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Climates. April 25, 2013 Mr. Alvarez. What is Climate?. Weather- The day-to-day conditions of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place Climate- the average, year after year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region. The Greenhouse Effect.
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Climates April 25, 2013 Mr. Alvarez
What is Climate? • Weather- The day-to-day conditions of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place • Climate- the average, year after year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region
The Greenhouse Effect • Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor and a few other atmospheric gases trap heat energy and maintain Earth’s temperature range • Function like glass windows of a greenhouse
Greenhouse Effect • Greenhouse Effect- The natural situation in which heat is retained by the layer of greenhouse gases
How this works • Solar energy penetrates the atmosphere in the form of sunlight • Most of the sunlight is converted into heat energy • Gases do not allow heat energy to pass back out of atmosphere • Heat is trapped inside earth’s atmosphere • If gases were not present, earth would be 30° Celsius cooler
Effect of Latitude on Climate • The angle at which the sunlight hits the earth affects climate • Earth has 3 main climate zones • Polar Zone- cold areas where the sun’s rays strike earth at a very low angle • Between 66.5° and 90° North and South Latitude • Temperate Zone- more affected by the changing angle of the sun over the year, climate in these zones range from hot to cold
Effect continued • Earth has 3 main climate zones • Polar Zone- cold areas where the sun’s rays strike earth at a very low angle • Between 66.5° and 90° North and South Latitude • Temperate Zone- more affected by the changing angle of the sun over the year, climate in these zones range from hot to cold • Between Polar and Tropic Zones • Tropical Zone- Receive direct sunlight year round, making the climate always warm • Between 23.5° N and 23.5° S Latitude
Biotic and Abiotic Factors • Together, biotic and abiotic factors determine the survival and growth of an organism and the productivity of an ecosystem in which the organism lives • Biotic- all living things, plants, animals and microorganisms, that affect an ecosystem
Abiotic Factors • Abiotic- all nonliving things in an ecosystem • Temperature • Precipitation • Humidity • Wind • Soil Type • Amount of Sunlight
Habitat vs. Nature • Habitat-area where an organism lives • Niche- the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives, and the way in which the organism uses those conditions • If a habitat is an organisms address, then its niche is its occupation
Parts of a Niche • Organism’s place in the food web • What it eats, what eats it • Range of temperatures it can survive in • When and how an organism reproduces
Community Interactions • Resource- Any necessity of life • Water • Nutrients • Light • Food • Space
Competitive Exclusion Principal • Competitive Exclusion Principal- states that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time
Interactions • Predation- An interaction in which one organism captures and feeds another organism • Predator- does the killing and eating • Prey- food for predator
Symbiosis • Symbiosis- Any relationship in which two species live closely together • There are 3 types of symbiotic relationships • Mutualism • Commensalism • Parasitism
Mutualism • Mutualism- Both species benefit • Insects help pollinate flowers, flowers provide food for insects in form of nectar and pollen
Commensalism • Commensalism- One member benefits, while the other is neither helped nor harmed • Barnacles living on a whale
Parasitism • Parasitism- One organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it • The parasite obtains all or part of nutritional needs from the host organism • Ex: Fleas, Ticks, and Lice
Ecological Succession • Ecological Succession- series of predicatble changes that occur in a community over time • Can occur due to slow changes in physical environment or sudden natural disturbance from human activities, such as clearing a forest
Primary Succession • Primary Succession- Succession occurs of surfaces where no soil exists • Volcanic eruption builds a new island • Start with no soil, just ash and rock • Pioneer Species- first species to populate the area • Often Lichen- Fungus and Alga
Succession continued • Lichens grow and break rocks • Lichens die and add organic material to help form soil in which plants can grow
Secondary Succession • Secondary Succession- Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil • Disturbances include: • Natural Events such as fires • Human activities, such as over-farming