Lecture notes, lectures 2-4 - Dr. tigga kingston PDF

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Dr. Tigga Kingston, Principles of Ecology- BIOL 3309...

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Ecology Lecture Notes 2-4 Large-Scale Patterns of Climatic Variation Concept: Uneven heating of the earth’s spherical surface by the sun and the tilt of the earth on its axis combine to produce predictable latitudinal variation in climate. Drives air circulation patterns and consequently precipitation patterns  Warm, moist air rises  Cools, condenses, and falls as rain  Cooler, dry air falls back to surface. -Rainforests found near equator. -Major deserts found near 30 degree N/S Latitude and atmospheric circulation cells   

Trophosphere- heated from ground/oceans. Temp decreases with altitude Stratosphere- Temp increases with altitude Tropopause- boundary layer- air almost dry

Coriolis effect over Earth’s Surface  Causes apparent deflection of winds clockwise in the N hemisphere and counterclockwise in the S hemisphere The Two “Types” of Seasons Temperate VS. Tropical Climate Diagrams  Summarize climatic information using a standardization structure. So i l :Thef ou n d a t i ono ft e r e s t r i a lb i o me s Co n c e p t :So i ls t r u c t u r er e s u l t sf r o mt hel on g t e r mi n t e r a c t i onofc l i ma t e , o r g a n i s ms , t o p o g r a p h y , a n dpa r e n tmi n e r a lma t e r i a l So i l   

So i li sac o mp l e xmi x t u r eo fl i v i n ga n dn o n l i v i n gma t e r i a l Cl a s s i fic a t i onb a s e do nv e r t i c a ll a y e r i n g( s o i lh o r i z o ns ) Pr o fil ep r o v i de sas na p s h o to fs o i ls t r u c t ur ei nac o n s t a n ts t a t eo fflu x .

I n flu e n c e sonSo i lSt r u c t u r e  Cl i ma t e -r a t eo f : We a t h e r i n go fpa r e n tma t e r i a l Le e c hi n go fo r g a ni ca n di n o r g a n i cs u b s t a n c e s Er o s i o na n dt r a ns p o r to fmi n e r a lpa r t i c l e s

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De c o mp o s i t i o no fo r g a ni cma t t e r Cl i ma t e -Ve g e t a t i o na n da n i ma l sp r e s e nt q u a nt i t yo fo r g a n i cma t t e ra dd e dt o s o i l r a t eo fs o i lmi x i n ga n dde c o mp os i t i o n

I n flu e n c e sonSo i lSt r u c t u r e   

To po g r a p h y -r a t e sa ndd i r e c t i o no fwa t e rflo wa n dp a t t e r n so fe r o s i o n Pa r e n tMa t e r i a l -mi n e r a lc o n t e n t , we a t h e r i n g Ti me -a g eo fs o i l

Mo l l i s o l s  “ Gr a s s l a n d”s oi l s , pr a i r i er e g i o n s( e . g . Gr e a tPl a i nsoft h eUS) . –7 . 0 %g l o b a li c e f r e el a nd ,US, mo s te x t e n s i v es o i lo r d e r -2 1 . 5 %o ft h el a nda r e a .  Th i c k ,d a r k ,f e r t i l es u r f a c eh or i z o n( mo l l i ce p i p e do n)r e s u l t sf r o mt h el o n g t e r m a d d i t i o no fo r g a ni cma t e r i a l sd e r i v e df r om p l a n tr oo t s . Pr o du c t i v ea gr i c u l t u r e .  8s u bo r d e r s —Us t o l l sa r et h emo l l i s o l so fs e mi a r i da n ds u b hu mi dc l i ma t e s ,a n d Us t o l lCa l c i u s t o l l sa r et h eMo l l i s ol so ft h eSo u t he r nPl a i ns( c a l c i ch o r i z ona bo u t 8 0c m, a n dc a l c a r e o u st h r o u gh o u t ) . Na t ur a lhi s t o r ya n dg e o g r a p h yofb i o me s Co n c e p t :Th eg e o gr a p h i cd i s t r i b u t i o no ft e r r e s t r i a lb i o me sc o r r e s p on d sc l o s e l yt o v a r i a t i o ni nc l i ma t e , e s p e c i a l l yp r e v a i l i n gt e mp e r a t u r ea n dp r e c i p i t a t i on . Te r r e s t r i a lBi o me s  Bi o me s -l a r g eg e o g r a ph i c a la r e a sd i s t i n gu i s h e dp r i ma r i l yb yt h e i rp r e d o mi n a n t p l a n t sa n da r ea s s o c i a t e dwi t hpa r t i c u l a rc l i ma t e s .  Ge o g r a p h i ca nds e a s o na lv a r i a t i o n si nt e mp e r a t u r ea n dp r e c i p i t a t i o na r e f o un d a t i o na lc o mp o n e nt s . Tr op i c a lRa i n f o r e s t s  He a vyRa i n f a l l  Qu i c kl yl e a c h e ss oi ln u t r i e n t s . My c o r r h i z a ehe l pg a t h e rn ut r i e n t s  Hi g hSp e c i e sd i v e r s i t y  Ha r b o rs t a p l ef oo d sa n dme d i c i n e sf o rwo r l d ’ shu ma np o p u l a t i o n s i n c r e a s i n g l y e x p l oi t e d . So i l s  Vn u t r i e n tp o o r , s o i l sa r es h a l l o wa n da c i d i c -i r o no x i d e ss t a i nt h et o pl a y e r sr e d . La t o s ol s .  OHo r i z o nv . s ma l l( 2 . 5 5 . 0c m) -r a p i dde c o mp os i t i o n /r e c y c l i n go fo r g a n i c ma t t e r . Nu t r i e n t ss t o r e di nl i v i n gb i o ma s s  I n f e r t i l eb e c a u s eo l d( 1 0 0Ma )a n dhe a v yr a i n f a l l r a p i dl e a c h i n gofn u t r i e n t s a c i di ca n dnu t r i e n tp o o r .

Tr op i c a lDr yFor e s t  Soi l sg e n e r a l l yr i c h e ri nn u t r i e n t s , b u tvu l n e r a b l et oe r o s i o n.  Sh a r e sma n ya n i ma la n dpl a nts p e c i e swi t ht r o p i c a lr a i n f or e s t s .  He a v i l ys e t t l e db yh u ma n swi t he x t e n s i v ec l e a r i n gf o ra gr i c u l t u r e . Tr op i c a lS a v a n n a  Cl i ma t ea l t e r n a t e sb e t we e nwe t / d r ys e a s o ns Dr o u g h ta s s o c i a t e dwi t hd r ys e a s o nl e a d st ol i g h t n i n g c a us e dwi l d fir e s .  So i l sha v el o wwa t e rp e r me a b i l i t y Sa t u r a t e ds o i l sk e e p st r e e so u t .  La n d s c a pei smo r et wo d i me n s i o n a lwi t hi n c r e a s i n gp r e s s ur et op r o d u c e l i v e s t o c k e r o s i o n / de s e r t i fic a t i o n  Wa r m, mo i s t a i rr i s e s  Coo l s , c o n d e n s e s , a ndf a l l sa sr a i n .  Coo l e r ,d r ya i rf a l l sb a c kt os u r f a c e . Ra i n f o r e s t sf o u n dn e a re qu a t o r . Ma j o rd e s e r t sf o u n dn e a r3 0d e gr e eN/ S. De s e r t  Water loss usually exceeds precipitation  Major bands at 30 degree N and 30 degree S latitude  20% land surface  Soil usually extremely low in organic matter  Plants cover ranges from sparse to absent.  Animal abundance low, but biodiversity may be high. -Strong behavioral adaptations.  Human intrusion increasing Meditterranean Woodland and Shrubland=Chaparral= Fynbos= Mallee  Climate cool and moist in fall, winter, and spring but can be hot and dry in summer  Occur in all continents except Antarctica. Mediterranean Woodland and Shrubland  Fragile soils with moderate fertility  Trees and shrubs typically evergreen.  Fire- resistant plants due to fire regime  Long history of human intrusion -Cleared agriculture

Temperate Grassland  Annual rainfall 300-1,000 mm experience periodic droughts  Extremely widespread distribution  Soils tend to be extremely nutrient rich and deep.  Thoroughly dominated by herbaceous vegetation.  Fire limits trees  Large roaming ungulates Temperate Forest (Old Growth)  Rainfall averages 650-3,000 mm  Majority lie between 40 and 50 degree latitude  Fertile Soils -Long growing seasons dominated by deciduous plants -Shorts growing seasons dominated by conifers  Biomass production can be very high  Many major human population centers Boreal Forest (Taiga)  Thin, acidic soils low in fertility.  Generally dominated by evergreen conifers.  Relatively high animal density.  Historically, low levels of human intrusion. Tundra  Low decomposition rates.  Vegetation: mostly low-growing mosses, lichens, perennial herbaceous plants, dwarf willows, birches  Supports substantial numbers of native mammals.  Human intrusion historically low, but increasing as resources become scarce. Mountains: Islands in the Sky  Built by geological processes and thus concentrated in belts of geological activity.  Climate changes with elevation and latitude.  Soils are generally well-drained and thin.  Flora and fauna change with elevation.  Historically used as a source of raw materials for human settlements....