condensation and precipitation Cool, dry air Rises, expands, cools Falls, is compressed, warms Hot, wet air Warm, dry air Flows toward low pressure, picks up moisture and heat LOW PRESSURE HIGH PRESSURE Moist surface warmed by sun Fig. 7-4, p. 143

9. Oceans absorb heat from the earth’s circulation patterns : most of this heat is absorbed in tropical waters, which receive most of the sun’s heat Heat and differences in water density (mass/unit volume) create warm an cold ocean currents. Prevailing winds and irregularly shaped continents interrupt these currents and cause them to flow in roughly circular patterns between the continents Clockwise – northern hemisphere Anti clockwise – southern hemisphere

10. High density cold waters sinks and flows beneath warmer and less dense sea water Creates a connected loop of deep and shallow ocean currents which act like a giant conveyor belt Transfers warm and cold water between the tropics and the poles Ocean currents are affected by winds in the atmosphere and heat from the ocean affects atmospheric circulation

11. Warm, less salty, shallow current Cold, salty, deep current Connected Deep and Shallow ocean currents Fig. 7-5, p. 143

12. Moist air rises, cools, and releases moisture as rain Polar cap Arctic tundra Evergreen coniferous forest Global Air Circulation, Ocean Currents, and Biomes 60° Temperate deciduous forest and grassland Desert 30° Tropical deciduous forest Equator 0° Tropical rain forest Tropical deciduous forest Desert 30° Temperate deciduous forest and grassland 6 giant convection cells moist air rises ,cool dry air sinks 60° Polar cap Fig. 7-6, p. 144

13. Greenhouse Gases Warm the Lower Atmosphere • Greenhouse gases • H2O allow mostly visible light and some infra red • CO2 radiation and some UV radiation from the sun • CH4 to pass through the atmosphere • N2O • Greenhouse effect – long wave length infra red radiation (heat) rises to the lower atmosphere • Human-enhanced global warming – burning fossil fuels, clearing forests Allow visible light , infra red and UV radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere

14. Flow of Energy to and from the Earth

15. The Earth’s Surface Features Affect Local Climates • Heat is absorbed and released more slowly by water than by land. Creates land and sea breezes • World’s oceans and large lakes moderate weather and climate • Effect of earth’s surface features • Mountains-interrupt flow of prevailing winds and movement of storms • Rain shadow effect • Cities -Microclimates bricks, concrete, asphalt absorb and hold heat and buildings block wind flow. Cars release large amount of pollutants. More haze and smog, higher temperatures and lower wind speeds

16. Prevailing winds pick up moisture from an ocean. On the windward side of a mountain range, air rises, cools, and releases moisture. On the leeward side of the mountain range, air descends, warms, and releases little moisture. Rain Shadow Effect Fig. 7-7, p. 145

17. How Does Climate Affect the Nature and Locations of Biomes? • Differencesin average annual precipitation and temperature lead to the formation of tropical, temperate, and cold deserts, grasslands, and forests, and largely determine their locations.

18. Climate Affects Where Organisms Can Live • Major biomes – large terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate, soil, plants and animals. Mosaic of patches each with some basic similarities but different biological communities • Latitude and elevation • Annual precipitation • Temperature –tropical, temperate, polar

19. The Earth’s Major Biomes

20. Effects of Elevation and Latitude on Climate and Biomes Elevation Mountain ice and snow Tundra (herbs, lichens, mosses) Coniferous Forest Deciduous Forest Latitude Tropical Forest Coniferous Forest Tundra (herbs, lichens, mosses) Deciduous Forest Tropical Forest Polar ice and snow Fig. 7-9, p. 147

21. Cold Polar Tundra Subpolar Temperate Coniferous forest Decreasing temperature Desert Grassland Deciduous forest Tropical Chaparral Hot Desert Savanna Rain forest Wet Dry Tropical seasonal forest Scrubland Decreasing precipitation Fig. 7-10, p. 147

22. There Are Three Major Types of Deserts • Tropical deserts • Temperate deserts • Cold deserts • Fragile ecosystem • Slow plant growth • Low species diversity • Slow nutrient recycling • Lack of water

23. Climate Graphs of Three Types of Deserts Stepped Art Fig. 7-11, p. 149

24. There Are Three Major Types of Grasslands • Tropical – savanna : grazing animals, browsing animals • Temperate – tall grass prairie and short grass prairie- • Cold (arctic tundra) – permafrost, very fragile biome

25. Climate Graphs of Tropical, Temperate, and Cold Grasslands Stepped Art Fig. 7-12, p. 151

26. Monoculture Crop Replacing Biologically Diverse Temperate Grassland

27. Temperate Shrubland: Nice Climate, Risky Place to Live • Chaparral • Near the sea: nice climate • Prone to fires in the dry season

28. Chaparral Vegetation in Utah, U.S. Stepped Art Fig. 7-14, p. 152

29. There Are Three Major Types of Forests • Tropical rain forests • Temperature and moisture • Stratification of specialized plant and animal niches • Little wind: significance • Rapid recycling of scarce soil nutrients • Impact of human activities

30. There Are Three Major Types of Forests • Temperate deciduous forests • Temperature and moisture • Broad-leaf trees • Slow rate of decomposition: significance • Impact of human activities

31. There Are Three Major Types of Forests • Evergreen coniferous forests: boreal and taigas • Temperature and moisture • Few species of cone: bearing trees • Slow decomposition: significance • Coastal coniferous forest • Temperate rain forests

32. Climate Graphs of Tropical, Temperate, and Cold Forests Stepped Art Fig. 7-15, p. 154

33. Ocelot Harpy eagle Blue and gold macaw Tropical Rain Forest Squirrel monkeys Climbing monstera palm Katydid Green tree snake Slaty-tailed trogon Tree frog Ants Bacteria Bromeliad Fungi Producer to primary consumer Primary to secondary consumer Secondary to higher-level consumer All producers and consumers to decomposers Fig. 7-16, p. 155

34. Stratification 45 Emergent layer Harpy eagle 40 35 Toco toucan Canopy 30 25 Height (meters) 20 Under story Wooly opossum 15 10 Brazilian tapir Shrub layer 5 Black-crowned antpitta Ground layer 0 Fig. 7-17, p. 156

35. Temperate Rain Forest in Washington State, U.S.

36. Mountains Play Important Ecological Roles • Majority of the world’s forests • Habitats for endemic species • Help regulate the earth’s climate – snow and ice covers reflect solar radiation back. Cool earth and off set global warming • Can affect sea levels by storing and releasing water in glacial ice. Warmer earth adds water by melting of glaciers • Major storehouses of water • Role in hydrologic cycle

37. Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State, U.S.

38. How Have We Affected the Word’s Terrestrial Ecosystems? • In many areas, human activities are impairing ecological and economic services provided by the earth’s deserts, grasslands, forests, and mountains.

39. Humans Have Disturbed Most of the Earth’s Lands • Deserts • Grasslands • Forests • Mountains

40. NATURAL CAPITAL DEGRADATION Major Human Impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems Mountains Forests Grasslands Deserts Clearing for agriculture, livestock grazing, timber, and urban development Conversion to cropland Agriculture Timber extraction Release of CO2 to atmosphere from burning grassland Mineral extraction Hydroelectric dams and reservoirs Soil salinization from irrigation Conversion of diverse forests to tree plantations Increasing tourism Overgrazing by livestock Urban air pollution Depletion of groundwater Increased ultraviolet radiation from ozone depletion Damage from off-road vehicles Oil production and off-road vehicles in arctic tundra Land disturbance and pollution from mineral extraction Soil damage from off-road vehicles Pollution of forest streams Large desert cities Soil destruction by off-road vehicles Stepped Art Fig. 7-20, p. 158