Bioregions and Biodiversity
Define 'bioregion'
An area with similar plant and animal life (native species)
Define the theory of Plate tectonics
Convection cells resulting from heat differences within Earth’s mantle. These cell circulate slowly, and in different directions, producing surface movement in the crustal tectonic plates.
How does climate differ from weather?
Weather is the day to day condition of the atmosphere at a given place. Climate is the average atmospheric condition over a long period (usually 30 yrs)
How much of Earth's water is available for human use?
Approximately 1%
The _________ was an international treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions. It was enacted in 1997 and expired in 2015 when it was replaced by the Paris Treaty of 2015.
Kyoto Protocol
The bioregion associated with Bw Climates
Desserts
Describe and give examples of convergent plate boundaries
Boundaries where plates move toward each other, forms subduction zones where one place sinks below the other, Associated with mountain ranges, volcanoes and earthquakes
Define solar insolation
A measure of solar radiation often expressed in units of solar energy received over a specific area (square foot or square meter) over a specific period of time.
Water stress is defined as …
A condition where water availability is less than water demand, either currently or projected for the future.
Describe the difference between nonrenewable and renewable energy
Nonrenewable sources of energy are finite and if continually used will run out.
Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydro, that are replenished by nature at a faster rate than they are used or consumed.
The __________ bioregion tends to be most dominant around the equator
tropical rainforest
What are rift valleys
Deep trenches or valleys on Earth’s surface created where tectonic plates diverge from each other.
Describe a maritime climate
A climate moderated by proximity to oceans or large seas. It is usually cool, cloudy, and wet and lacks the temperature extremes of continental climates.
Identify 2 major world regions experiencing water stress
North American west, Sahel, India, Horn of Africa, Australia, Southern Africa
________ refers to a set of drilling technologies that injects a mix of water, sand, and chemicals underground in order to release and enhance the removal of natural gas and oil.
hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
_______ are trees that drop their leaves during the winter season, slowing physiology as they prepares to hibernate.
Deciduous trees
Where are most of the world's earthquakes found? Why?
Pacific ring of fire, ring of mostly convergent plate boundaries
Define a climograph
A graph of average annual temperature and precipitation data by month and season.
Polluted water takes a particularly high health toll on_____
Infants and children
Define the greenhouse effect and explain how it is related to anthropogenic climate change
The greenhouse effect is the trapping of solar radiation in the lower atmosphere, resulting in a warm envelope surrounding Earth. Incoming short-wave solar radiation is absorbed by land and water surfaces, then reradiated into the atmosphere as long-wave infrared radiation which is absorbed by greenhouse gases—both natural and human-generated—that warms the lower atmosphere. As humans put more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we are amplifying this process and affecting global climates.
Name some threats to Earth’s biodiversity.
habitat loss (from clear cutting of forests, expansion of agriculture) overfishing, climate change, human boundaries to animal and plant migration
How does physical geography affect weather?
orographic effect in mountainous areas, coastal cooling, higher winds in plains, continental climates
Describe the global trend of carbon dioxide emissions
CO2 has been relatively stable until the industrial period, when the burning of fossil fuels (coal and oil) began on a large scale.
Describe a major issue that causes water stress.
Drought and highly variable rainfall, poor access to potable water, high cost
Describe sea level rise
A consequence of global warming, it is a rise in the world’s sea level due to a combination of polar ice cap melting and the thermal expansion of warmer ocean water. Forecasts are about 4 feet (1.4 meters) by the year 2100. Will cause considerable flooding of low-lying coastal areas.