Characteristics of Biomes and the Hydrologic Cycle - Assignment Example

EcologyAnswer the question:1. Please list three characteristics discussed about the following biomes.A. tropical rain foresti. temperature between 200c and 340cii. has an average humidity of approximately 77%iii. rainfall between 200 and 225cm annuallyB. Tropical savannai. Very hot summersii. Annual rainfall of between 500 to 2000 millimeters.iii. Covered with grass with patches of shrubs and treesC. Temperate foresti. Temperature varies between -300 and 300cii. Annual precipitation is between 750 and 1500mmiii.

In the northern hemisphere the leaves of trees are deciduous whereas in the southern hemisphere the leaves are broad but needle like.D. Boreal foresti. Temperature in summer is averagely 100c and varies from -40 to 200c in the rest of the yearii. Precipitation ranges between 300 and 900mm per yeariii. Podzol is the common soil with a pH of about 3.53. Consider the hydrologic cycle. At any one time, where is on the planet is the largest reservoir of water?The largest reservoir of water is 400 miles beneath the surface; deep in the earth’s mantle.4. Please discuss how light and temperature vary with depth of water in the open ocean.

Light level is highest at the surface open sea, and decreases with depth to about 150 meters. The amount of sunlight passing through the ocean water is affected by cloud cover, sunlight angle that depends on altitude, time of the day and season, and waves which reflect the light. Just like light, temperature which is also from the sun get absorbed most at the surface. Cloud cover as well as wind which cause albedo reduce the amount it that the ocean absorbs.5. Please discuss how the salinity (brought in by tides) affects the pattern of growth in marine shore ecosystems.

Variation of the degrees of salinity as a result of freshwater flow leads to stratification; the distribution of organisms will be affected. All marine organisms tolerate salinity differently, a reason as to why there exists stenohaline and euryhaline. Variation in how organisms tolerate salinity dictates their distribution (Einsele 183).6. Please name the process by which cold, high density water from deep ocean zones is brought to the surface, often along coasts of continents.Upwelling is the process in which is moved up to keep balance.7. Please explain how the major oceanic currents affect the distribution of energy from the equator to the northern latitudes.

When currents passing on the western side of the gyres are warm, they carry solar heat from the equator to the northern latitude resulting to rise in temperature in the northern latitudes. On the other hand, the flowing of the cold currents from polar regions to the equator results to the cooling of the western coasts. 8. Please define ecology and please name two interaction often found in biological communities.Ecology is the study of interactions between biotic and abiotic factors. Two examples of interactions include competition and predation.

Work CitedEinsele, Gerhard. Sedimentary Basins: Evolution, Facies, and Sediment Budget. New York: Springer Science & Business Media, 2000. Print.