Tundra, Taiga, Glaciers - Exam Paper PDF

Okay, here's the conversion of the provided text and descriptions of the images into a structured Markdown format: ### Page 1 **Image Description:** A collage of three images. Top: a polar bear in a snowy environment. Middle: An arctic fox in a snowy environment. Bottom: Penguins on an ice floe in...

Okay, here's the conversion of the provided text and descriptions of the images into a structured Markdown format: ### Page 1 **Image Description:** A collage of three images. Top: a polar bear in a snowy environment. Middle: An arctic fox in a snowy environment. Bottom: Penguins on an ice floe in the water. ## Arctic and Antarctica: Where Ice Dominates The Arctic is a vast area consisting of all the land and seas surrounding the North Pole (→ Arctic, p. 391). Beyond the Arctic Polar Circle, one enters permanently frozen territories where the *nival climate* dominates. Here, temperatures are very low throughout the year. The minimal seasonal variations usually do not lead to a significant reduction in the snow cover, except at the southern edges of this climate zone, where large blocks of ice, icebergs, break off in certain periods of the year and float in the ocean. Most of the mass of icebergs is hidden below the surface of the sea, and some can weigh several million tons. The Arctic environment has no vegetation, except for a few mosses and lichens in the contact zone with the tundra Polar bears (a) and arctic foxes (b) can live in an extremely inhospitable environment like the Artic; Adelie penguins (c) as instead very common in Antarctica. The fauna, on the other hand, are very rich: polar bears, whales, walruses, sea lions and seals, reindeer, caribou, musk oxen, foxes, wolves, and lemmings, not to mention birds. Antarctica (→ Antarctica, p. 392) is located around the South Pole and is characterized by very poor vegetation, limited to a few mosses and lichens, and a relatively rich fauna, consisting of penguins, orcas, sea elephants, and other animals that have managed to adapt to an extremely rigid climate. **VERIFY if you understood** 1. The taiga is made up of forests of: * deciduous and coniferous trees * coniferous and deciduous trees of cold climates 2. Which animals live in the tundra? Core Renne 3. What is the Arctic? Poco Noxc **Taiga, tundra, glaciers** 115 --- ### Page 2 **Image Description:** Two images on one page. The first shows a mountainous landscape with some forest vegetation. The second shows a caribou amidst moss and lichen. ## Taiga, Tundra, Glaciers ### The Taiga and Tundra Environment In the northern hemisphere, proceeding north, the climate becomes very rigid. Therefore, less and less dense forests are encountered, which constitute a weak barrier for the cold winds. Here, the few conifers (pines and firs) are mixed with the deciduous trees of cold climates (birches and alders). This type of vegetation is called *taiga*, the realm of bears, reindeer, and wolves. Once past the Arctic Polar Circle, one penetrates landscapes characterized by the *seminival climate*, in which, during the brief period of snowmelt, the perennially frozen ground (permafrost) emerges. Here, the *tundra* finds space (the word derives from the Lappish tunturia, which means “plain without trees”), an environment characterized by vegetation of low grasses and flowers. Grasses consist of *perennial plants* that seem to die at the end of the short summer season, while in reality they continue to live under the blanket of snow and ice. Added to these are lichens (consisting of an alga and a fungus that live in symbiosis), immersed in vast expanses of moss. There are also few animal species: caribou, reindeer, arctic foxes, lemmings (small rodents with exceptional capacities for adaptation and reproduction). The bare landscape is enlivened by migratory birds. Further north, on the coasts, it is possible to encounter the polar bear. --- ### Page 3 **Image Description:** Two images on the page, showing a prairie with bisons and a desolated desert environment. ## Prairie and Cold Desert The prairie develops in regions where rainfall is quite abundant (between 400 and 1000 mm per year), but the climate is predominantly cold and windy. These are the conditions of the cold temperate climate with a hot summer and that with a long winter: * the cold temperate climate with a hot summer produces excellent cereal crops; * the cold temperate climate with a long winter provides the conditions for the development of grasses and is therefore ideal for livestock farming. The prairie is in fact a fertile environment suitable for large grazing mammals, such as bison and sheep. Among the grasses and in the soil, insects are widespread, which are food for rodents, reptiles, and birds. The largest expanses of prairie are found in North America, where crops follow one another from Texas to central Canada. Immense prairies are also found between Europe and Asia, as far as Mongolia. In South America we find the pampas (which means "plain" in the Quechua natives' language) of Argentina and Uruguay. In Australia, the prairies occupy vast interior areas. The cold desert is located both in the tropical regions, at high altitudes, and in the temperate zone. The cold deserts, mainly rocky, have three characteristics: * they are located inside the continents, so far from the coasts that they are not minimally affected by the influence of the oceans; * precipitation does not reach 400 mm per year, but in some periods it remains even below 200; * cold winds of arctic or antarctic origin dominate there. The climate of this environment is extremely rigid, characterized in winter by very low temperatures, with peaks of -40 °C, and in summer by a strong thermal swing between day and night. Flora and fauna are very reduced: few grasses and lichens, and many reptiles. The cold desert is present to a greater extent in the boreal hemisphere, in North America and in central Asia: here we find, from west to east, the desert of the Karakum, that of the Takla Makan and that of Gobi. In the southern hemisphere, cold deserts are found in the extreme regions of South America, behind the Chilean Andes. These are desolate and partly unexplored territories. **VERIFY if you understood** 1. What climate favors deciduous forests? Tempering Fresam 2. Where is the evergreen shrub widespread? Cavemer Hope, Austin 3. What are the characteristics of cold deserts? Situat inte --- ### Page 4 **Image Description:** Two images on the page: one depicting a macchia mediterranea environment, near the coast. The second showing a mixed temperate forest with dense undergrowth. ## Evergreen Scrub and Temperate Forest ### Evergreen Vegetation Due to the Temperate Climate In the temperate climate zone, there is an environment that you have already had the opportunity to get to know, because it is very widespread along the southern coasts of Europe: the Mediterranean scrub. This type of vegetation, also widespread in Italy, is part of the evergreen scrub, consisting essentially of herbs, shrubs, and low trees. The evergreen scrub thrives in regions with a subtropical climate. In these areas, rainfall is between 400 and 700 mm per year, enough to give life to a not too dense vegetation. Rain falls especially in spring and autumn, so that plants can have a regular life cycle, which lasts several years. Also the average temperatures favor growth: between 10 and 15 °C in winter and between 25 and 35 °C in summer. The evergreen scrub, in addition to the Mediterranean coasts, is widespread in a few other geographical areas: in California, in southern China, in Chile, in South Africa, in southwestern Australia, and in New Zeland. ### The Temperate Forest is Concentrated in the Boreal Hemisphere In territories adjacent to the Mediterranean scrub, there are vast areas covered by temperate forests, with types of plants that vary depending on the different climatic conditions: * the cool temperate climate favors deciduous forests, with plants characterized by broad leaves such as oaks, chestnuts, poplars, beeches, etc.; * the cold temperate climate with hot summer is associated with mixed forests, with deciduous and coniferous forests (the ones you have already had the chance to know in the forest undergrowth); In both cases, the undergrowth is very developed, in which herbs, ferns, heathers, and lichens abound. The forests of the temperate zone occupy very large areas in Europe, Asia, and in the eastern part of North America. They are therefore concentrated in particular in the boreal hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere we find smaller extensions in South America and in Australia. Large numbers of herbivorous mammals (such as deer and roe deer) and small predators and birds live in the deciduous and mixed forests, among which nocturnal birds of prey such as owls stand out. Typical woodland animals are wild boars, squirrels, and many small rodents The area of temperate forests has shrunk a lot over the centuries --- ### Page 5 **Image Description:** Several images on the page. There is a photo of horses grazing the steppe of Kazakstan in central Asia and a yellow flower typical of deserts ## The steppe: low herbs, few bushes Where the rainy season is shorter and the rains are less intense, the savannah leaves its place to the steppe. Here the herbs are low, and bushes and trees are rare. Also the fauna is less richest and the rodents take the place of the bigger mammals. The Steppe is intermediate between the Savannah and the desert. It is usually prone to constant changes related to the climate, and at different times it can resemble the features of the savannah or a more arid desert. It is more common in Africa, where it occupies a large portion south of Sahara, in South American, in Central Asia and Australia The desert is the result of old droughts. In arid and hot climates deserts are often found during most of the year. In ancient geological eras these regions were rich in flora and fauna. The change was caused by long periods of droughts. In the distribution of warm deserts the terrestrial surfaces change with time. Since ancient times in desserts expansion has been caused not only by terrestrial warming, but also by man-made territorial exploitations. The desert is huge, such as the Sahara in Africa. Other major deserts are found in southern Africa as well as the Arabic peninsula, middle-east and Australia. In hot deserts Rain is rare in most periods while temperatures often vary, from daytime highs of 40C to well below 40C during nighttime. the rapid thermal excursion causes the erosion of rocks and the creation of cobblestones and sand . Wind creates vegetation by blowing through the area, creating Dunes and types of natural landscapes. Desert vegetation has the capacity to adapt to the environment. Many vegetations such as cacti and water trunk help the deserts stay active. Deserts have a reduced rate of erosion and little predation. They can sustain tough environment and sustain their lives with little food. a. Desert of Sahara in Libya b. Desert of Atacama in Peru and Chile VERIFY IF YOU UNDERSTOOD 1. savannah is a typical environment of; dell'asia/dellafrica 2. Describe the savannah environment and its features 3. How did the deserts formed? --- ### Page 6 **Image Description:** The image is of a savannah, including several giraffes. ## Savannah, Steppe, Hot desert ### The Savannah - Tall herbs, bushes, isolated trees The Savannah is composed of lots of herbs and small trees in sandy soil. It is common for hot climates and equatorial regions. The temperature often never drops to 20C and there is usually 2 seasons, a hot one and a rainy one. The trees are usually short and isolated due to constant grazing of mammels and other herbivores Most savannahs are isolated and most trees are isolated. In the presence of vegetation there are 4 types of regions: * So soil only * Soil with Bushes * Soil and trees * Soil, bushes and Trees The Savannah is an ideal environment to create elephants, gnu, buffalos, giraffes, zebras for farming. It is also ideal to keep predators down, for the animals can forage and find food easily It is a common part of Africa, where it stretches over northern and floodplains , with only small coast lines. In other regions, there are notable small pockets around Africa that are known for agriculture --- ### Page 7 **Image Description:** It is an image showing a variety of trees. ## The rainforest. This climate often presents high levels of temperature and high rainfalls, as well as humidity which has a lot of rich vegetation. The climate often has lots of regular rainy days. The forest is well known to possess good and moisture, and trees. They are commonly found in South and Central America, Central Africa in most areas south and eastern. There is a three tier layers: -First layer composed by the subsoil, mostly trees, herbs and lichen second layers are usually 5m to 40m composed of trees the trees from this layer have many connections. And plants are used for industrial production! VERIFY what you understand 1. The temperature levels during the vegetation, where the temperatures range from 1C and 30C 2. Which layers can you find in a three plains? 3. Why does the forest often collapse? This mostly leads to a chain of industrial catastrophes I have done my best to present an accurate representation of the images and text you provided. Let me know if you have any further questions.