topical climates
tropical ecosystems
tropical landforms
Wave, marine and sub-aerial proccess
Coral Reefs/ Management of the Coasts
100
Where do air masses derive their temp and humidity from?
the regions over which they lie.
100
What are savannas?
they are areas of tropical grassland.
100
What is weathered rock known as?
saprolite
100
What are tides?
Tides are regular movements in the sea's surface, caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun on the oceans
100
This structure is made of calcium carbonate and reef building stony corals, what is it?
A coral reef.
200
What can cause air masses to change?
internal changes and effects of the surface over which they move.
200
The local variation in soil leads to variations in vegetation: this control by the soil is known as what?
edaphic control
200
Polygonal is another terms for what?
Cockpit karst
200
What is wavelength?
this is the distance between two successive crests or troughs.
200
What are the optimal growth temperatures and depths for coral reefs?
between 23- 25c and less than 25m deep.
300
Where does the ITCZ lie on average?
about 5 degrees north
300
Xerophytic and pyrophytic are both adaptations to what type of biome or ecosystem.
savanna
300
What are blue holes
they are caves that were once formed out of water and a significant change in sea- level has caused them to be submerged in water, forming what is known as a blue hole.
300
What are the three main types of breaker waves?
Spilling, plunging, and surging.
300
When environmental conditions become stressful, zooxanthellae may leave the coral, leaving the coral in an energy deficit and a loss of color this proccess is known as what?
coral bleaching.
400
Who was the initial classification of air masses made by and what year?
Tor Bergeron in 1928.
400
What is an oxisol
it is a leached ferruginous soil.
400
This form of mechanical weathering, is done through the heating and cooling of the rocks causing them expand and contract, which causes the outer layers of rock to crack and peel off?
exfoliation.
400
Waves that reach the shore are known as what?
Waves of translation.
400
What are some things that can be done in carrying out SMPs or shoreline development plans?
-do nothing, -improve defense of the coast, - allow retreat of the coast in selected areas.
500
What is succession?
it refers to the spatial and temporal changes in plant communities as they move towards a seral climax
500
What is the net primary productivity or NPP of the rainforest ecosystem?
2200 g/square meter/ yr. this means that the solar energy fixed by the green plants gives 2200 grams of living matter per square meter every year.
500
What are duricrusts?
concentrations of iron, aluminium, silica, and calcium carbonate found within the zone of weathering.
500
What are the heights ranges for microtidal, mesotidal, and macrotidal coastal areas?
mirco: less than 2m, meso: 2-4m, macro: over 4m
500
What are the main aims of zoning?
to ensure permanent conservation of the area, provide protection for selected species and ecosystems, separate conflicting activities, preserve some untouched areas, and allow human use of the reef at the same time protecting the reef.
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