climate and biomes Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is climate?
The long-term weather conditions in an area.
What four physical factors are major components of climate?
Temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind.
What causes climate to vary?
Latitude, seasons, and recent rapid climate changes.
What is a biome?
A major life zone characterized by vegetation type in terrestrial regions or by physical environment in aquatic regions.
What is the major factor influencing the location of terrestrial biomes?
Climate.
What specific climatic variables affect biome distribution?
Mean precipitation, temperature, and patterns of climatic variation.
How are aquatic biomes characterized?
By their physical environment.
What is the average salt concentration in marine biomes?
About 3%
What is the average salt concentration in freshwater biomes?
Less than 0.1%
What percentage of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans?
About 75%.
How do marine biomes impact the biosphere?
Marine algae and photosynthetic bacteria supply much of Earth’s oxygen
Absorb significant amounts of CO₂ from the atmosphere
What influences freshwater biomes the most?
Surrounding soil and biotic components
Climate
Pattern and speed of water flow
