CHAPTER 4 SECTION 1SC-B-6.2

STUDENTS WILL EXPLAIN HOW POPULATIONS ARE AFFECTED BY LIMITING FACTORS(INCLUDING DENSITY-DEPENDENT, DENSITY-

INDEPENDENT, ABIOTIC,& BIOTIC FACTORS

The Role of Climate

What is Climate?

the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature & precipitation in a particular region.

[weather is the day-to-day condition of Earth’s atmosphere @a particular time & place]

What causes climate?

caused by interplay of several things but the 2 most important factors are:

TemperaturePrecipitation

other factors: latitude amt heat trapped in atmosphere transport of heat by winds, ocean currents topography of the land

The Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect

CO2, methane, H2 O (g), + few other gases trap heat nrg from sunlight & maintain Earth’s temperature range w/out the greenhouse effectEarth’s average temp

would be ~-19 ◦C!

http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/greenhouse

/

Effect of Latitude on Climate

because Earth is a sphere & tilted solar nrg strikes different parts of the Earth’s surface @ angles that vary thru out the yr

Climate Zones

as result of differences in latitude & so the angle of heating, Earth has 3 main climate zones:

1.tropical2. temperate3. polar

Tropical Zone

between 23.5◦ North & 23.5◦ Southreceives director nearly direct sunlight year

round

Temperate Zone

between 23.5◦ & 60◦ North & Southclimate ranges from hot to cold

Polar Zone

rays of sunlight only strike @ very low angles very cold

Heat Transport in the Biosphere

un= heating of earth’s surface drives winds & ocean currents

both transport heat thru out the biosphere because warm masses of air or water rise & colder masses sink

Surface Ocean Currents