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Assess the extent to which changes in global climate patterns are contributing to increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Consider specific examples in your response.
Answer: This question requires a comprehensive assessment of the link between climate change and extreme weather. The scientific consensus is that anthropogenic climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of many extreme weather events. This is primarily due to the warming of the atmosphere and oceans, which alters atmospheric circulation patterns and increases atmospheric moisture.
Evidence for the link includes:
However, it's important to acknowledge other factors:
Conclusion: While natural climate variability and other factors play a role, the evidence strongly suggests that climate change is a significant and growing contributor to the increased frequency and intensity of many extreme weather events. A nuanced assessment must consider both the direct and indirect impacts, as well as the interplay with other socio-economic factors.
Discuss how different climatic factors (temperature, rainfall, sunlight) influence the development of plant communities, illustrating your answer with specific examples from different biomes.
Climatic factors are fundamental drivers of plant community development, shaping the types of plants that can survive and thrive in a given area. Temperature directly affects metabolic rates, growth rates, and the length of the growing season. Higher temperatures generally support faster growth and a wider range of plant species. For example, in tropical rainforests, consistently high temperatures promote rapid growth and high biodiversity. Conversely, low temperatures limit growth and restrict species to colder regions like tundra.
Rainfall is arguably the most critical climatic factor. It determines water availability, which is essential for plant survival. Different rainfall patterns lead to distinct vegetation types. Areas with high rainfall, like rainforests, support lush, dense vegetation. Areas with low rainfall, like deserts, support drought-resistant plants such as cacti and succulents. The distribution of rainfall also influences the type of vegetation present – for example, monsoon climates support grasslands and forests with distinct wet and dry seasons.
Sunlight is crucial for photosynthesis, the process by which plants produce energy. The amount of sunlight available is influenced by latitude, aspect (the direction a slope faces), and cloud cover. Areas with abundant sunlight, like savannas, support tall grasses and trees adapted to intense solar radiation. Shady areas, such as the understory of a rainforest, support shade-tolerant plants. The angle of sunlight also affects plant growth – south-facing slopes in the Northern Hemisphere receive more sunlight and tend to be warmer and drier than north-facing slopes.
Examples from different biomes:
Explain how human activities can alter the development of plant communities, leading to changes in climatic climax, subclimax and plagioclimax. Provide specific examples of both positive and negative impacts.
Human activities have profoundly altered the natural development of plant communities, often disrupting the natural progression towards a climatic climax and creating new, often less stable, vegetation patterns. These alterations can have both positive and negative impacts on plant communities.
Negative Impacts:
Positive Impacts:
Impact on Climax, Subclimax and Plagioclimax: Human activities often prevent communities from reaching their natural climax state. For example, intensive agriculture can maintain a subclimax grassland indefinitely, preventing the development of a forest. Urbanization creates entirely new plagioclimax communities dominated by urban vegetation. Conservation efforts aim to restore communities closer to their natural climax, while unsustainable practices can push communities further away from it.