1. The Biosphere Chapter 48

2. Levels

3. Climate and Weather Weather = - Climate = - Regions climate is defined by year-after-year patterns of temperature and precipitation Microclimates – - Warmer or cooler near a body of water

4. Factors that Affect Climate Global Climate is shaped by many factors, including… Transport of heat by winds and ocean currents Latitude Solar energy trapped in the biosphere

5. Heat Transfer - Winds - Wind is caused by warm air being less dense and rising, while the cooler air is more dense and sinks! Our predominant wind direction? -

6. Global Circulation - Once it reaches an altitude that is cold enough, the air condenses and cools to sink back to the equator. The moisture falls as precipitation!

7. Coriolis Effect - -. Deflected to the right in the N. Hemisphere Deflected to the left in the S. Hemisphere

8. Earth’s Tilt -. More intense sunlight and longer days in the summer than the winter.

9. Latitude - Polar Temperate Tropical Temperate and tropical regions receive different amount of solar energy at different times of the year because Earth’s axis is tilted.

10. Harnessing the Sun and Wind -. Solar energy is 10x the energy from all fossil fuel reserves combined. Uses: - Harnessing winds = wind energy Wind farms = noise and kill birds/bats

11. In the Air Pollutants = - Disrupts normal processes because organisms evolved in its absence Ozone layer – - Chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs, main ozone destroyers Smog – -

12. In The Air Acid rain – sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides mix with water droplets and fall as rain or snow. -

13. The Ocean, Landforms, and Climates -. The force of major winds, Earth’s rotation, and topography determine the directional movement of ocean currents.

14. Rainshadows and Monsoons -As warm moist air moves up mountains, it begins to cool and condense releasing the water droplets at the top of the mountain. On the leeward side, rainfall is sparse. Monsoon – -

15. Biogeographic Realms Early naturalists divided Earth’s land masses into six realms Realms – - Example: Palm trees and calms were one realm However, these realms became subdivided over time

16. Biomes - Distribution of biomes is influence by climate, soil type, and interactions among species

17. Climograph -

18. Soil in Biomes Each biome has a soil profile – -

19. Other Land Areas -

20. Aquatic Ecosystems Aquatic organisms are affected by the water’s depth, temperature, flow, and amount of dissolved nutrients. Water depth: Photic zone – - -– area where photosynthesis does not occur Benthic zone – -

21. Freshwater Ecosystems 3 major categories of freshwater ecosystems -

22. Estuaries - Vary in size and depth “Marine nurseries” – many larval and young invertebrates and fish develop here Migrating birds use estuaries as rest stops

23. Marine Ecosystems -

24. Ocean Features - – undersea mountains that stand 1,000 meters or more tall Attract large numbers of fish and home to invertebrates -– superheated water that contains dissolved minerals “spews” out from the ocean floor -– process where nutrient rich waters moves upward along the coasts of continents