CHAPTER 4 SECTION 1 SC-B-6.2 STUDENTS WILL EXPLAIN HOW POPULATIONS ARE AFFECTED BY LIMITING FACTORS(INCLUDING DENSITY-DEPENDENT, DENSITY- INDEPENDENT, ABIOTIC,& BIOTIC FACTORS The Role of Climate

What is Climate? the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature & precipitation in a particular region. [weather is the day-to-day condition of Earth’s particular time & place]

What causes climate? caused by interplay of several things but the 2 most important factors are: Temperature Precipitation other factors:  latitude  amt heat trapped in atmosphere  transport of heat by winds, ocean currents  topography of the land

The Greenhouse Effect

CO 2, methane, H 2 O (g), + few other gases trap heat nrg from sunlight & maintain Earth’s temperature range  w/out the greenhouse effectEarth’s average temp would be ~- 19 ◦C! nhouse/

Effect of Latitude on Climate because Earth is a sphere & tilted solar nrg strikes different parts of the Earth’s angles that vary thru out the yr

Climate Zones as result of differences in latitude & so the angle of heating, Earth has 3 main climate zones: 1.tropical 2. temperate 3. polar

Tropical Zone between 23.5 ◦ North & 23.5 ◦ South receives director nearly direct sunlight year round

Temperate Zone between 23.5 ◦ & 60 ◦ North & South climate ranges from hot to cold

Polar Zone rays of sunlight only very low angles  very cold

Heat Transport in the Biosphere un= heating of earth’s surface drives winds & ocean currents both transport heat thru out the biosphere because warm masses of air or water rise & colder masses sink

Surface Ocean Currents