Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity
Chapter 5
Core Case Study: Connections between
Wind, Climate, and Biomes
 Wind
 Indirect form of solar energy
 Circulates
 Heat
 Moisture
 Plant nutrients
 Soil particles
 Long-lived air pollutants
Dust Blown from West Africa to the
Amazonian Rain Forests
Natural Capital: Generalized Map of
the Earth’s Current Climate Zones
Upwelling and ENSO
 Upwelling brings cool and nutrient rich water from the
bottom of the ocean to the surface where it supports large
populations of life.
 ENSO El Nino Southern Ossilation
Greenhouse Gases Warm the
Lower Atmosphere
 Greenhouse gases
 H2O
 CO2
 CH4
 N2O
 Greenhouse effect
 Human-enhanced global warming
Flow of Energy to and from the Earth
The Earth’s Surface Features Affect
Local Climates
 Heat absorption by land and water
 Effect of
 Mountains
 Rain shadow effect
 Cities
 Microclimates
Prevailing winds
pick up moisture
from an ocean.
On the windward side
of a mountain range,
air rises, cools, and
releases moisture.
On the leeward side of
the mountain range, air
descends, warms, and
releases little moisture.
Fig. 7-7, p. 145
Climate Affects Where Organisms
Can Live
 Major biomes
 Latitude and elevation
 Annual precipitation
 Temperature
 So, which two abiotic factors play the most critical role in
determining the location of biomes.
Elevation
Mountain ice
and snow
Tundra (herbs,
lichens, mosses)
Coniferous
Forest
Deciduous
Forest
Latitude
Tropical
Forest
Tropical
Forest
Deciduous
Forest
Coniferous
Forest
Tundra
(herbs,
lichens,
mosses)
Polar ice
and snow
Fig. 7-9, p. 147
The Earth’s Major Biomes
 Plant adaptations
No leaves or reduction in leaf surfaces in order to store and
conserve water.

Open stomata (leaf pores) to take in carbon dioxide at night.

Spines to guard and protect against herbivores.

 SEE BOTANICAL RECORD BREAKERS
Animal adaptations to Desert
conditions
 Be active at night and come out in the early
morning.
 Many insects and spiders get their water from
dew AND have thick outer coverings to reduce
water loss.
Middle East dew collecting device
Stepped Art
Fig. 7-11, p. 149
1
• The term greenhouse effect describes
– occupational diseases of florists
– the trapping of heat energy by molecules in
the atmosphere
– the effect climate change has on the economy
– the efforts of the White House to support
environmental legislation
– mutations in DNA from UV radiation
2
• The most important factor in determining
which biome is found in a particular area is
– soil type
– topography
– magnetic fields
– climate
– tidal activity
•
3
• The two most important factors
determining the climate of an area are
– temperature and wind
– temperature and precipitation
– precipitation and light
– light and temperature
– wind and light
4
• Which of the following is not an adaptation
of desert plants for their environment?
– toxins in their stems to discourage being
eaten
– spines to discourage animals from taking their
water
– opening their pores only at night to prevent
evaporation
– store water in expandable tissues
– reduced or no leaves
5
• Which type of desert would have high
daytime temperatures in summer, low
temperatures in winter, and moderate
precipitation?
– tropical deserts
– cold deserts
– Gobi desert
– temperate deserts
– Sahara desert
6
•
• Which of the following is the primary
limiting factor that controls the vegetative
character of a biome?
– light
– precipitation
– nutrients
– soil type
– predation
•
7
• The grasslands in the United States are
called the prairie.
• Tropical grasslands located in Africa are
called the __________.
• Grasslands in South America are
called_________?
There Are Three Major Types of
Grasslands ()
 Tropical grasslands are termed Savannas .They have widely
scattered trees and shrubs. Acacia tress are common.
 ANIMALS: herds of grazing animals such as wilderbeast,
gazelles, zebras, lions which are not a grazing animal.
Climate Graphs of Tropical, Temperate,
and Cold Grasslands
Acacia trees and elephants
Ants and Acacia trees
Problems with the African Savannah
 Temperate grassland includes steppes of Eurasia, pampas of
South America and prairies of North America.
Monoculture Crop Replacing
Biologically Diverse Temperate
Grassland
Polar grassland Cold (arctic tundra)
 Treeless cold plains.
 Dry
 Permafrost
 Brief summers are indicated by hordes of mosquitoes, black
flies and migratory birds
Temperate shrublands
 Chaparral( Spanish for thicket) thickets of spiny shrubs.

They are found along coastal areas of southern
California, Mediterranean Sea, southern Australia. VERY
POPULAR FOR HUMAN HABITATION AND
VACATIONS
 Fires and mudslides.
There Are Three Major Types of
Grasslands (2)
 Tropical
 Savanna
 Grazing animals
 Browsing animals
 Temperate
 Tall-grass prairies
 Short-grass prairies
1

 Large terrestrial regions with similar characteristics are
a. ecosystems
b. communities
c. populations
d. habitats
e. biomes
2.
 Widely scattered clumps of trees, warm temperatures
year-round, alternating dry and wet seasons, with herds
of herbivores” are the characteristics of which of the
following?
a. tall-grass prairie
b. tundra
c. short-grass prairie
d. savanna
3
 “Treeless, bitterly cold most of the year, winters are long
and dark, low-growing plants, permafrost” are the
characteristics of which of the following?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
tall-grass prairie
tundra
short-grass prairie
temperate grassland
savanna
4

 Thick, spongy mats of low-growing plants are typical of
the
 A. Arctic tundra
 B. coniferous forest
 C. tall-grass prairies
 D. tropical forests
 E. taiga

5
 Which of the following is not true of prairies?
 A. Winds blow almost continuously.
 B. Evaporation is rapid.
 C. Fires in summer and fall are common.
 D. Prairies are typical of coastal regions of continents.
 E. Tree growth is hindered by fires and wind.
6
 Which of the following is the big disadvantage of living
in a chaparral region?
 A. too much rain
 B. fire hazard
 C. too little rain
 D. too many venomous snakes
 E. bothersome rodent populations

7
 Desert temperatures are routinely _________ at night
because the desert soils have little vegetation or moisture to
help store the heat.
8
 Succulent plants are normally found in temperate forests
 TRUE or FALSE
9
 The highest solar energy input is at ___________.

10
 The rain shadow effect means deserts are likely to form on
the __________ side of mountains.
11
 __________ biomes occur in the interiors of continents in
areas too moist for deserts and too dry for forests.
12
 Deciduous forests are typically located at higher altitudes
than coniferous forests.
 True
 False
13. (please use book)
 Take the number of seasons in the temperate
forest; plus the number of giant convection cells,
plus the number of hydrogens in methane =
_______?
14. Plasmodium parasite in red blood
cells. What disease is depicted here?
15. The Salk vaccine prevented what
crippling disease?
Tie breaker
 What mountain has the highest manned weather station in
the state of North Carolina.
Stepped Art
Fig. 7-12, p. 151
14
There Are Three Major Types of
Grasslands (3)
 Arctic tundra: fragile biome
 Adaptations of plants and animals
 Permafrost
 Alpine tundra
The polio virus
• Congrats: You are in charge of the world.
Discuss three valid features of your plan to
help preserve terrestrial biodiversity.
• Please use your book to formulate this
plan.
Temperate Shrubland: Nice Climate,
Risky Place to Live
 Chaparral
 Near the sea: nice climate
 Prone to fires in the dry season
Chaparral Vegetation in Utah, U.S.
Stepped Art
Fig. 7-14, p. 152
There Are Three Major Types of
Forests (1)
 Tropical
 Temperate
 Cold
 Northern coniferous and boreal
There Are Three Major Types of
Forests (2)
 Tropical rain forests





Temperature and moisture
Stratification of specialized plant and animal niches
Little wind: significance
Rapid recycling of scarce soil nutrients
Impact of human activities
There Are Three Major Types of
Forests (4)
 Evergreen coniferous forests: boreal and taigas
 Temperature and moisture
 Few species of cone: bearing trees
 Slow decomposition means low fertility and minimal growth on
the forest floor
 Temperate rain forests. In rains in Seattle
Temperate Deciduous Forest
 Temperate deciduous forests
 Temperature and moisture
 Broad-leaf deciduous trees
 Slow rate of decomposition: The soil is rich in nutrients
 Impact of human activities such as logging
Mountains Play Important
Ecological Roles
 Majority of the world’s forests
 Habitats for endemic species
 Help regulate the earth’s climate
 Major storehouses of water (glacier melting)
 Role in hydrologic cycle
4 Yucca plant
5Mexican poppies and barrel cactus.
6. Great Smokey Mountains
8. Plant spacing of the creosote bush
9 next slide
10
11
9.
9
Climate Graphs of Tropical, Temperate,
and Cold Forests
Stepped Art
Fig. 7-15, p. 154
Some Components and Interactions in
a Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystem
Ocelot
Harpy
eagle
Blue and
gold macaw
Squirrel
monkeys
Climbing
monstera palm
Katydid
Green tree
Slaty-tailed
snake
trogon
Tree frog
Ants
Bacteria
Bromeliad
Fungi
Producer
to primary
consumer
Primary to
secondary
consumer
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
All producers and
consumers to
decomposers
Fig. 7-16, p. 155
Stratification of Specialized Plant and
Animal Niches in a Tropical Rain Forest
45
40
Emergent
layer
Harpy
eagle
35
Toco
toucan
Canopy
Height (meters)
30
25
20
15
Under
story
Wooly
opossum
10
Brazilian
tapir
5
0
Black-crowned
antpitta
Shrub
layer
Ground
layer
Fig. 7-17, p. 156
Temperate Rain Forest in Washington
State, U.S.
Mount Rainier National Park in
Washington State, U.S.
Video: Caribou on tundra
Video: Desertification in China
Video: Eagle fishing
Animation: Prairie food web
Active Figure: Rainforest food web
Video: Sequoias
Video: Tundra flyover
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.
Humans Have Disturbed Most of
the Earth’s Lands
 Deserts
 Grasslands
 Forests
 Mountains
Major Human Impacts on Terrestrial
Ecosystems
NATURAL CAPITAL
DEGRADATION
Major Human Impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems
Deserts
Grasslands
Forests
Clearing for
Large desert cities Conversion
agriculture,
to cropland
Soil destruction by Release of CO2 livestock grazing,
off-road vehicles
to atmosphere timber, and urban
from burning development
Soil salinization
grassland
Conversion of
from irrigation
diverse forests to
Overgrazing tree plantations
Depletion of
by livestock
groundwater
Damage from offOil production road vehicles
Land disturbance and off-road
and pollution from vehicles in
Pollution of
mineral extraction arctic tundra forest streams
Mountains
Agriculture
Timber extraction
Mineral extraction
Hydroelectric dams
and reservoirs
Increasing tourism
Urban air pollution
Increased ultraviolet
radiation from ozone
depletion
Soil damage from off-road
vehicles
Fig. 7-20, p. 158
NATURAL CAPITAL
DEGRADATION
Major Human Impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems
Deserts
Grasslands
Forests
Clearing for
Large desert cities Conversion
agriculture,
to cropland
Soil destruction by Release of CO2 livestock grazing,
off-road vehicles
to atmosphere timber, and urban
from burning development
Soil salinization
grassland
Conversion of
from irrigation
diverse forests to
Overgrazing tree plantations
Depletion of
by livestock
groundwater
Damage from offOil production road vehicles
Land disturbance and off-road
and pollution from vehicles in
Pollution of
mineral extraction arctic tundra forest streams
Mountains
Agriculture
Timber extraction
Mineral extraction
Hydroelectric dams
and reservoirs
Increasing tourism
Urban air pollution
Increased ultraviolet
radiation from ozone
depletion
Soil damage from off-road
vehicles
Stepped Art
Fig. 7-20, p. 158
Video: Gopher
Video: Grizzly bears
Video: Owl hunting