LabWorksheet08_GettingtoKnowtheBiosphere

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Jun 4, 2024

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Name: _____________________________ Lab Worksheet 8: Getting to Know the Biosphere GEOG 5, Instructor: Joy Fritschle This lab is in three parts: in part 1, you will examine how ecosystems and ecotones change with topography; in part 2, you will create a map in ArcGIS Online and explore GIS data on wildfires in the Living Atlas; and in part 3, you will utilize online resources for studying the biosphere. Part 1: Examining environmental variables that influence the distribution of trees Mountains provide an excellent case study for examining changes in flora based on changes in environmental factors such as temperature and moisture. For this part of the lab, you will examine macro- and micro-scale changes in the flora along a transect going from the coast to the interior of Oregon: Begin by examining the table below, which represents the changes in vegetation types going from the west coast of Oregon (the lefthand starting point of the transect pictured above), over the Coast Range Mountains (a low elevation mountain range), into the Willamette Valley (a prime agricultural region in Oregon), over the Cascade Mountains (a high elevation mountain range), into the high desert landscape of eastern Oregon, and finally over the Ochoco Mountains (a low elevation mountain range). Listed in order from west (right on the ocean coast) to east: Vegetation Type Climate Description Sitka spruce Smallest temp range, warmest January, lots precip, little snow Coastal western hemlock Highest precip, small temp range, little snow, frequently foggy Oak savanna Little snow, warmer winter, less precip on leeward side Inland western hemlock Less precip than coastal hemlock, more snow Noble fir, mountain hemlock Most snow, coolest July temps Ponderosa pine Lots of snow relative to annual precip, large temp range Western juniper shrub steppe Rainshadow, least precip, greatest temp range Grand fir, Douglas fir Coldest winter temp, large temp range, lots of snow relative to precip English Cleveland
1. Which vegetation type on the table is pictured to the right and is the most influenced by the moderating effect of the ocean ? Explain your reasoning for selecting this type. (0.75 pts) 2. Which vegetation type on the table is pictured to the right and is the least influenced (or the most removed) from the moderating effect of the ocean ? Explain why. (0.75 pts) 3. What vegetation type is most likely pictured to the right (hint: notice the fog) ? Explain why. (0.75 pts) 4. What vegetation type is most likely pictured here in these trees separated by wide open grassy areas ? Explain why. (0.75 pts) 5. Which vegetation type(s) is(are) pictured here and is(are) most similar to what you would expect to find in a high elevation borest forest/taiga biome ? Explain why. (0.75 pts) Stika Spruce- near the coast, temperatures stay more even because the ocean changes temperature slowly. This makes the weather milder, with fewer big temperature swings. That's why there are more kinds of plants, like Stika spruce trees, growing there. Ponderosa pines grow in inland areas, far from the ocean. Because they're not influenced by the ocean's humidity, these areas tend to be drier Coastal Western Hemlock trees thrive in foggy environments. They're usually found in forests along the coast and at mid-mountain elevations Grand fir and Douglas fir trees are found in dense forests known as taigas. These forests mainly consist of trees like spruce, pine, and fir, which have needles instead of broad leaves Oak savannas, the winters are warm and it's dry, which oak trees like. But sometimes, other plants can also thrive there, not just oak trees.
Now let’s zoom out and examine the environmental variables that influence two species of trees found in California: coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens ) and giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron gigantea ). Although sometimes both generically referred to as “redwoods,” coast redwoods and giant sequoias are two different, albeit related, species that grow in different parts of California and have different environmental requirements and limiting factors. Coast redwoods have a much larger range along the northern coast of California; they are also famous for being the tallest trees in the world. Conversely, giant sequoias are found in a limited range in the Sierra Nevada mountains and are famous for being the biggest trees (by biomass) in the world. In short, coast redwoods are taller while giant sequoias are slightly shorter and wider, although both trees are extremely large (note the people in the photos below for scale!). Below is a map of the distribution of giant sequoias and coast redwoods, along with the outline of California counties. You can also see the differences in size and appearance of these species. The interior of these species are both a reddish color (hence the name “redwoods”), but coast redwoods bark is grayish while giant sequoias have a reddish bark. Some plant and animal species can live virtually anywhere. For example, the mallard duck will avoid the bitter tundra in the winter, avoid the scorching heat of central Mexico in the summer, and will survive and thrive throughout most of North America for most of the year. Other species, such as coast redwood trees, have very specific needs in terms of soil type, slope, temperature, and moisture. Any factor, or characteristic, that limits the distribution of a plant or animal is referred to as a limiting factor . Several common factors can limit the distribution of plants and animals. These include temperature highs, lows, or annual ranges in temperature. It can include the amount and type of precipitation. Elevation is also an additional limiting factor given its influence on local climates (as demonstrated in the Oregon transect above). Below, you will find several maps of environmental variables that may have an impact on the distribution of giant sequoias and coast redwoods. Side note: I used the Living Atlas in ArcGIS Online and PowerPoint to create these maps, which means you can make similar maps too!
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