Climate and Biodiversity

1. Climate and Biodiversity Chapter 5

2. Climate and Biodiversity • How are climates determined? • What is the climate’s affect on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems? • What is the affect of climate on biodiversity?

3. Wind: one aspect of climate • Wind important factor in earth’s climate • Circulates heat, moisture, plant nutrients, and long-lived pollutants • There is no “away” http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?2260 http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?2956 http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?10008

4. Factors that 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.

5. Many Different Climates • Weather, what we get • Local, short-term • Lower atmosphere • Supplement 10 (S43-47) • Climate, what we expect • General pattern, long-term

6. Many Different Climates • Climate • Average Temperature • Average precipitation determine climate • Latitude and elevation determine average temperature and precipitation

7. Earth's Climate = Natural Capital

8. Earth's Climate = Natural Capital • Global air circulation and ocean currents distribute heat and precipitation unevenly

9. Global Air Circulation • Three factors • Uneven heating of earth’s surface • Solar insolation • Rotation of the earth • Equator spins faster, air masses are deflected • Variations in properties of air, water, and land • Land heats faster than water, ocean heat transferred to atmosphere, creates cells

10. Air Circulation and Climate Animations/global_circ_anim.html

11. Energy Transfer by Convection

12. Air Circulation Animations/global_circ_int.html

13. Global Air Circulation: heat & moisture distributed by vertical currents POLAR CELL FERRELL CELL HADLEY CELL HADLEY CELL FERRELL CELL POLAR CELL

14. Earth’s Prevailing Winds http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/brainbites/nonflash/bb_home_corioliseffect.html http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/tlw3/eBridge/Chp29/animations/ch29/global_wind_circulation.swf

15. Prevailing winds affect Global Ocean Currents

16. Climate and Ocean Currents Map Animations/climate_currents_v2.html

17. Prevailing winds affect Global Ocean Currents • Creates surface currents • Affects regional climates (San Diego vs.. Georgia)

18. Prevailing winds affect Global Ocean Currents • Warm and cold currents created by differences in water density • Altered by earth’s rotation and continents • Redistributes heat, mixes ocean waters, and distributes nutrients and oxygen

19. Global Currents • Loop of deep and shallow ocean currents • Moves energy and nutrients around the globe Animations/upwelling.html

20. Global Currents • Ocean and atmosphere closely linked • Currents affected by winds • Ocean heat affects atmospheric circulation El Nino Southern Oscillation Animations/el_nino.html

21. 2006 Hurricane Season Videos/2006_Hurrican_Season.mov

22. Greenhouse Gases affect on Climate • Warm the lower atmosphere • Global warming may cause changes in the climate in various places Animations/greenhouse_effect.html Animations/greenhouse_gases.html Videos/Global_Warming.mov

23. Earth’s Surface Features and Climate • Heat absorbed and released more slowly by water than by land • Large bodies of water moderate climate

24. Earth’s Surface Features and Climate Animations/sea_breeze.html

25. Earth’s Surface Features and Climate • Movement of moist ocean air across a mountain • Rain and snow on windward side • Rain shadow on leeward side

26. Earth’s Surface Features and Climate • North America • Death Valley (Great Basin, Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Mojave) • South America • Atacama, Patagonia and Monte

27. Earth’s Surface Features and Climate • Man made features also affect climate • Heat islands