Climates

April 25, 2013Mr. 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 works1. Solar energy penetrates the atmosphere in

the form of sunlight2. Most of the sunlight is converted into heat

energy3. Gases do not allow heat energy to pass back

out of atmosphereo Heat is trapped inside earth’s atmosphere

4. 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 ecosystemTemperaturePrecipitationHumidityWindSoil TypeAmount of Sunlight

Habitat vs. NatureHabitat- area where an organism livesNiche- 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 InteractionsResource- Any necessity of life

WaterNutrientsLightFoodSpace

Competitive Exclusion PrincipalCompetitive 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 organismPredator- does the killing and eatingPrey- food for predator

Symbiosis

Symbiosis- Any relationship in which two species live closely together

• There are 3 types of symbiotic relationships– Mutualism– Commensalism– Parasitism

MutualismMutualism- 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 harmedo Barnacles living on a whale

Parasitism

Parasitism- One organism lives on or inside another organism and harms itThe parasite obtains all or part of nutritional

needs from the host organismEx: Fleas, Ticks, and Lice

Ecological Succession

Ecological Succession- series of predicatble changes that occur in a community over timeCan 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 exists1. Volcanic eruption builds a new island

o Start with no soil, just ash and rock

2. Pioneer Species- first species to populate the areao Often Lichen- Fungus and Alga

Succession continued

3. Lichens grow and break rocks4. 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 soilDisturbances include:

Natural Events such as firesHuman activities, such as over-farming