GEOG 101 2/2/2014

Instructor: Pesses 1

24| Global Biogeography

Geography 101Physical Geography: Earth’s Surface Landscapes

M. Pesses, Antelope Valley College

Part V – The Living Earth

Today

Biomebasics Majorbiomesoftheworld

Alteringbiomes Geoengineering

Biomes

Alargestable,terrestrialoraquaticecosystemcharacterizedbyspecificplantandanimalcommunities

Namedfordominantvegetation Mostvisiblepartofthebioticlandscape

Terrestrial ecosystems

Plantsarethemostvisiblepartofthebioticlandscape ReflectEarth’sphysicalsystems Insolationamounts Waterquantity Geomorphicprocesses

GEOG 101 2/2/2014

Instructor: Pesses 2

Major Terrestrial Biomes

Vegetation(andspecies)mappedis“ideal” Priortohumanalteration

Notexoticspecies

Exotic Species

Speciesofplantsoranimalsnotnativetoanecosystem

Killer Bees

BeesfromAfricaintroducedtoBrazilinthe1950s

TheAmericasarehometoEuropeanHoneyBees

Thetwogroupsbred Making“Africanized”HoneyBees

Biomes

5principleterrestrialbiomes1. Forest2. Savanna3. Grassland4. Desert5. Tundra

Forest Biome

Importantformations: Low‐latituderainforest Sclerophyllforest

GEOG 101 2/2/2014

Instructor: Pesses 3

Low-Latitude Rainforest

Wrapsaroundtheequator

Accountfor½ofEarth’sremainingforests

Biomassislocatedhighinthetreecanopy Insolation

Biodiversity

Biodiversity Biodiversity

GEOG 101 2/2/2014

Instructor: Pesses 4

Sclerophyll Forest

MediterraneanClimate

Sclerophyll Plantsadaptedtosurvivedroughtbyminimizingtranspiration

Sclerophyll Forest

Chaparral Generalvegetationinthisbiome

Leatheryleaves,short,well‐developedroots Variesbetweenwoodyshrubsandgrassywoodlands

Manzanita,oaktrees,poisonoak

Sclerophyll Forest

Regionsofhighfiredanger inthesummer Thebiomeactuallyseemstobewelladaptedtofire Quickrecoveryafterwards

NativeAmericanfireecology Improveseedharvests Controlvegetation Herdgame

DesertBiome

GEOG 101 2/2/2014

Instructor: Pesses 5

Deserts

AdaptationstosurviveinharshclimatesXerophytic plants

Adaptedtoliveindryplaceswithbrief,intenserainyseason

Deserts

AdaptationstosurviveinharshclimatesBiologicalwarfare

Creosotebushes Rootsspreadtoxinstolimitcompetitionwithotherplants

GEOG 101 2/2/2014

Instructor: Pesses 6

Altering Biomes

Again,theseareideallandscapesfrom“pristine”times Humanityhasdramaticallyalteredthesevegetationregimesthroughagricultureanddevelopment

Human Footprint

Remaining Wilderness Green Biomass

DeforestationDeforestation in Borneo

GEOG 101 2/2/2014

Instructor: Pesses 7

DesertificationThreats to Biodiversity

http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/hotspots/california_floristic/Pages/default.aspx

Changing Vegetation

Humansareapowerfulforce…

Geoengineering

“purposefulhumanactivitythatsignificantlyaltersthestateoftheEarth”(Lovelock2008) Fireecology Greenhouseemissions&slowingclimatechange?

GEOG 101 2/2/2014

Instructor: Pesses 8

Your futures

Let’sassume… You’renotswallowedbytheEarth Encasedinvolcanicash Ravagedbykillerbees Infectedwithmigratingmalaria

Your futures

Takeadvantageofthistime! Findworkyoulovedoing!

Andrememberglobalization…

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