Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
117 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Meteorology
|
the branch of science concerned with the processes and phenomena of the atmosphere
|
|
|
Hydrology
|
the branch of science concerned with the properties of the earth's water
|
|
|
biogeography
|
the branch of biology that deals with the geographical distribution of plants and animals
|
|
|
Soils
|
the upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles
|
|
|
Geomorphology
|
the study of the physical features of the surface of the earth and their relation to its geological structures
|
|
|
lithosphere
|
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle
|
|
|
atmosphere
|
the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.
|
|
|
hydrosphere
|
all the waters on the earth's surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including water over the earth's surface, such as clouds
|
|
|
biosphere
|
the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth (or analogous parts of other planets) occupied by living organisms.
|
|
|
Pedosphere
|
outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of soil and subject to soil formation processes.
|
|
|
spatial patterns
|
presents points by place or location
|
|
|
Natural Regions
|
an area homogeneous with respect to define criteria
|
|
|
climate regions
|
Climate classification systems are ways of classifying the world's climates
|
|
|
Biomes
|
a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g., forest or tundra
|
|
|
Unique physical properties of H20
|
It's dipolar
|
|
|
dipolar means one of three....
|
Adhesive
Cohesive Capillary |
|
|
adhesive
|
able to stick fast to a surface or object
|
|
|
cohesive
|
the action or fact of forming a united whole
|
|
|
Capillary
|
The movement of a liquid along the surface of a solid caused by the attraction of molecules of the liquid to the molecules of the solid
|
|
|
High specific heat
|
The ratio of the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one unit of temperature to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a similar mass of a reference material, usually water, by the same amount
|
|
|
Chemical catalyst
|
a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change
|
|
|
4 storage facilities on the Earth's surface
|
Surface water
groundwater organic tissue soils (none of which are equally distributed across earths surface) |
|
|
The hydrologic cycle
|
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the H2O cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth
|
|
|
Storage
|
surface water (oceans, lakes, streams)
ground water (storage aquifers) Biota (organic matter or living things) (vegetation) soils |
|
|
Gravitational force
|
big player where soils are at saturation
|
|
|
capillary forces
|
hold water in soil against the force of gravity
|
|
|
clay takes in more water than _____
|
sand
|
|
|
what happens when soil storage is full
|
run-off
|
|
|
saturation
|
the state or process that occurs when no more of something can be absorbed, combined with, or added
|
|
|
field capacity
|
the maximum amount of water that a particular soil can hold
|
|
|
permanent wilting point
|
Permanent wilting point or wilting point is defined as the minimal point of soil moisture the plant requires not to wilt
|
|
|
soils control what
|
how much water soaks in vs how much runs off
how much water is held by capillary forces how much free water can recharge groundwater |
|
|
Porosity
|
how much can you put in
|
|
|
clay is ___ prose then sand
|
More
|
|
|
permeability
|
how much you can take back "the ability of a soil or sediment to allow water to pass through it"
|
|
|
Clay is _____ permeable then sand
|
Less
|
|
|
what soil can hold the most water against the force of gravity?
|
Clay?
|
|
|
what soil can hold the least water against the force of gravity?
|
Sand?
|
|
|
what soil has the most water bound soil solids too tightly for plants to extract? (called hygroscopic water)
|
Clay?
|
|
|
what soil has the least water bound soil solids too tightly for plants to extract?
|
Sand???
|
|
|
Has the most available water?
|
Clay????
|
|
|
Global groundwater projections are _____
|
Bleak
|
|
|
two global groundwater problems are
|
mining and contamination
|
|
|
groundwater withdrawals:
|
Output 4x> input, 25% already too polluted, 65% agriculture, Industry 8%, 27% domestic/municipal
|
|
|
aquifer
|
a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater
|
|
|
Inputs of aquifers
|
aquifer recharge
|
|
|
outputs of aquifers
|
discharge (baseflow or springs)
artesian wells |
|
|
Regional climates
|
the average long-term weather of an area, a region's general pattern of atmospheric conditions including seasonal variations, weather types, and extremes
|
|
|
Controls on isolation
|
latitude
-sun angle and intensity (TDI) -duration (seasons/daylength) |
|
|
Solar climate classification A Greek:
|
torrid, temperate, frigid
Parmenides - 500 BC |
|
|
Solar climate classification A Roman:
|
7 climes
Hipparchus - 140 BC |
|
|
Solar climate classification An Arib:
|
12 zones
Idrisi - 1100 AD |
|
|
Other controls on temperature
|
Elevation
specific heat latent heat exchange with phase change ocean currents and global circulation patterns |
|
|
Lifting mechanisms
|
there are 4
|
|
|
covergent
|
s when air molecules are forced upwards due to the increase on molecules moving into one defined area. This is usually associated with a layer that has one area that is warm and one area that is cold
|
|
|
orographic
|
occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain
|
|
|
convection
|
is where air is heated through contact with warm surface
|
|
|
frontal
|
The forced lifting of warm, less dense air over colder air in the vicinity of a front
|
|
|
Climate region A
|
tropical climate
hot, humid, year-round |
|
|
type B
|
arid climates
arid (annual moisture deficit) |
|
|
type C
|
warm, humid climates
seasonally hot, humid (temperate) |
|
|
type D
|
cold, snow-forested climates
seasonally cold, humid (continental, subarctic) |
|
|
type E
|
polar climates
cold, humid (polar deserts) |
|
|
type H
|
highland climates
|
|
|
Dynamism
|
change is the NORM
|
|
|
three responses to change beyond tolerance limits?
|
to go extinct
a species can adapt a species can migrate |
|
|
climate triggers
|
metabolic responses in plants
homeostatic response, physiological responses, behavioral response in critters |
|
|
climate is a major control on
|
biomass, NPP, biodeversity
|
|
|
Alexander Von Humboldt
|
Phytogeography
main focus is on plants |
|
|
why focus on plants
|
plants are autotrophs -only they convert solar energy to chemical energy which means plants form the bottom of food chains.
link to atmosphere, regional climates |
|
|
plants link to hydrologic cycle
|
the major biological storage facility
input from soils output to atmosphere influence groundwater recharge |
|
|
plants link to lithosphere
|
infiltration - runoff ratio
protects soils from erosion - roots hold soils in place on slopes |
|
|
plants link to soils
|
organic matter in soils comes mostly from plants
soil quality fertility, erosion potential, ease of tillage, sustainability |
|
|
trees
|
adaptation to overcoming a limiting factor
- access to sunlight - plenty of water to make big trunk |
|
|
shrubs
|
sumac
multiple trunks shorter |
|
|
vines
|
lianas
grapevines |
|
|
herbs (herbaceous plants)
|
not very tall
grow fast not a lot of energy |
|
|
epiphytes
|
tiguna from costa rica
lives on other plants to get closer to sunlight |
|
|
mosses
|
bryophytes
don't need a lot of sunlight sphagrum moss - U.S. is number one producer |
|
|
thallophytes
|
lichens
not really a plant symbiotic relationship |
|
|
succulents
|
saguaro
|
|
|
Really small plants
|
closed canopy forests
arctic tundra not much sunlight absorbed |
|
|
really big plants
|
have a lot of water and sunlight
|
|
|
stratification (# of canopies)
|
4 canopies in Norther WI (top, under story, herb cover, forest floor)
arctic tundra (2 canopies) |
|
|
coverage
|
what percent of the surface is covered in foliage
|
|
|
periodicity
|
deciduous
evergreen semi - deciduous |
|
|
cold adapted
|
needles
|
|
|
hot and wet adapt
|
big/ broad
oriented drip point waxy |
|
|
dry adapted
|
tiny, dusty, oriented
|
|
|
major terrestrial biomes
|
forests - (A,C,D)
savanna - (A,C,D - transitional to/ adjacent to B) grassland - BS desert - BW tundra - E |
|
|
controls on biome distributiuon
|
climatic factors
- temperature -precipitation -climate dependant factors - light - wind - fire frequency |
|
|
geomorphic factors (landscape)
|
slope steepness
slope aspects |
|
|
edaphic factors
|
soil moisture holding capacity
soil fertility |
|
|
deserts and semi-desert biomes
|
annual moisture deficit climates
really cools specialized plant adaptations to moisture stress |
|
|
plants want more water?
|
get taproot (phreatophyte)
widespread, shallow roots toxic discarges use water other's can's (salt water) use less water (tiny, sticky, and/ or lighter leaves) use it when you can (desert blooms) protect what you have (cactus) |
|
|
Humid east
|
latitude (temp goes down while latitude increases)
forests default dominant vegetation community |
|
|
arid west
|
mtns
STH default vegetation community not forests xerophyte dominated |
|
|
transitional bomes (grasslands, savannas, tundra)
|
moderate moisture shortage
or energy shortage |
|
|
grass
|
biomass mostly below ground
grow from the bottom up |
|
|
major terrestrial biomes
|
grasslands
- frequent wildfires are important |
|
|
polar/alpine tundra
|
short growing seasons + low maximum specific humidity + permafrost + trunk shattered
|
|
|
forest biomes
|
annual moisture surplus so high biomass, NPP, biodiversity
access to sunlight (no water) the limiter so trees make sense |
|
|
horizons
|
horizontal layers
follow a consistent top to bottom order |
|
|
master horizon O
|
organic material
water air not a mineral horizon |
|
|
master horizon A
|
the "top soil"
humus enriched mineral material horizon dark fertile |
|
|
master horizon E
|
zone of losses (eluvation)
- ashy gray - infertile |
|
|
master zone B
|
zone of "gains" (illuvation)
-higher chroma - better peds A,E,B = Solum (epipedon) |
|
|
master zone C
|
original parent material
- unconsolidated |
|
|
master zone R
|
weathered bedrock
consolidated |
|
|
all horizons together make a
|
profile
|
|
|
profiles consist of
|
climate
organisms (plants mostly) other - topographic position - parent material - time |
|
|
conifer forest soils - SPODOSOL
|
D climate
strong E-Horizon |
|
|
deciduous forests (ALFISOLS)
|
C climate
"youngish" parent material strong B-horizon the soils that feed the world |
|
|
Deciduous forests soils in subtropical (ULTISOLS)
|
same as ALFISOLS except...
- warmer and wetter - older parent materials too - less fertile |
|
|
soils of arid climates
|
grassland biomes
desert biomes |
|
|
temperate grasslands, steppes and savannas (MOLLISOLS)
|
BS climates
monster A - horizon |
|
|
desert biomes with xerophytic vegetation (ARIDISOLS)
|
BW climate
xerophytes lots of salts |
