BIO 112 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Trophic Cascade, Temperate Deciduous Forest, Biogeographic Realm
Document Summary
Ecology: the study of distribution and abundance of organisms and their interaction with the environment. Environmental components: physical (conditions and resources) and biological (interspecific and intraspecific interactions) Climate: the average course of weather conditions (temp, precipitation, wind) Seasonal variation greater on land than sea. Equinox: earth is not tilted from sun, spring and fall. Solstice: earth is most tilted towards or from sun, winter and summer. Thermal niche breadth increases more with latitude for terrestrial organisms. Coriolis effect: object moving on a north-south longitudinal path will be deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere and the left in the southern hemisphere due to earth"s rotation. Affects wind patterns (to the right in north and the left in south) Wind blows east to west in tropics (trade wind) Wind blows west to east in middle latitudes (westerlies) Wind blows east to west above 60n and 60s (easterlies) Adiabatic cooling: warm, moist air is forced upwards and cooling occurs.
