Ecology

links: reference: YT - Geodiode 9-14-2021

Ecology #

Climate #

• Ocean proximity, altitude, slope direction, built environment, and plant cover can cause microclimates.
  • Forests provide cooling from the sun with their canopy, while in winter the heat is kept in due to dark foliage.
  • In the northern hemisphere, valleys that run east-west, the south-facing will see a sun at a steeper angle, becoming warmer.
  • Ocean water has useful moderating effects over thousands of miles. It warms up the area significantly. It provides protection from frost.
    • Tropical and subtropical plants, when exposed to any frost, can die off in just a few days.
    • Tropical/subtropical islands subject to trade winds: when trade winds hit mountainous regions, orographic lift of air will result in more rainfall, leeching the ocean air of its moisture.

Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification #

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsOL9Fafo2w&list=PLu83ZzwRbQvI1ULwqa_EP7z1wvOPLBB7u&index=1 For C/D, Second letter indicates the precipitation group, when there is a dry season (f=none, s=summer, w=winter). For B/C/D/E, the third (for E, second) letter represents the temperature subgroup, with a-d getting colder year-round.

A: Tropical #

• Hot year-round, heavy rain as opposed to moderate/high in the subtropical regions

• Af: Tropical rainforest

  • Constant heat and humidity. Largest biodiversity on Earth.
  • Vegetation: Its vegetation is of course, a rainforest, since it’s an amazing environment for wildlife.
  • Locations: Amazon, Congo, SE Asia, trade wind coast

• Am: Tropical Monsoon

  • Heavy rain during part/most of the year, but has a drier season due to trade winds.
  • Monsoon forest and grassland
  • Amazon, W&C Africa, W India, SE Asia, Caribbean

• Aw: Tropical Savannah

  • Heavy rain during rainy season, but low or absent in the dry season. Has
  • Scrub, forest, and grassland
  • Widespread in all areas between 20°N & 20°S

B: Dry #

• Subtropical or continental areas with very little rain year-round

• BWh: Hot Desert

  • Highest temperatures on earth, little to no vegetation or rainfall.
  • SW USA, N Mexico, Sahara, Middle East, W Asia, SW Africa, Australia

• BSh: Hot Semi-arid

  • Very hot summer, mild winter. Low rainfall year-round. Has some scrub/cacti.
  • Borders all hot deserts; marginal habitability

• BWk: Cool Desert

  • Very low rainfall.
  • Warm/hot summer, cool/cold (we’re talking below freezing) winter.
  • Very limited/absent vegetation.
  • W USA, Atacama, Patagonia, Central Asia, SW Africa, S Australia
  • Desolate & Inhospitable

• BSk: Cool semi-arid

  • Low rainfall , but more than deserts.
  • Hotter, then colder. Extreme ranges, like the rest.
  • Scrub, hardy grasses
  • W USA, Andes Fringes, E Spain, Iran, Central Asia, S Africa, S Australia. Horse/steppe lands.

C: Temperate #

• (Csa, Csb, Csc | Cwa, Cwb, Cwc | Cfa, Cfb, Cfc)

• Mild temperature ranges, occuring near coasts

• Cfa: Humid subtropical

  • Moderate precipitation year-round
  • Tropical summers and cool winters. Four seasons; ‘sultry summer but fresh winters’.
  • Forest, grassland, swamp
  • Eastern mid-latitude fringes, N Italy, S Japan, etc. Many world cities

• Cwa: Subtropical Monsoon

  • 3 seasons: very hot, dry summer, hot wet season, cool dry winter.
  • Scrub-forest, grassland
  • C. Mexico, Mid/S Africa, N India, N Vietnam, S China. Huge populations.

• Csa: Hot summer mediterranean

  • Hot, dry summer, mild, wet winter. Scrub.
  • All western mid-latitude fringes, mediterranean. Tourist weather.

• Csb: Warm summer mediterranean

  • Unique, with stormy winters but superb summers.
  • Warm to cool.
  • Coniferous/Eucalyptus, redwood forest.
  • Pacific NW, Mid-Chile, N Portugal, S Australia

• Cwb & Cwc: Subtropical highland

  • Wet and dry, forest and grassland. ‘Eternal’ spring climate.
  • C. Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, C. Africa, S Himalayas

• Cfb: Oceanic/Subtropical highland/Maritime

  • Four seasons; highland is ’eternal spring’. Unreliable summers & stormy winters, frequent grey skies
  • Mixed woodland
  • W Canada, NW Europe, S. Chile, SE Australia, New Zealand, Andes highland

• Cfc: Subpolar Oceanic

  • ‘Perpetual autumn’, cool year round.
  • W Iceland, N Norway, Scottish highlands, S Chile

D: Continental #

• (Dsa, Dsb, Dsc, Dsd | Dwa, Dwb, Dwc, Dwd | Dfa, Dfb, Dfc, Dfd)

• High temperature ranges, experiencing cold/very cold winters.

• Dfa & Dfb: (Humid) continenal

  • Distinct four seasons. Moderate/low precipitation.
  • Prairie & steppe grass
  • Mid latitude, northern continental interiorAs; Dfb: Great Lakes region; many world cities

• Dwa & Dwb: Continental Monsoon

  • Just like Dfa & Dfb, but drier winters. Moderate/low precipitation.
  • N China (Beijing), Korea, Himalayas. Unique to east Asia, due to the monsoon.

• Dsa & Dsb: Continental dry summer

  • Hot & dry, then snow & cold. Moderate/low precipitation.
  • Steppe grass & Shrub
  • High altitude form of the mediterranean climate

• Dfc & Dfd: Subarctic/Taiga

  • Long, dark, snowy winters. Low precipitation year-round.
  • Boreal forest (Taiga), swamp
  • High latitude N continental interiors & isolated alpine

• Dwc & Dwd: Subarctic monsoon

  • Boreal forest
  • Light snow in winter, with fairly low summer precipitation.
  • Eastern Siberia, Tibetan Plateau. Very wide possible temperature range.

• Dsc & Dsd: Subarctic dry summer

  • Very low precipitation in summer, moderate/high snow in winter
  • Very rare; isolated areas of N Rockies, Siberia, Kamchatka
  • Very wide temperature range
  • Boreal forest

E: Polar #

• ET: Tundra

  • Low precipitation year round (high in S Greenland)
  • Like all the subarctic regions, has short summers and long, dark winters.
  • Cool to very cold (60–22°F)
  • Lichen, moss, hardy grasses, permafrost; bleak & treeless wastes; marginal habitability
  • Arctic circle, cape horn, antarctic peninsula, alpine

• EF: Icecap

  • Below freezing year-round
  • ‘Perpetual winter’… ‘most hostile and otherworldly of all zones’… badass brah
  • Greenland ice sheet & Antarctica

Biomes #