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CLIMATE, WATER , VEGETATION, SOIL , AND LANDFORMS
ENVIRONMENTS
WHAT IS AN “ENVIRONMENT”?
• An environment is an area on Earth in a specific area of land or water.• It includes all of the plants and animals in
that area.• It has its own characteristics, such as:• Weather• Climate• Amount of water• Soil• Landforms
TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTS
• Desert
• Polar/Tundra
• Wetlands
• Aquatic• Oceans• Freshwater
• Grasslands
• Forests• Tropical rainforests• Temperate rainforests
• Urban
DESERT
• There are four different classifications of deserts:
• Hot and dry• Semiarid• Coastal• Cold
• Examples:• Mojave (USA),
Sahara• The Great Basin
(USA) • Atacama, Chile• Antarctic and
Greenland
DESERT
• Features:• Less than 20” precipitation per year • Plants and animals have special
structures that help them survive.• Soil has an abundance of nutrients, but
has little organic material.• Very few large mammals
DESERT
•Adaptations may include:• Being nocturnal (Most activity is at
night.)• Long appendages (legs, tails, and feet)
and large ears• Light colors• Long eyelashes and thick eyebrows• Nostrils that can close
DESERT
POLAR / TUNDRA
• Examples:• Northern regions
of Canada• Northern regions
of Russia• Alaska
• Features:• Permanently frozen soil• Low growing plants:
moss, lichens, and heath• Two seasons: winter
and summer• Very windy• Rainfall is between 6”–
10” per year.
POLAR / TUNDRA
•Adaptations may include:• Thick layer of fat under the skin• Short appendages• Mammals often have white fur.• Have special padding on their feet to help
them move on ice and snow
POLAR / TUNDRA
WETLANDS
•Examples:• Amazon River Basin• Pantanal in South
America• Florida Everglades• Peat bogs in Scotland
•Features:• There is generally water
on the ground all year.• Can be fresh water or salt
water• Called marsh, swamp,
bog, or fen• Aquatic plants and reeds• Diverse plants and
animals
WETLANDS
•Adaptations may include:• Birds have webbed feet.• Many birds have specialized beaks.• Have the ability to survive in water and
on land• Have the ability to survive in fresh or salt
water
WETLANDS
FRESH WATER
•Examples:• Streams• Rivers• Ponds• Lakes
•Features:• Very low salt content in the
water• Precipitation keeps water in
the lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers.• Changes temperatures
depending on the season• Large variety of organisms
FRESH WATER
•Adaptations may include:• Obtaining oxygen through gills
• Having the ability to swim
FRESH WATER
OCEANS
• Examples:• Pacific Ocean• Atlantic Ocean• Indian Ocean• Southern Ocean• Arctic Ocean• Many major seas
• Features:• There are five ocean biomes.• The average temperature is
39°F.• There are many plants and
animals in the ocean:whales, sharks, fish, and sea urchins.• The water can be very
shallow and up to 36,200 feet deep.
OCEANS
•Adaptations may include:• Obtaining oxygen through gills• Having the ability to swim• Some mammals have much smaller ears than
land animals.• Fins and flukes to assist with movement• Waterproof feathers• Beak adaptations to catch food
OCEANS
GRASSLANDS
• Examples:• Russian steppes• African savanna• North American tall-
grass prairie• South American
grasslands
• Features:• Can be tall-grass or
short grass• Average rainfall is
between 10”–30” in temperate grasslands and 25”–60” in tropical grasslands.• Vegetation is dominated
by grasses.
GRASSLANDS
• Adaptations may include:
• The ability to run fast• Coats that help the animal blend with their
surroundings• Migration to find food• Strong hooves to run across the savanna
GRASSLANDS
DECIDUOUS FORESTS
• Examples:• Eastern USA and
Canada• Northern California• Parts of China• Europe• Southern coast of
South America
• Features:• Growth is dependent on
either rainy/dry seasons or because of seasonal temperatures.• Rainfall is between 30”–60”
per year.• Trees, mosses, and wild
flowers are common.• The soil is usually very rich in
nutrients and organic material.
DECIDUOUS FORESTS
• Adaptations may include:
• Larger leaves on plants to absorb more sunlight• Ability to survive in a variety of
temperatures, although some animals will hibernate or migrate• Storing food (squirrels storing nuts)• Specialized beaks and feet on birds to
obtain food
DECIDUOUS FORESTS
TROPICAL RAINFORESTS
• Examples:• Amazon Basin,
South America• Congo Basin, Africa• New Guinea• Queensland,
Australia• Hawaii, USA
• Features:• Warm: Temperatures stay
above 64°F all year.• Rainfall is between 66”–
390” per year.• Home to half of the living
species on the planet
TROPICAL RAINFORESTS
• Adaptations may include:• Specific plant/animal relationships (An example
is an (Azteca) ant and the Acacia tree.)• Variety of seed dispersal methods• Ability to live in trees• Great agility and specialized body parts, such
as tails.• Brightly colored skin or feathers or• Camouflage
TROPICAL RAINFORESTS
TEMPERATE RAINFORESTS
• Examples:• Olympic Rainforest in
Washington state (USA)• Chiloé Island, Chile• Te Anau, New Zealand• Wielangta Forest,
Tasmania
• Features:• Lots of rain (140”–
167“)• Moderate temperatures• Plants growing on other
plants (mosses and ferns)• Large, old trees
TEMPERATE RAINFORESTS
• Adaptations may include:
• Migration, hibernation, and dormancy• Camouflage• Ability to withstand both warm and very
cold temperatures• Eat a variety of food
TEMPERATE RAINFORESTS
URBAN