intro to tropics Flashcards
(55 cards)
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
2
Q
What happened post renaissance?
A
-exploration continued mostly in the tropics
- specimen were brought back to Europe
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
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
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
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
7
Q
Who is Leslie Holdridge?
A
-Formalized the life zone concept
8
Q
Life zone rainforest grading
A
- tropical moist= 200-400mm/yr
- tropical wet= 400-800 mm/yr
- tropical rain = over 800mm/yr
9
Q
Koppen-Geiger Classification system
A
- indigenous flora best expresses nature of climate
- annual and monthly mean temps along with rainfall distinguish biomes
10
Q
Koppen-Geiger Classes
A
-Tropical
-Arid
-Temperate
-Cold
-Polar
11
Q
Location of the Tropics?
A
23.5 N- 23.5 S (tropic od Cancer and Capricorn respectivly)
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
13
Q
Location of subtropics?
A
23.5N-10N, 23.5S-10S
14
Q
Humid and Seasonal Tropics location?
A
10N- 10S
15
Q
Humid Tropics
seasonality
A
Extremely humid all year round
16
Q
Seasonal Tropics
Sesonality
A
Distinct wet and Dry seasons
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
18
Q
What geographic features influence tropical climate?
A
- Latitude
- Altitude
- Distance from Ocean
- Prevaling winds (polar cell locations and that)
19
Q
Plant and animal distribution is influenced by what features?
A
- Climate
- Soil types
- Landforms
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
21
Q
What drives seasonality in the trpoics?
A
tropics rainfall variations
22
Q
How are mountains in the tropics formed?
A
Volcanism
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
Neo tropics zonation
- Tierra Caliente
- Tierra Templada
- Tierra Frida
- Tierra Helada
- Tiera Nevada
26
Tierra Caliente
- from sea to 700m
- coastal plain to low-lying interior hot and humid climate
- predominated by tropical agriculture
27
Tierra Templada
- from 760m to 1830m
- tropical highlands of Central America
28
Tierra Frida
- from 1830 to 3658m
- cold andes mountain range
29
Tierra Helada
- Puna(in peru)
- from 3658m to 4500m
- cold barren
-above tree line only grazing fauna
30
Terra Nevada
- Over 4500m
- perma ice and snow
31
Humid/seasonal tropics Characteristics
| biologic
- 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
Tropical Rainforest Regions
- Amazon, Congo & SE Asia
-Contains 33% of total global population
33
Distribution of humid tropics:
45% Americas
30% Africa
25% Asia
Small fraction in Oceania & Pacific Islands
34
Characteristics of Tropical Rainforests (Geograpic)
| location, seanonality, precip, temp
- 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
Characteristics of Tropical Rainforests(biotic)
- two distinct characteristics stratification and biodiversity
- dominated by broad leaved evergreens
36
Tropical Savannas(Geograpgic)
| location, size, flora
- 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
types of topical savana
- 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
Characteristics of Tropical Savannas(biological)
| soil, rain, elevation, flora, fauna?
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
Human Influence on Savanna:
* 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
Semi-arid and Arid Eco-regions
| landcoverage and types?
- 1/3 of global land
- 2 categories , tropical steepe and tropical Desert
41
Deserts
| location, seasonality, precip
- 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
Wetlands
| locations
- most productive
- home to both aquatic and terrestrial species
- 4 major systems Okavango(Africa) Venezuelan Andes(SA), Panatanal(SA), Sunerbans (Asia)
43
Pantanal
| location, elevation?
- 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
Pantanal Seasons
Hyperseasonal wetland
Dry season: May – October
Peak rainy season: Jan - Feb
45
Pantanal threats
- horse ranching
- fishing
- uncontrolled hinting/ tourism
- deforestation
- pollution from sewage
46
River systems
| characterisitics
- essential habitat for the trpoical biome
- complex annual flood and drought cycles
- drainage is dominated by few but large river systems
46
Flow Regimes of Tropical Rivers are influenced by
- precip
- size of basin
- terrain type
- veg cover
47
Effects of Anthropogenic Activities
- deforestation, agriculture, industry, and dams
- increased runoff to water and erosion
- destroyed streamside habitats
- pollution of water ways
48
The Amazon Basin
| elevation , temp
- flat af 200m above sea(bar mountains)
- 2 to 3 cm per km slope
- upper river 5- 13C, main river 28C
49
Flow Regimes of Tropical Rivers during dry seasons will
- get water from groundwater reservoirs to maintain discharge
- still lower
- small streams may be dry
50
Amazon’s Source
- Peruvian Andes snowmelt 4500m above sea
creates the Apurimac river eventually Soliomes which links with Rio negro making the Amazon
51
Amazonian River Types
- Whitewater rivers
- Clearwater river
- Blackwater rivers
52
Blackwater rivers
- Transparent
- olive-brown to coffee-brown
- Rio Negro
52
Whitewater rivers
- turbid waters
- Solimoes
- Rio Madeira
53
Clearwater Rivers
- Transparent
- Green to olive water
- Rio Xigu
- Tio Tapajos
