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Plant Ecology - Chapter 17

Plant Ecology - Chapter 17. Climate & Physiognomy. The Abiotic Components of Ecosystems. 1) Outside energy source 2) Physical factors that determine weather, climate 3) Chemicals essential for life. Outside Energy Source. Powers photosynthesis. Warms earth. Powers water cycle.

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Plant Ecology - Chapter 17

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  1. Plant Ecology - Chapter 17 Climate & Physiognomy

  2. The Abiotic Components of Ecosystems 1) Outside energy source 2) Physical factors that determine weather, climate 3) Chemicals essential for life

  3. Outside Energy Source Powers photosynthesis Warms earth Powers water cycle

  4. Physical factors that determineweather, climate Heat Wind Precipitation Topography

  5. Heat • Location • Reflection • Retention

  6. Heat

  7. Heat

  8. Heat

  9. Heat

  10. Heat • Daily temperatures can also vary dramatically in some habitats • Deserts - dry air, loses heat rapidly • High altitudes - thinner “blanket” of atmosphere

  11. Heat • Long-term changes in earth’s orbit, position • Collectively produce Croll-Milankovic effects on climate • Orbit shape change • Affects range of seasonal variation

  12. Heat • Degree of tilt • Affects range of seasonal variation

  13. Heat • Direction of the tilt - the “wobble” • Changes which hemisphere is pointed toward sun when orbit is closest to sun • Affects severity of seasonal shift

  14. Wind and Precipitation • Uneven heating • Ascending, descending air masses - Hadley cell

  15. Modifiers • Rotation of the globe - Coriolis effect • Hadley, Ferrel cells, jet streams

  16. Modifiers • Ocean currents, gyres induced by surface air mass movements

  17. Modifiers • Topography - mountains • Rain shadows

  18. Modifiers • Topography - lakes • Lake effect precipitation

  19. Modifiers Annual precipitation

  20. Modifiers

  21. Seasonal Patterns

  22. Multi-year Patterns 3-7-year El Nino Southern Oscillation

  23. Multi-year Patterns • Combined ocean currents and jet stream

  24. Multi-year Patterns El Nino • Milder winters along US-Canada border • Increased winter storms in California • Floods in SE, snow in SW mountains • Decreased hurricane activity in Atlantic

  25. Multi-year Patterns La Nina • More, stronger tornadoes in Midwest • More, stronger hurricanes • Drought, forest fires in SW

  26. Plant Physiognomy • North-south gradient in vegetation form due to temperature • West-east changes in response to precipitation

  27. Plant Physiognomy • Evergreen broadleaf • Deciduous broadleaf • Evergreen coniferous • Tree line

  28. Plant Physiognomy • Tree line climate can produce strange tree forms - krummholz • Atypical growth pattern resulting from borderline growth conditions - mean annual soil temps. <5-8°C, air temps. ~10°C

  29. Plant Physiognomy • Gradual transition from west to east, grassland to woodland to forest • Changes in amount, seasonality of rainfall

  30. Plant Physiognomy • East of Rockies, start with short-grass prairie • Low-growing clumps of grass with bare patches between clumps

  31. Plant Physiognomy • Gradual shift from midgrass prairie to tallgrass prairie in Nebraska/Iowa • Taller grasses, forbs, more diversity and biomass • Follows pattern of increasing rainfall

  32. Plant Physiognomy • Further east - trees appear in places other than along streams • Woodlands - dominated by trees, but without a closed canopy (oak savanna)

  33. Plant Physiognomy • Forests appear near Illinois-Indiana border • Continue to the east coast

  34. Plant Physiognomy • Seasonality of precipitation (spring and fall) and warmer temperatures increase chance of drought in grasslands

  35. Plant Physiognomy • Mid-, tall-grass prairies experience fire every 3-5 years (too little combustible material in short-grass prairie) • Trees can’t survive frequent fires (apical meristems)

  36. Plant Physiognomy • Woodlands appear where fire frequency is low enough to allow trees to grow tall enough to avoid fire • Still are more fire-tolerant species

  37. Plant Physiognomy • Precipitation in forests is high enough to keep fire frequency low

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