North AmericaNorth America

North AmericaNorth AmericaPhysical MapPhysical Map

ClimateClimate map map

Temperature Temperature and and precipitationprecipitation are are its most its most important important expressions and expressions and vegetationvegetation is its is its most visible most visible expression. expression. Animal life adapts Animal life adapts to both climate to both climate and and vegetation. vegetation.

climatclimatee

A climograph that combines A climograph that combines monthly precipitation and monthly precipitation and temperature statistics on a temperature statistics on a single graph. Precipitation is single graph. Precipitation is shown using a bar graph and shown using a bar graph and temperature is shown using a temperature is shown using a line graph.line graph.

Climate influences vegetation, soils, landforms, and water resources, and many human activities as well. A climate region is a portion of the earth's surface over which the climate characteristics are similar.

average condition of the weather based upon statistics collected over a period of

30 years.

Rainfall amounts in Rainfall amounts in North America North America range from over range from over 150 cm in the rain 150 cm in the rain forests to less than forests to less than 50 cm in the 50 cm in the mountainous areas mountainous areas of the West.of the West.

precipitatiprecipitationon

Though broadleaf temperate forests are found Though broadleaf temperate forests are found along the Gulf Coast, a substantial amount of along the Gulf Coast, a substantial amount of southern pine forest are found in Southeastern southern pine forest are found in Southeastern United States as well.United States as well.

population mappopulation map

Which part of the Which part of the United States is the United States is the most heavily most heavily populated?populated?

nightnightlightlightss

Black – sea level, Light Gray – over 10,000 ‘Black – sea level, Light Gray – over 10,000 ‘

Based upon Based upon satellite satellite measurements measurements of city lights, of city lights, this image is a this image is a map of the map of the urban urban population population density of North density of North America.America.

Most major cities are in level Most major cities are in level areas along an ocean, bay, areas along an ocean, bay, large lake, or navigable riverlarge lake, or navigable river. . 

Each land cover type plays a different role in Each land cover type plays a different role in carbon, climate, and water cycles. Land cover carbon, climate, and water cycles. Land cover maps help scientists understand how human and maps help scientists understand how human and natural activities affect the Earth system.natural activities affect the Earth system.

Land Land cover cover

VegetatioVegetation n types that cover the United States in different colors.

BiomesBiomes are defined as "the world's major are defined as "the world's major communities, classified according to the communities, classified according to the predominant vegetation and characterized by predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular adaptations of organisms to that particular environment" (Campbell).environment" (Campbell).

North America biomesNorth America biomes

Snow coverSnow cover

The orange area is tundra, purple is taiga, green is The orange area is tundra, purple is taiga, green is grassland, black is temperate forest, yellow is desert, blue grassland, black is temperate forest, yellow is desert, blue is tropical rain forest, brown is chaparral and the white is is tropical rain forest, brown is chaparral and the white is ocean.ocean. Windows Original

Eight world biomesEight world biomes

tundratundra

The Arctic tundra is a cold, vast, treeless area of low, swampy plains in the far north around the Arctic Ocean. It includes the northern lands of Alaska and Canada. Since the sun does not rise for nearly six months of the year, it is not unusual for the temperature to be below -30°F in winter.

The earth’s coldest biome

Alaska’sAlaska’sdenalidenali

The Alaskan The Alaskan denali denali is a treeless is a treeless tundra with only tundra with only mosses and lichen mosses and lichen vegetation in the vegetation in the summer, and summer, and covered with snow covered with snow the rest of the the rest of the year. year.

denali denali glaciersglaciers

At the left-center of the picture is North America's At the left-center of the picture is North America's highest peak, the 20,320 foot summit of Mt. highest peak, the 20,320 foot summit of Mt. McKinley. It's also known as Denali (the Great McKinley. It's also known as Denali (the Great One). To the west is Mt. Forager (17,400 ft), and in One). To the west is Mt. Forager (17,400 ft), and in the foreground are several of the dozens of large the foreground are several of the dozens of large glaciers emanating from the Alaska Range. glaciers emanating from the Alaska Range.

This This unusually unusually clear clear wintertime wintertime aerial aerial photo photo shows a shows a portion of portion of the Alaska the Alaska Range in Range in south south central central Alaska.Alaska.

ridge bedded glacierridge bedded glacier

Glaciers can Glaciers can Be subdivided Be subdivided according to according to substrate over substrate over which they which they flow. This in flow. This in turn affectsturn affectstheir characteristics, including their speed, their their characteristics, including their speed, their ability to erode and deposit and consequently ability to erode and deposit and consequently their landform record. their landform record.

Alaska Alaska wildlifewildlife

The Brown Bear The Brown Bear (right)(right) lives lives throughout the North throughout the North American continent, American continent, particularly in the particularly in the colder climes.colder climes.

Arctic birds converge Arctic birds converge along the islandsalong the islands

The southern part of the denali tundra gives way The southern part of the denali tundra gives way to the hardy trees of the taigato the hardy trees of the taiga

Taiga (or Boreal Forests) Taiga (or Boreal Forests) represent the largest represent the largest terrestrial biome. terrestrial biome. Occurring between 50Occurring between 50°° and 60and 60°° north latitudes, north latitudes, boreal forests can be boreal forests can be found in the broad belt of found in the broad belt of Eurasia and North Eurasia and North America. At left is the America. At left is the hardy jack pine species hardy jack pine species common in the poor, common in the poor, sandy soils, mostly in sandy soils, mostly in Canada.Canada.

TaigaTaiga

MooseMoose

moosemoose

L. Michigan

L. Superior

L. Huron

L. Erie

L. Ontario

N

Milwaukee

Chicago

Detroit

Convection

Lake Effect

climographsclimographs

All climates in the All climates in the Northern Boreal Northern Boreal Forest tend to have Forest tend to have cold, long winters, cold, long winters, short cool summers, short cool summers, and low precipitation. and low precipitation. The graphs on the left The graphs on the left show average annual show average annual temperature and temperature and precipitation for two precipitation for two localities at the localities at the margins of this biome.margins of this biome.

MarineMarineWest CoastWest CoastThe marine or humid The marine or humid west coast climate is west coast climate is found on the west found on the west coast of mid-latitude coast of mid-latitude climates and is very climates and is very humid through most humid through most of the year. Westerly of the year. Westerly winds from the ocean winds from the ocean bring cloudy skies, bring cloudy skies, much precipitation, much precipitation, and mild and mild temperatures.temperatures.

Marine climate compared to EuropeMarine climate compared to Europe

The significant difference The significant difference between climate between climate characteristics of characteristics of Vancouver and London, Vancouver and London, both Marine West Coast both Marine West Coast climates, arises from climates, arises from location, local topography, location, local topography, and ocean current and ocean current influence.influence.

The dry summer in The dry summer in Vancouver is due in part to Vancouver is due in part to subsiding, subtropical high subsiding, subtropical high pressure lying to the pressure lying to the south. Precipitation is south. Precipitation is nearly double that of nearly double that of London due to local London due to local orographic uplift of air.orographic uplift of air.

Orographic upliftOrographic uplift

West Coast rain forestWest Coast rain forest

The The abundant abundant rainfall of rainfall of the Pacific the Pacific Northwest Northwest allows for allows for the growth the growth of huge of huge pine trees.pine trees.

Olympia National ParkOlympia National Park

Rivers carry Rivers carry nutrients to the nutrients to the forests by way of forests by way of fish, insects and fish, insects and other animals other animals that live in this that live in this aqueous world.aqueous world.

Biomes change with Biomes change with elevationelevation

Alpine tundraAlpine tundra Rocky Mountain highRocky Mountain high

This biome exists at This biome exists at the tops of high the tops of high mountains, above mountains, above the tree line. the tree line.

The growing season The growing season is about 180 days, is about 180 days, and nighttime and nighttime temperatures are temperatures are usually below usually below freezing.freezing.

highlandshighlands

Continental DivideContinental Divide

This line separating waters that flow into the Atlantic Ocean from those that flow into the Pacific Ocean runs north-south along the crest of the Rocky Mountains.

ColumbineColumbineRocky Mountain Rocky Mountain blossomblossom

deciduous deciduous forestforest

Deciduous forests can Deciduous forests can be found in the eastern be found in the eastern half of North America, half of North America, and the middle of and the middle of Europe.Europe.

temperature, temperature, precipitation precipitation graphsgraphs

Differences in the Differences in the species of the Eastern species of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Deciduous Forest ecosystem result from ecosystem result from local differences in local differences in climate and soil types. climate and soil types. The graphs indicate The graphs indicate the trends shown on the trends shown on the previous slide.the previous slide.

prairieprairie

The prairie biome is a The prairie biome is a plant community plant community dominated by grasses dominated by grasses and non-grassy herbs and non-grassy herbs with some woody with some woody shrubs and occasional shrubs and occasional trees.trees.

Temperate grasslands are characterized by hot summers and cold winters. Evaporation rate is high, so little rain makes it into the rich soil.

Mid-grass prairie near Manhattan, KansasMid-grass prairie near Manhattan, Kansas

Great Plains grasslandsGreat Plains grasslands

Great Great PlainsPlains

In the Prairies ecozone, rivers and streams are slow moving, usually with muddy bottoms. There are few lakes, but many marshes and small shallow ponds.

deserdesertt

Although Although most most deserts deserts occur at occur at low low latitudes, latitudes, cold cold deserts deserts occur in occur in the basin the basin and range and range area of area of Utah and Utah and Nevada. Nevada.

sparse vegetation, sparse vegetation, very low plant very low plant diversitydiversity

Sonoran Sonoran DesertDesertThis is the hottest of our This is the hottest of our North American deserts, its North American deserts, its rainfall pattern produces a rainfall pattern produces a high biological diversity.high biological diversity.

The Sonoran Desert is The Sonoran Desert is an arid region covering an arid region covering 120,000 square miles 120,000 square miles in southwestern in southwestern Arizona and Arizona and southeastern southeastern California, Baja California, Baja California and the California and the western half of the western half of the state of Sonora, state of Sonora, Mexico.Mexico.

Californian Californian chaparral chaparral

A chaparral is A chaparral is a shrubby a shrubby coastal area coastal area that has hot that has hot dry summers dry summers and mild, cool, and mild, cool, rainy winters. rainy winters. Annual rainfall Annual rainfall in a chaparral in a chaparral ranges from ranges from 15–40” per 15–40” per year. year.

The word chaparral comes from The word chaparral comes from "chaparro," which means "chaparro," which means scrub scrub oakoak in Spanish. in Spanish.

Rain Rain forestforest

Tropical rain forests are mainly Tropical rain forests are mainly the product of climatic interactions, the product of climatic interactions, particularly temperature and rainfall. particularly temperature and rainfall. They occur where They occur where monthly temperature monthly temperature of 20 - 28of 20 - 28°°C combines C combines with an annual with an annual rainfall of 1.5 -10m, rainfall of 1.5 -10m, evenly distributed evenly distributed throughout throughout the year.the year.

Central AmericanCentral Americanrain forestrain forest

The tropical rain forest is a The tropical rain forest is a forest of tall trees in a forest of tall trees in a region of year-round warmth region of year-round warmth with an annual average of with an annual average of 50- 260” of rain. These 50- 260” of rain. These forests belong to the forests belong to the tropical wet climate grouptropical wet climate group..

drawingdrawing

LinksLinks

http://www.dollyvardenalaska.com/Denali.htmhttp://www.mymapman.com/pages-productinfo/product-5177/wenschow-north-america-physical-by-wenschow.htmlhttp://www.hickerphoto.com/alaska-caribou-7790-pictures.htmhttp://www.cdnarchitect.com/asf/principles_of_enclosure/limit_states/limit_states.htmhttp://forestry.about.com/library/tree/bl_na_biomes_mediscrub.htm