1. The Biosphere Climate and Biomes

2. You’ve probably heard a lot about Global Climate Change (sometimes called Global Warming). What is climate? What effects can a changing climate have on living organisms? Suppose your region has an especially hot summer, followed by a very cold winter that includes a snowstorm. Does this support, disprove, or have little to do with Global Climate Change? DAILYWORKDAILYWORK

3. Climate Climate is not the same thing as weather! Climate consists of the prevailing weather patterns in a region over longs periods of time. Climate is caused by many factors, including location on the globe, nearness to an ocean, wind direction, geography.

4. 90° N 90° S North Pole South Pole 0° 23.5° tilt equator June 21st : northern summer solstice; southern winter solstice December 21st : northern winter solstice; southern summer solstice 23.5° tilt Summer in the Northern Hemisphere Summer in the Southern Hemisphere The sun drives climate as well as the seasons.

5. Average temperature at any part of the globe is affected not by how close we are to the sun (a common misconception) but by the angle of incidence of the sun’s rays. Less direct rays = less solar energy = cooler region More direct rays = more solar energy = warmer region

6. Global air circulation influences local climates. Rising air cools and drops moisture. Descending air tends to be dry. cool, moist air rises (rain/snow) warm, dry air falls Polar Easterlies hot, moist air rises (rain) warm, dry air falls cool, moist air rises (rain/snow) polar cap 90 S 60 S 30 S 30 N 90 N polar cap cold, dry air falls 60 N 0 Westerlies S.E. Tradewinds N.E. Tradewinds rain forest desert rotation Westerlies Polar Easterlies desert rain forest cold, dry air falls

7. According to this diagram, where on the planet should we find: Deserts? Tropical rain forests? Permanent snowfields? DAILYWORKDAILYWORK A. Cool, moist, rising air B. Warm, dry, falling air C. Warm, moist, rising air

8. Ocean current also affect climate. Water tends to absorb and retain heat, and lose it slowly. Ocean water near the equator tends to be warm, so currents from the equator are warm. Water near the poles is much cooler.

9. The Gulf Stream carries warm water from the equator northward, warming the coast of Europe. There is evidence that the Greenland ice is melting, due to Global Climate Change, and pouring cold water into the North Atlantic. If this happens what will happen to the climate of Northern Europe?

11. moist climate dry climate in rain shadow Water is carried from ocean by prevailing winds. Water is released as air rises and cools. Dry air sinks, warms and absorbs water from the land.

12. altitude low high latitude equator (0°) poles (90°) deciduous forest tundra rock, snow, ice coniferous forest tropical forest

13. Biomes The concept of “biome” is controversial. What “biomes” an ecology text describes depends on how fine-grained the divisions are. At the broadest view, there are six major biomes.

14. Major Biomes Hot, dry = hot desert Hot, wet = tropical rain forest Warm, dry = grasslands Warm, wet = temperate deciduous forest Cold, dry = tundra, cold desert Cold, wet = northern boreal forests (taiga)

15. Temperature Rainfall high low savanna tropical rain forest tropical deciduous forest warm grassland warm desert temperate rain foresttemperate deciduous forest cool grasslandcool desert coniferous forest (taiga) tundra

16. Desert Deserts may be hot or cold, though hot deserts have a different structure than cold deserts. Deserts are characterized by low rainfall. When rain does fall, it often falls “all at once,” and runs off.

17. Sagebrush Desert, Utah

18. Mojave Desert, California

19. Sahara Desert, Northern Africa

20. Where is this? A dry valley in Antarctica! Not all deserts are hot!

21. And even “hot” deserts aren’t always hot. Snow in the Mojave

22. Tropical Rain Forest Characterized by a warm climate and high rainfall. Very high biodiversity. Forest structure may include multiple layers: floor, understory, canopy, and emergent layers. Soil layer is thin, because organic material decays quickly and is taken up by plants.

23. Tropical Rain Forests

24. Mists over a tropical rain forest

25. Grassland Grasslands, shrublands, and dry woodlands are characterized by: Low to moderate rainfall (semi-arid) Warm to hot summers, cold winters Prairies may have deep, rich soil

26. Shortgrass prairie, South Dakota

27. Zhongdian Steppe, Tibet

28. Prairie habitats are fire-based ecosystems.

29. Temperate Deciduous Forest Deciduous forests grow in temperate regions with moderate rainfall that also tend to have wet summers. Trees drop their leaves before the cold winters. The open spring canopy allows a flush of spring wildflowers before the trees leaf out again.

30. Mohican State Memorial Forest, Ohio

31. Oak-Hickory forest, Missouri

32. Northern Boreal Forest Coniferous forests are favored where there are either dry seasons or harsh winters, or both. Needle-shaped leaves with waxy coats can endure harsh, cold winds in northern climates and on mountains. Needle-leaved conifers are also found near oceans, where harsh salt spray can dry out plants.

33. High winter rainfall can create temperate rainforests in this biome, such as the Hoh Rainforest in Washington.

34. Where there is less rainfall, the trees are more sparse, as in this taiga forest in Alaska.

35. Tundra Arctic tundra is characterized by permafrost, shrubby vegetation, and sometimes bogs. Alpine tundra usually does not have permafrost, but does feature alpine meadows or shrubby vegetation, and no trees.

36. Arctic tundra in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

37. Alpine tundra on Mt. Rainier

38. Ocean Biomes Oceans are often divided into zones just as the land is, including: Estuary Intertidal zone Continental shelf Open ocean Hydrothermal vents

39. plankton photic zone 200 m aphotic zone open ocean intertidal zone near-shore zone

40. Estuary

41. Intertidal zone: Rocky

42. Intertidal zone: sandy

43. Continental Shelf

44. Reef

45. Open Ocean

46. Deep Ocean

47. Hydrothermal Vents