GEOL 1003 : Chap 4 7 Review
Document Summary
Ecology- study of the factors that govern the distribution and abundance of organisms in natural environments. Niche- way an organism obtains food, resources, occupies and copes to particular physical and chemical conditions. Ecosystem- organisms of a community and the physical environment they occupy. Food chain (web)- movement of organic matter through an ecosystem. Biogeography- distributions and abundances of organisms *(biota) on a broad geographic scale. Atmosphere composition- n2 78%, 02 21%, co2 . 038%. Coriolis effect- earth rotation causes air and water masses to be deflected to the right clockwise in the northern hemisphere, counter in the southern. Net transport- air sinks at poles, rises at equators. Circulation cells from rising sinking of air and coriolis. Tropics- 0-30deg, warm humid, moisture from oceanic evap and high precip. Deserts- 20-30deg, trade winds remove moisture, arid, little precip, sparse veg. Grasslands- sufficient grass for rain, too little for forest, large grazers and carnivores.
