1 GEO 101, April 11, 2013 D and H climates and biomes General review A C D E “D” Characteristics of both “D” and “E” climates Great difference in seasons High latitudes - as latitude increases, overall temperature decreases Insolation extremes between summer and winter 0° 30° 30° 60° 60° “D” No “D” in S. Hemis. Worldwide Distribution of Climate “D” Note difference in eastern and western side of continent Microthermal (severe mid-latitude) climates: winter dominated but warm enough for trees Dfa: Humid continental moist all year severe ranges of temperature continentality air mass difference cP + cA all winter mT briefly in summer ground frozen and snow covered 1-5 months
Transcript
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GEO 101, April 11, 2013
D and H climates and biomes
General review
A
C
D
E
“D”
Characteristics of both “D” and “E” climates
Great difference in seasons
High latitudes - as latitude increases, overall temperature decreases
Insolation extremes between summer and winter
0°
30°
30°
60°
60°
“D”
No “D” in S. Hemis.
Worldwide Distribution of Climate “D”
Note difference in eastern and western side of continent
Microthermal (severe mid-latitude) climates: winter dominated but warm enough for trees
Dfa: Humid continentalmoist all yearsevere ranges of temperature
continentalityair mass difference
cP + cA all wintermT briefly in summer
ground frozen and snow covered 1-5 months
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cP + cA air masses, mT briefly in summer, continentality
Dfc: Subarctic
Rivals E in winter low temperature
Taiga = snow forest: continuous belt across
North America and Eurasia
Treeline
Boreal forest
Boreal Forest
Conifers
Needleleaf evergreens
Pine, spruce, fir, larch
Drier part is tallgrass prairie
Animals of the “D” climates
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Distribution of North American PeatlandsBogs, mires, moors, muskegsDrainage poor due to permafrost
Peat Bog
Comparison of carbon storage in forestsglobal warming scenarios
Decreasing precipitation
A
C
D
E
Biome: Biological community associated with major climate region.
B
Decreasing precipitation
D
Df
Major source of world’s lumber
H = Highland Climates
Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, 19,340 feet, 3°S
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HIGHLAND CLIMATES
Can be found at any latitude
Highland climates have high diurnal temperature rangeIntensity of insolation related to
angle of sun’s raysatmospheric transparencyaltitude
Four Controls on Highland Climates
1. AltitudeUp in elevation = colder (normal lapse rate)
-6°C / 1000 m (-3.3°F / 1000 ft)
20,000 ft. mountain ≈ 65°F colder at top
Mt. Chimborazo, Ecuador, 20,000 ft
“A” average = 85°F at base
“H” = 20°F at top
2. Latitude
Determines baseline conditions
temperature
seasonality
Af Dfa
10,000 ft. elevation change = 33°F temperature depression Tropical highland agricultural areas
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3. Orographic EffectAffects precipitation
windward, moreleeward, less
Molokai, Hawaii
4. Local TopographySlope aspectExposed vs. protected
Casa Grande Peak, Big Bend National Park, Texas
Highland vegetation is called alpine vegetation
Latitude
Alt
itu
de Needleleaf evergreen
Broadleafevergreen
BroadleafDeciduous
Alpine tundra
Basic biomes:
Broadleaf evergreen forest near the equator (Af, Am)
Broadleaf deciduous forest in the mid-latitudes (Cfa)
Needleleaf evergreen forest in the north (Df, Cfb)
Grasslands in the semi-arid regions (BS, Aw, drier C & D, ET)
Odd-ball plants in the deserts (BW)
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Alpine
D.C.Cincinati
KansasCityDenver
RenoSan
Francisco
Cs
Cfb
Biomes are plant formations that are the result of
adaptations by plants to environmental parameters
associated with major climatic regimes. Biomes are
ecological regions, not evolutionary or taxonomic
regions.
Changes between biomes are not the same as
succession.
Succession: replacement of one vegetation type by another over time in the same place
Time
Major loss of plants and animals worldwide is human population growth = habitat destruction
DVD on World Population
A graphic simulation of the history of human population growth published by Population Connection
