nature and distribution of cold environments Flashcards
(10 cards)
what are the different environments around the world?
polar,alpine,periglacial and glacial
explain the polar environment
located at the poles,high latitude, in the arctic circle
average temperature is below 10°C below freezing with little rainfall=deprived nutrients
poor vegetation only highly adapted plants can grow
explain the alpine environment
high altitude in mountainous regions, above the tree line
winter=heavy snowfall
summer=heavy rainfall=meltwater
vegetation in the summer dies in winter =encourages fertile soil
high seasonal variance
explain the periglacial environment
high latitude located on the edge of glacial and polar regions
slow nutrient cycle > asexual plants
below 10°c
explain a glacial environment
a glacial environment is an area that is consistently cold enough to sustain glaciers and ice sheets
must be below freezing majority of the year
explain the current distribution
it is currently in an interglacial period > most glaciers are starting to retreat
AS glaciers have advanced and retreated in correlation to temperatures
explain the past distribution
the most recent ice age was the Pleistocene era from 2.5 million years ago to 11,700
this is when there was fluctuations in global temperatures
what happend in the Pleistocene era?
glacial period:colder temperatures = glacial advances and sea levels fall
interglacial period:warmer temperatures = glaciers retreat
what areas were affected in the last glacial maxiumum (21 000 years ago)?
Canada,Greenland, Sweden, the northern hemisphere and north pole
what are the layers in a periglacial environment?
active layer > permafrost > talik
