Mountains Built by geological processes and thus concentrated

Mountains • Built by geological processes and thus concentrated in belts of geological activity • Climate changes with elevation and latitude • Flora and fauna change with elevation

Mountains • Transhumance = seasonal migration of people & livestock in altitude (up and down mountain with seasons)

Mountains Isolation and endemism – increased isolation of species in mt ranges leads to endemism (= unique species to that location and found nowhere else)

The Hydrologic Cycle • Over 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water: – Oceans contain 97% – Polar ice caps and glaciers contain 2% – Freshwater in lakes, streams, and ground water make up less than 1%

Replacement period – time for one water molecule to complete the hydrologic cycle (9 days to 30, 000+ years)

The Hydrologic Cycle • Turnover time is the time required for the entire volume of a reservoir to be renewed. – Atmosphere – Rivers – Oceans 9 days 12 -20 days 3, 100 years

Ocean - Structure • Littoral Zone (intertidal zone): Shallow shoreline – rise/fall of tides • Neritic Zone: Coastal area to margin of continental shelf

Intertidal Zonation Lots of variation in abiotic conditions (temperature & moisture) in supratidal fringe zone, less so in lower intertidal; less stability with all this variation = more hostile to life

Ocean - Structure • Oceanic Zone: Beyond continental shelf – Epipelagic 0 - 200 m – Mesopelagic 200 - 1, 000 m – Bathypelagic 1, 000 - 4, 000 m – Abyssal 4, 000 - 6, 000 m – Hadal 6, 000 + m • Benthic: Habitat on bottom of ocean • Pelagic: Habitat off the bottom of the ocean = in the water column

Ocean Zones Know order of the oceanic zones; not specific depths

Ocean Biology • Photosynthetic organisms limited to upper epipelagic zone (euphotic zone) – Phytoplankton – contribute ¼ of total photosynthesis in biosphere – Zooplankton

Ocean Biology • Chemosynthesis occurs near undersea hot springs – deep water thermal and chemical vents • Use chemicals (instead of light) for generating energy