BIOL 1108 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Snow Leopard, Rain Shadow, Evapotranspiration
Document Summary
The area on the lee side of mountains, where air masses descend, warming and taking up water vapor; as a result, lands in the rain shadow are arid. As wet air moves from the ocean up into the mountains, it cools, releasing its moisture as precipitation. Terrestrial biomes reflect the distribution of climate. The sum of evaporation directly from soils and water bodies plus the amount transpired by plants. Returns a large amount of water vapor to the atmosphere. The amount of evapotranspiration that temperature, humidity, and wind would cause if water supply weren"t limiting. Reflects the demand on water resources of an ecosystem, just as precipitation represents the supply. The ratio of water demand to supply. Effectively tells us what type of vegetation can be supported in a given region. Plants have independently evolved adaptations to particular climatic regimes by convergence. Vascular plants dominant primary production in terrestrial biomes.
