Earth science
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Introduction
The study of weather patterns in an area that is done for over 30 years is called climate. Climate systems refer to different climates of different parts of the world e.g., some parts of the world have snow and are cold for most of the year. Others have a tropical wet climate. Climate systems and changes refer to the components that determine the climate e.g., the atmosphere, the biosphere. Climate change does not change from day to day, like weather, but it does change over time and slowly over a hundred or thousand years. Different plants and animals prefer different climatic conditions for their survival. Different components of a biome e.g., influence climate, a landmass covered by a forest will have lower carbon emission, and its steady temperature will be lower.
Characteristics of different biomes and climates
Tundra’s climate is polar. It is characterized by subzero temperatures, which can rise to 50 F in the summers, snow cover all year round, and very little precipitation. Sun can shine up to 24 hours daily for the 50-60 days of the summer. During summer, wildflowers and small insects are in plenty. Migrating birds have plenty to feed on. The warmer temperatures are ideal for breeding insects and fish, which are eaten by the birds. During winter, most of the animals that survive here usually go into hibernation. During summer, most animals must gain as much fat as possible beneath their skin to see through the harsher winter months. People who live in such conditions must wear warm and waterproof clothing made of animal skin to make through the climatic conditions e.g., the Eskimos. They must also insulate their homes from the windy and icy conditions or risk hypothermia. Few plants and animals survive. Arctic foxes and wolves, polar bears, and few other hunting predators live here. The significant activity for humans living here is also hunting. (Virtanen et al., 2016)
Desert climates cover 20% of the earth’s surface. Sweltering day temperatures usually characterize the Sahara desert, and the earth is typically covered by sand and small stones. The flora and fauna that exist in these conditions have to adapt to this extremity. Most of the animals are active at night, during which time they forage for food and prey. During the day, the animals hide in colder regions of the deserts where they reserve their energies and minimize the loss of water from their bodies. Cacti are plants that are synonymous with deserts. They are spiky and have large stems. The stems preserve water, which they survive on, and the spikes prevent animals from feeding on them. Desert snakes and scorpions are incredibly poisonous. This means that any prey is already a meal on being ambushed. The driest desert is the Atacama in Chile. Humans here build their homes against cliffs to ensure their houses are more relaxed than in the open. (Pollard, 1971)
Tropical climates are generally warm throughout the year. A temperature range of between 25-28c characterizes them. The tropics only experience either dry or wet temperatures. The Brazilian amazon receives up to 3000 mm of rainfall annually. This infers that the plants are green all year round. Therefore, the biome has the most prominent component of animals and plants that thrive in these conditions. In the wet conditions of Sri Lanka, sufficient rainfall enables over 250 frog species to be present. (Malhado, 2012)
Conclusion
Climatic conditions are influenced by certain conditions in which they occur. The different biomes on earth exist on different land or water masses as they have adapted to suit the prevalent climates. Today the climate is being influenced by human doing. Man’s cultivation into areas that could absorb most greenhouse gases has led to an increase in global temperatures. This has, in turn, caused massive flooding in areas caused by melting glaciers. In the North Pole, polar bears are about to go extinct in less than two decades because their habitat is diminishing. There is also a dramatic change in weather patterns, which is threatening the global population. It has needed, therefore enough willpower through policy and mindset change to ensure climate change will not spell the end of the human race.
References
Malhado, A. C., Malhi, Y., Whittaker, R. J., Ladle, R. J., Ter Steege, H., Fabré, N. N., … & Ramírez‐Angulo, H. (2012). Drip‐tips are associated with intensity of precipitation in the Amazon rain forest. Biotropica, 44(6), 728-737.
Pollard, G. C. (1971). Cultural change and adaptation in the central Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. Nawpa Pacha, 9(1), 41-64.
Virtanen, R., Oksanen, L., Oksanen, T., Cohen, J., Forbes, B. C., Johansen, B. … & Tømmervik, H. (2016). Where do the treeless tundra areas of northern highlands fit in the global biome system: toward an ecologically natural subdivision of the tundra biome. Ecology and Evolution, 6(1), 143-158.