GEO 131 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Climatology, Lithosphere, Cryosphere
Document Summary
Ecology the study of the interaction of living organisms and the natural environment. The natural environment consists of the earth"s spheres, surface and atm, air, h2o, soil, and other resources necessary to sustain life. Hydrology (where water is coming from, how it moves in syst) Soil analysis (how soil develops, different types of soil, their impact. Ecology views each locale as an integrated whole of interdependent parts that function as a unit. Caribou species: how is it affected by tundra, how it affects tundra. Remember: earth divided into spheres; need to have knowledge of all spheres to know biosphere. All regions of earth capable of supporting life. Evolved ~3. 5 billion y/ago (evidence of life in rocks) 20-30km thickness (deep ocean trenches to the atmosphere), which is pretty thin. Includes portions of the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and cryosphere. The 3 other spheres must already be present (atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere), and must be stable enough to maintain life.