01:119:115 Lecture Notes - Lecture 38: Cyanobacteria, Thermocline, Benthos
25 Feb 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Climate: long term prevailing weather conditions in a given area. Driven by solar e and movement of earth in space. Tropics 23. 5n, 23,5s direct sunlight, most heat and light. Above 60n and s rises again, cool, releases water. High specific heat--> can moderate temperature of nearby land. Can be influenced by features of local environment. Evidence of previous changes in fossils tree distribution. Similar changes projected now (an d not just for trees) Biome: major life zone characterized by vegetation (terrestrial) or physical environment (aquatic) Differentiated on basis of just a few variables. Plot of annual mean temp and precipitation in a region. Influenced by patterns and speed of water flow. Photic zone- upper layer, sufficient, light for photosynthesis. Pelagic zone: open water, photic/ aphotic zones together. Abyssal zone: deepest part of aphotic zone in marine biomes. Thermocline is boundary, separates warm water from cold. Limnetic zone- farther from short, too deep for rooted plants.
