Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity

1. Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity Chapter 7

2. Dust Blown from West Africa to the Amazonian Rain Forests

3. 7-1 What Factors Influence Climate? • Concept 7-1 An area's climate is determined mostly by solar radiation, the earth’s rotation, global patterns of air and water movement, gases in the atmosphere, and the earth’s surface features.

4. The Earth Has Many Different Climates (1) • Weather • Climate • Air circulation in lower atmosphere due to • Uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun • Rotation of the earth on its axis • Properties of air, water, and land

5. The Earth Has Many Different Climates (2) • Currents • Prevailing winds • Earth’s rotation • Redistribution of heat from the sun • Link between air circulation, ocean currents, and biomes

6. Natural Capital: Generalized Map of the Earth’s Current Climate Zones

7. Global Air Circulation

8. Energy Transfer by Convection in the Atmosphere

9. Global Air Circulation, Ocean Currents, and Biomes

10. Warm, less salty, shallow current Cold, salty, deep current Fig. 7-5, p. 143

11. Greenhouse Gases Warm the Lower Atmosphere • Greenhouse gases • H2O • CO2 • CH4 • N2O • Greenhouse effect • Human-enhanced global warming

12. Flow of Energy to and from the Earth

13. The Earth’s Surface Features Affect Local Climates • Heat absorption by land and water • Effect of • Mountains • Rain shadow effect • Cities • Microclimates

14. Rain Shadow Effect

15. 7-2 How Does Climate Affect the Nature and Locations of Biomes? • Concept 7-2 Differences in average annual precipitation and temperature lead to the formation of tropical, temperate, and cold deserts, grasslands, and forests, and largely determine their locations.

16. Climate Affects Where Organisms Can Live • Major biomes • Latitude and elevation • Annual precipitation • Temperature

17. The Earth’s Major Biomes

18. Generalized Effects of Elevation and Latitude on Climate and Biomes

19. Stepped Art Fig. 7-11, p. 149

20. Stepped Art Fig. 7-12, p. 151

21. Monoculture Crop Replacing Biologically Diverse Temperate Grassland

22. Chaparral Vegetation in California, U.S.

23. Santa Monica Mountains, CA

24. Stepped Art Fig. 7-15, p. 154

25. 45 Emergent layer Harpy eagle 40 35 Toco toucan Canopy 30 25 Height (meters) 20 Under story Wooly opossum 15 10 Brazilian tapir Shrub layer 5 Black-crowned antpitta Ground layer 0 Fig. 7-17, p. 156

26. Temperate Rain Forest in Washington State, U.S.

27. Mountains Play Important Ecological Roles • Majority of the world’s forests • Habitats for endemic species • Help regulate the earth’s climate • Can affect sea levels • Major storehouses of water • Role in hydrologic cycle

28. Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State, U.S.

29. More Mountains!

30. 7-3 How Have We Affected the Word’s Terrestrial Ecosystems? • Concept 7-3 In many areas, human activities are impairing ecological and economic services provided by the earth’s deserts, grasslands, forests, and mountains.

31. NATURAL CAPITAL DEGRADATION Major Human Impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems Mountains Forests Grasslands Deserts Clearing for agriculture, livestock grazing, timber, and urban development Conversion to cropland Agriculture Large desert cities Timber extraction Soil destruction by off-road vehicles Release of CO2 to atmosphere from burning grassland Mineral extraction Hydroelectric dams and reservoirs Soil salinization from irrigation Conversion of diverse forests to tree plantations Increasing tourism Overgrazing by livestock Urban air pollution Depletion of groundwater Increased ultraviolet radiation from ozone depletion Damage from off-road vehicles Oil production and off-road vehicles in arctic tundra Land disturbance and pollution from mineral extraction Soil damage from off-road vehicles Pollution of forest streams Fig. 7-20, p. 158