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Chapter 2 Concepts
Uneven heating and the tilt of the earth result in latitudinal variation in climate
Soil structure comes from interactions between organisms, climate and parent
geological material
Biome distributions and climate variation go hand in hand
Climate
Moisture, temperature, and light come together to create climate
Climate is a combination of consistent, long-term, abiotic factors that structure
the physical environment of organisms
Definitions:
– Biotic is the living component in ecological studies
– Abiotic is the non-living component in ecological studies
Seasonal Variation in Light
See Fig. 2.3
Seasonal Variation in Energy
Solar-driven air circulation
See Figs. 2.4, 2.5
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Soils
Two major categories of materials in soils are:
– Mineral constituents (abiotic)
– Organic constituents (both biotic and abiotic)
Relative contribution of mineral and organic material determines soil profile.
In general:
– Organic decreases with increasing depth
– Mineral increases with increasing depth
Soil Horizons
See Fig. 2.8
Biomes
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Similar global patterns of:
– Temperature, precipitation, and base geology (C horizon materials)
– lead to similar soils, and
– similarities in vegetation
These patterns create the “house” we study in ecology (remember oiko-?)
Biome concept provides a classification of these differing types of houses
Whittaker’s Biomes
Climate Diagrams
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Key characteristics
– Total precipitation
– Average annual temperature
– Seasonal variation in rainfall
– Seasonal variation in temperature
Climate Diagrams
See Fig. 2.6, 2.7