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APES Ch. 4 Vocab
Global Climates and Biomes - AP Environmental Science, Chapter 4
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Climate | The average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period of time |
| Troposphere | The layer of the atmosphere closest to Earth, extending about 16 km and containing most of the atmosphere's nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor (weather occurs here) |
| Stratosphere | The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, extending about 16 to 50 km above the surface of Earth (contains good ozone) |
| Albedo | The percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface (Earth averages 30%, but tropical regions can be as low as 10% and snow covered regions as much as 95%) |
| Saturation point | The maximum amount of water vapor that can be in the air at a given temperature |
| Adiabatic cooling | The cooling effect of reduced pressure in air as it rises higher in the atmosphere and expands |
| Adiabatic heating | The heating effect of increased pressure on air as it sinks toward the surface of Earth and decreases in volume |
| Latent heat rise | The release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses to liquid water |
| Hadley cells | Convection currents in the atmosphere that cycle between the equator and 30 degrees N and S (warm, wet, non-dense air rises at the equator, where it dries and sinks 30 degrees N and S, forming deserts) |
| Intertropical convergence zone | An area of Earth the receives the most intense sunlight (also dense clouds and thunderstorm activity), where the ascending branches of the two Hadley cells converge (shifts between 23.5 degrees N and S as Earth rotates, causing seasonal precipitation) |
| Polar cells | Convection cells in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60 degrees N and S, sees its water vapor condense into precipitation, dries as it moves toward the poles, then and sinks at the poles |
| Coriolis effect | The deflection of an object's path due to the rotation of Earth |
| Gyres | Large-scale patterns of water circulation that move East to West (clockwise) in the Northern Hemisphere and West to East (counterclockwise) in the Southern Hemisphere + redistribute heat in the ocean likeconvection currents in the atmosphere |
| Upwelling | The upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents - brings nutrients from the ocean floor that support a large population of producers |
| Thermohaline circulation | An oceanic circulation pattern that drives the mixing of surface water and deep water. Salty surface waters flow from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Atlantic, where some water freezes or evaporates, causing the cold, salty water to sink + create a deep, |
| El Niño Southern Oscillation | The periodic (every 3-7 years) changes in wind and ocean currents, causing cooler and wetter conditions in the southeastern US and unusually dry weather in southern Africa and southeast Asia. |
| Rain shadow | A region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side |
| Biomes | Geographic regions categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms |
| Tundra | A cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation (found in the Arctic, Antarctic, and alpine areas) |
| Permafrost | An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil found in tundra biomes |
| Boreal forest/taiga | A forest made primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons |
| Temperate rainforest | A coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation (leads to the growth of very large trees) ex: Northern California |
| Temperate seasonal forest | A biome with warmer summers and colder winters than temperate rainforests and dominated by deciduous trees (very productive, one of the first biomes to be used for agriculture) ex: Eastern US |
| Woodland/shrubland | A biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters - long growing season, but growth is constrained by low precipitation in summer and low temperatures in winter (wildfires in the summer) - ex: Southern California |
| Temperate grassland/cold desert | A biome characterize by cold, harsh winters and hot, dry summers - has the lowest annual precipitation rate or any temperate biome, and fires are common, so plants are mostly nonwoody and quick to regrow - ex: the Great Plains |
| Tropical rainforest | A warm and wet biome found between 20 degrees N and S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation (contain more biodiversity per hectare than any other terrestrial biome and contain up to 2/3 of terrestrial species) |
| Tropical seasonal forest/savanna | A biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons |
| Subtropical desert | A biome prevailing at about 30 degrees N and S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation |
| Littoral zone | The shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow - most photosynthesis occurs here |
| Limnetic zone | A zone of open water in lakes and ponds where rooted plants can no longer survive (phytoplankton are the only photosynthetic organisms) |
| Phytoplankton | Floating algae |
| Profundal zone | A region of water where sunlight does not reach, beneath the limnetic zone in deep lakes (bacteria decompose detritus that reaches this zone, consuming oxygen in the process, meaning oxygen concentrations cannot support many large organisms) |
| Benthic zone | The muddy bottom of a lake or pond beneath the limnetic and profundal zones |
| Freshwater wetlands | Aquatic biomes that are submerged or saturated in water for at least part of each year, but that are shallow enough to support emergent vegetation (Swamps contain trees, marshes contain nonwoody vegetation like cattails, and bogs are acidic + contain moss |
| Salt marshes | Marshes containing nonwoody emergent vegetation, found alongside the coasts in temperate climates (many are found in estuaries, where freshwater, nutrient-rich rivers mix with saltwater oceans - very productive for plants and algae, which filter water) |
| Mangrove swamps | Swamps that occur along tropical and subtropical coasts and contain salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water (these trees protect the coastline from erosion and storm damage) |
| Intertidal zone | The narrow band of coastline between levels of high tide and low tide - stable during high tide, but direct sunlight and high temperatures during low tide + potential washing away during changing tides |
| Coral reefs | The most diverse marine biomes on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline |
| Coral bleaching | A phenomenon in which algae inside corals die, causing the corals to turn white |
| Photic zone | The upper layer of water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis |
| Aphotic zone | The layer of water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis |
| Chemosynthesis | A process used by some bacteria in the ocean to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide |
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emilyjane1221
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