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Chapter 5

Chapter 5. Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity. BIOMES: CLIMATE AND LIFE ON LAND. Different climates lead to different communities of organisms, especially vegetation. Convection Cells.

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Chapter 5

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  1. Chapter 5 Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity

  2. BIOMES: CLIMATE AND LIFE ON LAND • Different climates lead to different communities of organisms, especially vegetation.

  3. Convection Cells • Heat and moisture are distributed over the earth’s surface by vertical currents, which form six giant convection cells at different latitudes. Figure 5-6

  4. Ocean Currents: Distributing Heat and Nutrients • Ocean currents influence climate by distributing heat from place to place and mixing and distributing nutrients. Figure 5-7

  5. Topography and Local Climate:Land Matters • Interactions between land and oceans and disruptions of airflows by mountains and cities affect local climates. Figure 5-8

  6. Figure 3-9

  7. BIOMES: CLIMATE AND LIFE ON LAND • Biomes – large terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate, soil, plants, and animals. • Each biome contains many ecosystems whose communities have adapted to differences in climate, soil, and other environmental factors.

  8. BIOMES: CLIMATE AND LIFE ON LAND Figure 5-9

  9. Tropic of Cancer Equator High mountains Polar ice Polar grassland (arctic tundra) Tropic of Capricorn Temperate grassland Tropical grassland (savanna) Chaparral Coniferous forest Temperate deciduous forest Tropical forest Desert Fig. 5-9, p. 106

  10. BIOMES: CLIMATE AND LIFE ON LAND • Biome type is determined by precipitation, temperature and soil type Figure 5-10

  11. Cold Polar Tundra Subpolar Temperate Coniferous forest Decreasing temperature Desert Deciduous Forest Grassland Tropical Chaparral Hot Desert Savanna Wet Rain forest Dry Tropical seasonal forest Scrubland Decreasing precipitation Fig. 5-10, p. 107

  12. BIOMES: CLIMATE AND LIFE ON LAND • Parallel changes occur in vegetation type occur when we travel from the equator to the poles or from lowlands to mountaintops. Figure 5-11

  13. Elevation Mountain ice and snow Tundra (herbs, lichens, mosses) Coniferous Forest Latitude Deciduous Forest Tropical Forest Tundra (herbs, lichens, mosses) Polar ice and snow Deciduous Forest Coniferous Forest Tropical Forest Fig. 5-11, p. 108

  14. DESERT BIOMES • Deserts are areas where evaporation exceeds precipitation. • Deserts have little precipitation and little vegetation. • Found in tropical, temperate and polar regions. • Desert plants have adaptations that help them stay cool and get enough water.

  15. DESERT BIOMES • Variations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue) in tropical, temperate and cold deserts. Figure 5-12

  16. Tropical Desert Freezing point Mean monthly temperature (C) Mean monthly precipitation (mm) Month Fig. 5-12a, p. 109

  17. Temperate Desert Freezing point Mean monthly temperature (C) Mean monthly precipitation (mm) Month Fig. 5-12b, p. 109

  18. Polar Desert Freezing point Mean monthly precipitation (mm) Mean monthly temperature (°C) Month Fig. 5-12c, p. 109

  19. DESERT BIOMES • The flora and fauna in desert ecosystems adapt to their environment through their behavior and physiology. Figure 5-13

  20. Red-tailed hawk Gambel'sQuail Yucca Agave Jack rabbit Collared lizard Prickly pear cactus Roadrunner Darkling Beetle Bacteria Diamondback rattlesnake Fungi Kangaroo rat Primary to secondary consumer Secondary to higher-level consumer Producer to primary consumer All producers and consumers to decomposers Fig. 5-13, p. 110

  21. GRASSLANDS AND CHAPARRAL BIOMES • Variations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue). Figure 5-14

  22. Tropical grassland (savanna) Freezing point Mean monthly temperature (C) Mean monthly precipitation (mm) Month Fig. 5-14a, p. 112

  23. Temperate grassland Freezing point Mean monthly temperature (C) Mean monthly precipitation (mm) Month Fig. 5-14b, p. 112

  24. Polar grassland (arctic tundra) Freezing point Mean monthly temperature (C) Mean monthly precipitation (mm) Month Fig. 5-14c, p. 112

  25. GRASSLANDS AND CHAPARRAL BIOMES • Grasslands (prairies) occur in areas too moist for desert and too dry for forests. • Savannas are tropical grasslands with scattered tree and herds of hoofed animals.

  26. Temperate Grasslands: Prairies • The cold winters and hot dry summers have deep and fertile soil that make them ideal for growing crops and grazing cattle. Figure 5-15

  27. Temperate Grasslands • Temperate tall-grass prairie ecosystem in North America. • Accumulated organic matter create deep, fertile Figure 5-16

  28. Polar Grasslands • Polar grasslands are covered with ice and snow except during a brief summer. • Very fragile, recovers slowly from damage

  29. Tundra (polar grasslands) • Covers 10% of earth’s land. Most of the year, these treeless plains are bitterly cold with ice & snow. It has a 6 to 8 week summer w/ sunlight nearly 24 hours a day.

  30. Chaparral (temperate grassland) • These are coastal areas. Winters are mild & wet, w/ summers being long, hot, & dry.

  31. Chaparral • Chaparral has a moderate climate but its dense thickets of spiny shrubs are subject to periodic fires. • Higher rainfall in winter season creates greater risk of fire in dry summer season …more biomass. Ex: CA fires

  32. FOREST BIOMES • Variations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue) in tropical, temperate, and polar forests. Figure 5-19

  33. Tropical rain forest Freezing point Mean monthly temperature (C) Mean monthly precipitation (mm) Month Fig. 5-19a, p. 116

  34. Temperate deciduous forest Freezing point Mean monthly temperature (C) Mean monthly precipitation (mm) Month Fig. 5-19b, p. 116

  35. Polar evergreen coniferous forest (boreal forest, taiga) Freezing point Mean monthly temperature (C) Mean monthly precipitation (mm) Month Fig. 5-19c, p. 116

  36. FOREST BIOMES • Forests have enough precipitation to support stands of trees and are found in tropical, temperate, and polar regions.

  37. Tropical Rain Forest • Tropical rain forests have heavy rainfall and a rich diversity of species. • Found near the equator. • Have year-round uniformity warm temperatures and high humidity. Figure 5-20

  38. Tropical Rain Forest • Filling such niches enables species to avoid or minimize competition and coexist Figure 5-21

  39. Emergent layer Harpy eagle Toco toucan Canopy Height (meters) Understory Woolly opossum Shrub layer Brazilian tapir Ground layer Black-crowned antipitta Fig. 5-21, p. 118

  40. Tropical Rain Forest • Very high diversity • Rapid recycling of nutrients: decompose quickly, nutrients are taken up by plants • Soil is acidic and nutrient poor • Slash & burn: land can only support crops or cattle for a year or two: heavy rains leach out remaining nutrients • Rapidly losing remaining acres

  41. Temperate Deciduous Forest • Most of the trees survive winter by dropping their leaves, which decay and produce a nutrient-rich soil. Figure 5-22

  42. Evergreen Coniferous Forests (Taiga) • Consist mostly of cone-bearing evergreen trees that keep their needles year-round to help the trees survive long and cold winters. Figure 5-23

  43. Temperate Rain Forests • Coastal areas support huge cone-bearing evergreen trees such as redwoods and Douglas fir in a cool moist environment. Figure 5-24

  44. MOUNTAIN BIOMES • High-elevation islands of biodiversity • Cover ¼ of land surface • Dramatic changes in soil, climate, plants over short distances • Help regulate climate: snow-covered peaks reflect solar radiation • Water cycle: Glacier ice,gradually release water to lower-elevation streams and ecosystems. Figure 5-25

  45. HUMAN IMPACTS ON TERRESTRIAL BIOMES • Human activities have damaged or disturbed more than half of the world’s terrestrial ecosystems. • Humans have had a number of specific harmful effects on the world’s deserts, grasslands, forests, and mountains.

  46. Natural Capital Degradation Desert Large desert cities Soil destruction by off-road vehicles Soil salinization from irrigation Depletion of groundwater Land disturbance and pollution from mineral extraction Fig. 5-26, p. 123

  47. Natural Capital Degradation Grasslands Conversion to cropland Release of CO2 to atmosphere from grassland burning Overgrazing by livestock Oil production and off-road vehicles in arctic tundra Fig. 5-27, p. 123

  48. Natural Capital Degradation Forests Clearing for agriculture, livestock grazing, timber, and urban development Conversion of diverse forests to tree plantations Damage from off-road vehicles Pollution of forest streams Fig. 5-28, p. 124

  49. Natural Capital Degradation Mountains Agriculture Timber extraction Mineral extraction Hydroelectric dams and reservoirs Increasing tourism Urban air pollution Increased ultraviolet radiation from ozone depletion Soil damage from off-road vehicles Fig. 5-29, p. 124

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