RESUME 1 -ECOLOGICAL REVIEW : ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR

            Since the study of ecology concern on the relation between organsms and each other and their surrounding environment, this first resume will review about the environmental factor influencing the abundance and distribution of organism

            The most significant influence on ecologycal study in land and in the ocean is a climate. Climate can be defined as the long-term prevailing weather condition in a certain area. There are four particulary important components of climate such as temprature, precipitation, sunlight and annual sun.

            In this resume, there will be reviewed climate pattern at two scales : Macroclimate, patterns on global, regional, and landscape level, and Microcilmate, the localized patterns, such as those encountered by the community of orgaisms living in microhabitats beneath a log

·         Macroclimate

The macroclimate will also influenced by some factors as mentioned below

o  Global Climate Patterns

Global climate patterns are determined largely by the input of solar energy and Earth’s moveent in space. The sun warms the atmosphere, land, and water, establishing the temprature variation cycles of air, and water movement that cause dramatic variation of climate

o  Regional and Local Effects on Climate

Climate pattern can be altered based of following factors

1.      Seasonality

Earth’s tilted axis of rotation and its annual passage around the sun cause strong seasonal cycles in the middle to high latitude. In addition to these global changes in day length, soalr radiation, and temprature, the changing angle of the sun over the course of year affects the local environment. For example, the seasonal changes in wind patterns may alternate the ocean current, sometimes causing the upwelling f cold water from deep ocean layers. This nutrient-rich water stimulates the growth of surface-dwelling phytoplankton and other organisms.

2.      Bodies of Water

Ocean currents influence climate along of the coasts of the continents by heating or cooling the overlying air masses that pass across the land. Coastal regions are also generally wetter that the inland areas at the same latitude.

Because of the hugh spesific heat of water, oceans, and large lakes tend to moderate the climate of nearby island.

3.      Mountain

Like large bodies of water, Mountains are also influencing the air flow over the land. When warm, moist air approaches the mountain, the air rises and cools, releasing moisture on the winward side of the peak. On the leeward side, cooler, dry, air descends absorbing moisture, and producing the ‘rain shadow’, which may determines where dessert are formed.

Mountains also affect the amount of sunlight reaching an area and thus the local temprature and rainfall.the slope that receives more sunlight will be warmer and drier. These physical differeces influence species ditributions locally.

In addition, every 1000-m increase in elevation produces an average temprature drop approximately 6⁰C, equivalent to that produced by an 880-km increase in latitude. This is one reason that high-elevation communities at one latitude can be similar to those at lower elevations much farther from the equator. 

·         Microclimate

Many features in the environment may influence the microclimate by casting shade, altering evaporation from soil, or changing the wind pattern. For example, forest trees often moderate the microclimate below them. Cleared areas therefore typically experience greater temprature extremes than the forest interior because of greater solar radiation and wind currents arise from the rapid heating and  cooling of open land.

Within a forest, low-lying ground is usually wetter than higher ground and tends to be occupied by different tree species. A log pr largestone may protect organisms such as salamanders, worms, and insects from extreme temperature and moisture.

Because climatic variables affect the geographic ranges of most plant and animals any large-scale change of Earth’s climate profoundly affects the biosphere. The burning of fossil fuel and deforestation are increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide and other green house gases in the atmosphere. As a result, Earth has warmed an average of 0,5^oC in 1900 and is projected to warm 1-6^oC  more by the year 2100. Will plants and other animals be able to keep up with much more rapid warming projecting for this century ?