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ERS 383 > intro to tropics > Flashcards

intro to tropics Flashcards

1
Q

what happens in tropical exploration during the renaissance?

A

Euros explored outside their continent and discovered places like central America, ie Columbus in 1492

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2
Q

What happened post renaissance?

A

-exploration continued mostly in the tropics
- specimen were brought back to Europe

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3
Q

Who is Alfred Russel?

A
  • independently conceived the idea of evolution and natty selection, linked up with Charles
  • spent time in Malaysia and the Amazon
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4
Q

Who is Charles Darwin?

A
  • developed theory of evolution and natty selection
  • on the origins of Species (Book)
  • spent much time in the Galapagos
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5
Q

who is Alexander Von Humbolt?

A
  • biogeography founder
    -spent time in a both tropics and nootropics but focused on Central and South America
  • Kosoms complilation of sci knolage of world
  • developed the life zone concept
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6
Q

What is the life Zone Concept?

A
  • Climate changes with elevation and coincides with changes in biota
  • further developed by Leslie Holdrige
  • an ecological area defined by climatic variables such as temp, precip, and evap
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7
Q

Who is Leslie Holdridge?

A

-Formalized the life zone concept

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8
Q

Life zone rainforest grading

A
  • tropical moist= 200-400mm/yr
  • tropical wet= 400-800 mm/yr
  • tropical rain = over 800mm/yr
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9
Q

Koppen-Geiger Classification system

A
  • indigenous flora best expresses nature of climate
  • annual and monthly mean temps along with rainfall distinguish biomes
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10
Q

Koppen-Geiger Classes

A

-Tropical
-Arid
-Temperate
-Cold
-Polar

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11
Q

Location of the Tropics?

A

23.5 N- 23.5 S (tropic od Cancer and Capricorn respectivly)

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12
Q

Land area infor(size, continental locations)

A
  • 50 million km squared 40% of the global surface
  • half in afirca
  • substantial in,Central and South America, Asia, Nothern Australia and Pacific Islands
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13
Q

Location of subtropics?

A

23.5N-10N, 23.5S-10S

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14
Q

Humid and Seasonal Tropics location?

A

10N- 10S

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15
Q

Humid Tropics

seasonality

A

Extremely humid all year round

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16
Q

Seasonal Tropics

Sesonality

A

Distinct wet and Dry seasons

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17
Q

Due to taking up a large part of Earth’s surface tropics play a large role in what Global events?

A
  • Global Nutrient cycling
  • Global energy budgets
  • Circulation of the atmosphere
  • Global climate
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18
Q

What geographic features influence tropical climate?

A
  • Latitude
  • Altitude
  • Distance from Ocean
  • Prevaling winds (polar cell locations and that)
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19
Q

Plant and animal distribution is influenced by what features?

A
  • Climate
  • Soil types
  • Landforms
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20
Q

What makes the tropics wet and warm?

A
  • sun rays directly hit the equator due to the curvature of the earth
  • warm climate creates constant clouds
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21
Q

What drives seasonality in the trpoics?

A

tropics rainfall variations

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22
Q

How are mountains in the tropics formed?

A

Volcanism

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23
Q

What is the soil like in mountainous regions?

A

Fertile compared to rest of tropics

24
Q

Climate According to Altitude in the Tropics

A
  • temp changes with altitude at 6C /1km
  • Altitudinal Zonation, climactic zones corresponding to elevation
  • each zone has a distinct, veg, agri and culture/lifestyle
25
Q

Neo tropics zonation

A
  • Tierra Caliente
  • Tierra Templada
  • Tierra Frida
  • Tierra Helada
  • Tiera Nevada
26
Q

Tierra Caliente

A
  • from sea to 700m
  • coastal plain to low-lying interior hot and humid climate
  • predominated by tropical agriculture
27
Q

Tierra Templada

A
  • from 760m to 1830m
  • tropical highlands of Central America
28
Q

Tierra Frida

A
  • from 1830 to 3658m
  • cold andes mountain range
29
Q

Tierra Helada

A
  • Puna(in peru)
  • from 3658m to 4500m
  • cold barren
    -above tree line only grazing fauna
30
Q

Terra Nevada

A
  • Over 4500m
  • perma ice and snow
31
Q

Humid/seasonal tropics Characteristics

biologic

A
  • high bio div, up 50% of world bio div
    -High biomass 200-400 mg/ha
    -Rapid nutrient cycling rate, most in plant mass
  • stratified by multi-story canopy
  • closed ecosystem, tight cycling of water and nutirents
32
Q

Tropical Rainforest Regions

A
  • Amazon, Congo & SE Asia
    -Contains 33% of total global population
33
Q

Distribution of humid tropics:

A

45% Americas
30% Africa
25% Asia
Small fraction in Oceania & Pacific Islands

34
Q

Characteristics of Tropical Rainforests (Geograpic)

location, seanonality, precip, temp

A
  • straddles eq and 10N and S
  • Major terrestrial biome
  • maybe non-seasonal
  • Abundant rainfall all year
  • more night and day change (diurnal) than mean monthly temp change
35
Q

Characteristics of Tropical Rainforests(biotic)

A
  • two distinct characteristics stratification and biodiversity
  • dominated by broad leaved evergreens
36
Q

Tropical Savannas(Geograpgic)

location, size, flora

A
  • A grassland rich in trees
  • transitional zone from grassland to dry forest
  • 1/5th global surface
  • diverse grass and sedge species adapted for hot climate
  • 10 - 20 N & S, away from coastlines
37
Q

types of topical savana

A
  • non-seasonal: wet all year & poor sandy soils
  • Seasonal: stressful dry seasons, sandy poor in nutrients soil, fire important
  • Hyper-seasonal: annual folds and drought periods, mostly grasses few trees
38
Q

Characteristics of Tropical Savannas(biological)

soil, rain, elevation, flora, fauna?

A

Occur at lower elevations (up to 1200 m above sea
level) & level landscape
* SOIL: pH 4-4.8; low nutrient content; waterlogged to water deprived
* Savanna spreading to areas previously under forest
Annual rainfall between 500 & 2000 mm (8-to-10-
month wet season)
* Rainfall quantity determines if savanna is wooded or grassy
Herbivory
* African megafauna (40 species): mostly herbivores
Savanna require fire to exist
* Mild and frequent fires occurring every tew years

39
Q

Human Influence on Savanna:

A
  • Savannas Occur naturally due to environmental (climate) conditions
  • Savana formation speeds occurs
  • With frequent cutting burning of moist forests
  • Overgrazing of pastureland
  • Frequent cutting and burning of savanna vegetation
40
Q

Semi-arid and Arid Eco-regions

landcoverage and types?

A
  • 1/3 of global land
  • 2 categories , tropical steepe and tropical Desert
41
Q

Deserts

location, seasonality, precip

A
  • 20 to 30 N/S
  • Hot air dominates all year
  • mild winters very hot summers
  • little precip
  • Along coastlines can create fog Deserts cloudy but warm Baja California
42
Q

Wetlands

locations

A
  • most productive
  • home to both aquatic and terrestrial species
  • 4 major systems Okavango(Africa) Venezuelan Andes(SA), Panatanal(SA), Sunerbans (Asia)
43
Q

Pantanal

location, elevation?

A
  • Brazil to Bolivia and Paraguay
  • 200,000 km2, 70 % of this area is located in Brazil
  • Low elevation (150 m.a.s.l.)
  • Receives sediment from surrounding highlands
44
Q

Pantanal Seasons

A

Hyperseasonal wetland
Dry season: May – October
Peak rainy season: Jan - Feb

45
Q

Pantanal threats

A
  • horse ranching
  • fishing
  • uncontrolled hinting/ tourism
  • deforestation
  • pollution from sewage
46
Q

River systems

characterisitics

A
  • essential habitat for the trpoical biome
  • complex annual flood and drought cycles
  • drainage is dominated by few but large river systems
46
Q

Flow Regimes of Tropical Rivers are influenced by

A
  • precip
  • size of basin
  • terrain type
  • veg cover
47
Q

Effects of Anthropogenic Activities

A
  • deforestation, agriculture, industry, and dams
  • increased runoff to water and erosion
  • destroyed streamside habitats
  • pollution of water ways
48
Q

The Amazon Basin

elevation , temp

A
  • flat af 200m above sea(bar mountains)
  • 2 to 3 cm per km slope
  • upper river 5- 13C, main river 28C
49
Q

Flow Regimes of Tropical Rivers during dry seasons will

A
  • get water from groundwater reservoirs to maintain discharge
  • still lower
  • small streams may be dry
50
Q

Amazon’s Source

A
  • Peruvian Andes snowmelt 4500m above sea
    creates the Apurimac river eventually Soliomes which links with Rio negro making the Amazon
51
Q

Amazonian River Types

A
  • Whitewater rivers
  • Clearwater river
  • Blackwater rivers
52
Q

Blackwater rivers

A
  • Transparent
  • olive-brown to coffee-brown
  • Rio Negro
52
Q

Whitewater rivers

A
  • turbid waters
  • Solimoes
  • Rio Madeira
53
Q

Clearwater Rivers

A
  • Transparent
  • Green to olive water
  • Rio Xigu
  • Tio Tapajos

ERS 383 (5 decks)

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