PCB 4043 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Gang Of Youths, Upwelling, Atmospheric Circulation
18 May 2016
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Document Summary
The physical environment will ultimately determine where organisms can live, and the resources that are available to them. Therefore, an understanding of the physical environment is key to understanding all ecological phenomena. Concept 2. 1: climate is the most fundamental component of the physical environment: weather: current conditions- temperature, precipitation, humidity, cloud cover, etc, climate: long-term description of weather, based on averages and variation measured over decades of measurements. Climatic variation can include anything from daily and seasonal cycles, as well as yearly, decadal, and centennial cycles. Long-term climate change can result from changes in the intensity and distribution of solar radiation. Current climate change is due to increased co2 and other gases in the atmosphere due to human activities (and, to some effect) natural cycling. Climate determines the geographic distribution of organisms. Climate is characterized by average conditions, but extreme conditions can also be important to individual organisms and ecosystems because they can contribute to mortality rates.
