GEOG 131 Lecture Notes - Lecture 31: Primary Production, British Rail Class 31, Solar Irradiance
Geography 131
2 November 2016
Class 31
1
Biomes Continued
1. Factors influencing biomes
a. Biotic – biological, ecosystem and ecology
i. Flora and fauna
ii. Succession – change in time of vegetation or plants, reset by disturbances
(natural disasters, hazards -> fire)
iii. Species interactions
iv. Migration of exotic species – invasive species
b. Abiotic – non biological
i. Temperature/insolation
ii. Pollution
iii. Humidity
iv. Atmosphere
v. Topography
1. Mountains cause an orographic effect
2. More clouds, precipitation, and vegetation on windward side than
on leeward side
3. Elevation, wind direction, sun facing versus shaded slope
vi. Elevation
1. Biomes change as you move up mountain
2. Shifting to higher elevations with climate change
2. Tropical Climates (A)
a. In general
i. Right around equator
ii. All the insolation and convective cells
iii. ITCZ convergence of trade winds
b. Tropical Rain Forest (Af)
i. Biome = tropical rain forest
1. Store 250 billion tons of carbon
a. Net primary productivity is high because of all of the
insolation that is coming in – good for photosynthesis, rain
2. Rapid growth of trees, vines, etc.
3. High tree density
4. Plants have a lot of energy and water, but limited by competition
for nutrients, sunlight, space, and more
5. Soil is more -> intense rain washes away nutrients
6. Important for biodiversity, medicine
ii. Vertical structure of rain forest
iii. Precipitation
1. Moisture year round
2. High precipitation and high evaporation = high humidity
3. Why = surrounded by warm water -> get latent heat; low pressure
system; ICTZ trade winds convergence
iv. Dense vegetation
v. Temperature
1. Warm all year
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