Climate and
Adaptations
Learning
Objectives
Weather vs
climate
Factors that
affect weather of a place
Factors that
affect climate of a region
Adaptations
of animals to different climates
Warm-up
In general,
ecosystems can be divided to have two types of factors-biotic factors and
abiotic factors.
The term
biotic means living or having lived. Biotic factors are basically organisms and
the remains of organisms. Examples of biotic factors would include a frog, a
leaf, a dead tree, or a piece of wood.
The term
abiotic means non-living, or never having lived Abiotic factors are non-living,
non cellular, and inorganic materials which contribute to an environment)
Examples of abiotic factors would include gold, rock, bicycle, brick, and
cement.
Identify
each of the following as biotic (B) or abiotic (A).
1 The sand
in a desert
2. Pollen on
a flower
3. The
bacteria and algae in a lake
4. Pollution
from an oil refinery
Weather Vs
Climate
The weather
of a place plays a significant role in the lives of the people who live in that
place. It determines their choices in what they eat, wear, and many other
day-to-day activities.
Weather is
what the atmosphere is like at a given time and place. It can be hot, cold,
rainy, sunny, etc. Weather can chang from day to day and even hour to hour.
Meteorologists study the weather and try to predict what it will be like
Weather
reports help people plan. If it is going to rain, you might need an umbrella or
stay indoors. If it is going to be hot and sunny, you might want to take
sunscreen or wear light cotton clothes
The
condition of the atmosphere at a place based on the parameters of precipitation
(rainfall), humidity, temperature and wind is termed as the weather of that
place, Precipitation, humidity, temperature and wind are also referred to as
the elements of weather
So how is
weather different from climate? We talked about how weather can differ day to
day and even hour to hour. It can be rainy one hour, then bright and sunny the
next.
Climate
looks at the long-term weather patterns. To predict the climate of a region,
scientists average weather patterns and conditions over a long period of time.
A desert may receive rain one day, but overall, deserts have a very dry
climate.
The chart
shows the rainfall received by a place in a year distributed month wise.
Scientists studies and recorded the rainfall distribution of this place over
decades and as per the results the months from June to September are the rainy
months at this place
250
200
150
100
50
Did You
Know?
Meteorology
is the branch of science that concerns with the processes and phenomena of the
atmosphere. It helps in predicting weather.
Rainfall
(mm)
A
meteorologist is a scientist who studies weather conditions such as
temperature, humidity and rainfall at a place and forecasts the weather
Climate is
the general pattern of weather conditions that are recorded in a region over a
long period of time.
Unlike
weather, climate does not vary over short periods of time but remains
relatively unchanged over a few hundred years.
So let us
compare weather and climare:
Weather
Change day
today, aven hour by hour
Temperature
Precipitation
Wind
Humidity
Climata
Long-term
westhar trends
Factors that
affect the weather of a place
Temperature
measures the amount of heat in the atmosphere It determines how cold or hot a
place is. The maximum temperature in a day is in the afternoon when the sun's
rays heat up the atmosphere. The Earth loses heat in the night and the minimum
temperature in a day is normally recorded in the morning before sunrise
Precipitation
is liquid or solid water that falls to the Earth's surface from the atmosphere.
The sun's heat makes the water in water bodies to convert to vapour and rise.
This water vapour condenses to come back to the Earth as precipitation.
Rain, hail,
snow, and sleet are all forms of precipitation
Rain is
water in the form of a liquid that falls chrough a warm or cool atmosphere.
b. Snow is a
solid that forms when water vapor freezes in the atmosphere.
Sleet often
forms when snow melts when falling to Earth, then refreezes before hitting the
ground.
4. Hail is
solid ice that mostly falls during thunderstorms.
Humidity is
the amount of moisture in the atmosphere at a given time. The hotter the
temperature, the more water vapour it can hold. The higher the humidity, the
more the chances of rain. Humidity is usually expressed as relative humidity.
Relative humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air when compared to the
amount present in saturated air at a particular temperature.
Think...
Why are
cloudy nighes warmer than dear ones?
Wind is the
natural movement of ag It moves from a high premere system to a low-pressure
system. During the summer sin lodia, strong wind blow from the hot desert in
Ruhan towarh Delhi, During the winters, cold winds from the Himalayan mountains
make the plains in the north of India
very coold
Some instruments or tools ased by meteorologists to study the weather are
The
maximum-minimum thermometers measure the maximum and minimum temperatures in a
day
A barometer
measures air pressure.
Randall is
measured by an instrument called a rain gauge.
A hygrometer
measures humidity or the amount of water vapour in the air
A wind vane
points in the direction from which the wind blows.
An
anemometer measures the speed of the wind.
EXPERIENTIAL
LEARNING OBSERVATION ANALYSIS, EVALUATION
Activity
1wWriting a
weather report
Record the
weather forecast in the following format
Today's
Date:
Source
Cument
Temperature
Coment
Weather
Wind
Direction and Speed
you can
write Google/weather app on the phone)
Factors that
affect the climate of a region
Latitude or
distance from the equator: Locations close to the equator normally receive more
direct sunlight, so they tend to be warmer. While regions closer to the poles
tend to be colder.
Altitude
(elevation): Places with high elevation will always have a cooler climate in
any location. It is always warmer in the foothills and the plains as compared
to the mountains. The temperature goes down as the altitude (elevation) goes
up.
Nearness to
ocean currents and other bodies of water: Oceans and lakes take longer to
change temperature. Therefore, locations near oceans and large lakes stay
cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than places farther inland.
Type of
landform: Landforms can affect rainfall and weather patterns in large areas.
Rajasthan in India, due to its vast area under deserts, is very hot during the
summer months. But in the short winter months, it gets quite cold.
Check Your
Progress
Choose the
correct word option for each.
1. Which of
the following is true about humidity?
a. It is the
amount of water that falls to the surface of the Earth.
b. It is the
amount of moisture in the atmosphere of the Earth.
c. The
cooler the air, the more humid it is.
d. There are
no tools to help us measure humidity of a place.
2. What does
an anemometer measure?
a. humidity
b. air
pressure
3. Which of
the following describes sleet?
c.
temperature
wind speed
a. Water in
the form of a liquid that falls through a warm or cool atmosphere.
b. A solid
that forms when water vapour freezes in the atmosphere.
C. A form
when snow melts while falling to Earth, then refreezes before hitting the
ground.
d. Solid ice
that mostly falls during thunderstorms.
4. How are
weather and climate similar?
a. They both
include temperature, precipitation, humidity.
b. They both
study long-term weather patterns.
They both
focus solely on precipitation patterns.
d. Weather
and climate are too different to compare.
Adaptations
of Animals to Different Climates
Climate of a
place affects the animals, plants and human being living in a region. The
biotic and abiotic factors contribute to the type and number of organisms
(living things), which can inhabit an ecosystem. For instance, in the desert,
the lack of water (an abiotic factor) prevents the existence of most trees,
which need steady rainfall. On the other hand, the numerous rodents (mice,
etc.) which live in the desert (a biotic factor) enable a population of
predatory coyotes to survive in the harsh climate.
Special
adaptations enable survival of different species in harsh climatic conditions.
Adaptations
are the special characteristics of living beings that enable them to live in a
particular habitat.
We will
consider three of the following habitats/regions in this section.
1. Extremely
cold climate found in polar regions
2. Extremely
hot climate found in desert regions
3. Hot and
wet climate found in tropical rainforests
EXPERIENTIAL
LEARNING, OBSERVATION, ANALYSIS, EVALUATION
Activity 2
Identify
Climate Zones
Broadly, the
Earth is split into climate zones according to similar average temperatures and
precipitation rates. Three of them are tropical, temperate, and polar. Tropical
climates are warm and found near the Equator of the Earth. Polar climates are
the farthest from the equator and have year-round cold temperatures with little
precipitation. The temperate climates are found in regions between the tropical
and polar climates.
In an
outline map of the word, mark the Polar regions in green, the tropical in red
and the temperature in yellow.
Did You
Know?
Every year,
Arctic terns travel from the Arctic to the Antarctic region where they spend
the winter, and then fly back to the Arctic.
The Arctic
tern undertakes the longest migration known in birds.
Polar bears
can run 20 miles per hour and swim 26 miles per hour. (1 mile is approx. 1.6
km)
Extremely
cold climate found in polar regions
(On our
planet Earth, extremely cold climates are found in the polar regions. The
Arctic region is the area around the North Pole and the Antarctic region is
around the South Pole. The temperature in these regions can be as low as -40
°C. As a result, these regions are covered with snow and ice most of the year
and house many glaciers. The climate is generally dry with cold winds. In some
places, the land is covered by a thin layer of ice called permafrost which
never melts.) The Sun does not set for six months and then does not rise for
the next six months.
Most animals
in the polar regions such as polar bears, seals and Arctic foxes are carnivores
as the extreme cold and permafrost does not allow many plants to grow. Some
special characteristics (adaptations) seen in the animals that live in these
regions are given below,
White fur of
most animals helps them to camouflage with the surroundings. For example, the
polar bear has white fur. The Arctic fox has white fur in winter that helps
them merge with white snow. In summers, they have brown or greyish fur that
helps these animals camouflage with rocks and soil.
Many animals
have small ears, short snouts, short limbs and thick fur to reduce the loss of
heat from the body.
Some animals
such as penguins and seals stay in groups to keep themselves warm.
SHORT SHARP
BEAK FOR CATCHING FISH
SHORT, VERY
DENSELY PACRED FEATHERS HELP IN STREAMLINING IN WATER AND INSULATE THEM ON LAND
PENGUINS ARE
PLUMP SO THEY ARE INSULATED WITH A FAT LAYER OR PREVENT HEAT LOSS ON LAND AND
IN THE SEA
POLAR BEARS
HAVE AN EXCELLENT SENSE OF SMELL THIS ADAPTATION HELPS THEM FIND THEIR PREY
POLAR BEARS
HAVE STRONG LEGS THE HELPS THEM SWIN FAST THROUGH THE ICY WATER
BACKWARD
POINTING BARBS ON TONGUE TO STOP SLIPPERY PREY ESCAPING
BLACK ABOVE
AND WHITE UNDERNEATH MAKES IT HARDER TO SEE ON THE SEA AND HELPS WARMING
COOLING ON LAND
SHORT WINGS
REDUCED TO FLIPPERS FOR FLYING UNDERWATER
SHORT STIFY
TAIL, HELPS WITH BALANCE FORMING A TRIPOD WITH THE HEELS ON ICE AND SNOW TO
PREVENT HEAT LOSS
A POLAR BEAR
HAS THICK WHITE FUR THIS HELPS I BLEND INTO THE SNOW AND ALSO STAY WARM
POLAR BEARS
HAVE THICK ROUGH, SAND PAPER LIKE PAWS THIS HELPS THEM GRIP THE SLIPPERY ICE
AND GET GOOD TRACTION
Polar bears
too are found in the Arctic regions. They are carnivorous and hunt and eat
fish, seals and other animals. The body structure of a polar bear helps it to
survive in polar regions. The figure depicts their adaptions. They are also
good swimmers. Their nostrils close while swimming in water so that they can
remain underwater for long and catch their prey. Penguins are found in the
Antarctic regions.)
Some animals
such as seals and polar bears have a layer of fat under their skin called
blubber. Blubber helps to insulate the animal from the cold. It also serves as
an energy reserve for times when food is scarce.
Many animals
hibernate during the winter season. The long sleep-like state exhibited by some
animals during winter months in cold climates when food is scarce is called
hibernation. While hibernating, these animals slow down their body functions to
conserve energy, reduce the need for food and remain dormant This continues
through the winter months. Most of them feed heavily during summer and autumn
and store the food as blubber. Food stored like this helps them survive during
the months they hibernate. For example, some bats, hedgehogs and some types of
ground squirrels exhibit hibernation.
Some animals
move away to warmer climates during the winter to escape the extreme cold.
Migration is the seasonal movement of animals from one place to another in
search of favourable weather, availability of food and safe places to breed and
rear their young. The Siberian crane from Siberia escapes the harsh winter by
flying to warmer countries in southeast Asia
Extremely
hot climate found in desert regions
Many ways by
which animals keep themselves cool in extreme hot
climates are
as follows:
Sleeping
during the day: Animals that live in hot climates spend the daylight hours
hiding in the shade of burrows or behind boulders. They become active in the
night and go looking for food. Aestivation is the long sleep-like state shown
by some animals during warm summer months in hot climates. Example of such
nocturnal animals are snakes and desert foxes.
• Keeping
themselves cool: They have long legs and tails, and
very large
ears. Large ears and think bodies help animals such as the desert jackrabbit
and kangaroo rat stay cool.
Blending in
(camouflage): Some desert animals can hide in
plain sight.
Their bodies blend in with their surroundings. This way they stay safe from
their predators. The Thorny Devil looks almost like a part of a thorn bush. It
can have strong colours that let it blend in with surfaces like pebbles and
sand in the desert. The desert rocks can be quite colourful so the Thorny
Devils can find places to hide.
As you have
studied in Class 6, camels are well adapted to survive in the hot desert sands.
They have several adaptations that help them. They store food in their hump and
water in their stomach for a long time. They lose very little water from
their bodies
in the form of excreta and sweat. They have feet with large soles that help
them navigate the soft sand of the desert easily.
Hot and wet
climate found in tropical rainforests
It is very
hot near the Earth's equator. That is where the hot and wet tropical regions
are located. The hot and wet climate supports plant growth and that is why
tropical regions are full of dense rainforests. The rainforests are home to
biodiverse flora and fauna.
There are
many different animals in the rainforests, and there is a lot of competition
for food and habitats. So some animals becomes specialized and adapt themselves
to eat things that few others do. Some of their characteristics are:
Many animals
in the rainforests live on trees and have adaptations that help them in it.
Monkeys use their hands and feet, and also their tails to swing from branch to
branch. Besides, the red-eyed tree frog and the macaques too live on trees.
They hardly ever come down and mainly eat fruits as well as other plant parts.
They catch insects from under the bark of trees.
Some animals
eat food that is eaten by no other animal. Take the toucan for instance. The
beak is the most impressive feature of the toucan. The beak is very large and
helps the toucan snack on nuts and berries that other animals cannot break open
with their mouths. The beak also has a hollow honeycomb structure on the
inside. This makes a toucan lightweight and it is not easily thrown
off-balance. The colourful beak also helps a toucan attract mates.
They use
camouflage to hide themselves or to warn off predators. Several animals have a
skin colour that camouflages them with the background. For example, the jaguar
has a spotted skin. It merges well with the floor of the rainforests. The
jaguar cannot be easily seen and this characteristic helps it hunt its prey.
• The
elephants are adapted to live in the rainforests and exhibit unique
characteristics that help them survive in that habitat.
OBJECTIVE-TYPE QUESTIONS
A. Tick() the correct option.
1.
Forms of
precipitation: both a and b
2.
Humidity, rainfall, temperature, and wind speed
together are referred to as ______ of weather: elements
3.
Deserts are to camels what rainforests are to elephants
4.
Which of the following do not exhibit hibernation? a. lizards
5.
The natural habitat of elephants: a. elephants
6.
The average weather of a particular part of the
world at different times of the year: d. climate
B. State whether the following
statements are TRUE or FALSE. Correct the false ones.
1. Scientists use an instrument called barometer to
measure the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere. FALSE. A barometer
measures air pressure. A hygrometer measures the amount of water vapor in the
atmosphere (humidity).
2. Polar bears store fat in their bodies for food and
to protect them from the cold climate. TRUE. The passage mentions blubber as a layer of fat
that insulates polar bears and serves as an energy reserve.
3. The weather remains constant while the climate
changes in a pattern. FALSE. The opposite is true.
Weather changes frequently (even hour to hour), while climate is the long-term
weather pattern of a region and remains relatively constant over long periods
(hundreds of years).
4. Snow, rain, hail, sleet are all forms of
precipitation. TRUE. The passage lists these as examples of
precipitation.
5. In penguins, the hindlimbs are modified as flippers
to help them swim in water. FALSE. Penguins' wings are modified
into flippers for swimming. Their hind limbs are adapted for walking and
balance on land and ice.
D.
SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
E. Answer
each of the following in brief.
1. What are the elements of weather? The elements of
weather are precipitation (rainfall), humidity, temperature, and wind.
2. Define climate. How is it different from weather? Climate is the
general pattern of weather conditions recorded in a region over a long period.
It's different from weather because weather describes the atmospheric
conditions at a specific time and place, changing day to day or even hour to
hour. Climate, on the other hand, represents long-term weather trends and
remains relatively unchanged over many years.
3. What is humidity? Which instrument is used to measure
it? Humidity is the amount of moisture in the atmosphere at a given time. A
hygrometer is used to measure humidity.
4. What is
blubber? Why do some animals have it? Blubber is a layer of fat under the
skin of some animals, like seals and polar bears. It helps insulate the animal
from the cold and also serves as an energy reserve when food is scarce.
5. What kind of climate would you expect on mountains? The passage states
that places with high elevation (like mountains) have a cooler climate,
regardless of their location. Temperature decreases as altitude increases.
LONG-ANSWER QUESTIONS
F. Answer each of the following in
detail.
1. What is precipitation? Name all kinds of
precipitation. Precipitation is liquid or solid water that falls to the Earth's
surface from the atmosphere. The passage lists rain, snow, sleet, and hail as
forms of precipitation.
2. What are some survival mechanisms for animals in
deserts? Explain. The passage
mentions these desert survival mechanisms:
o Sleeping during the
day and being active at night (nocturnal behavior). This helps animals avoid
the extreme daytime heat.
o Having long legs,
tails, and large ears to stay cool.
o Blending in
(camouflage) with their surroundings for protection from predators. The Thorny
Devil is given as an example.
o Camels are
mentioned as being adapted to survive in the desert due to their ability to
store food in their hump and water in their stomach, and their minimal water
loss through excreta and sweat.
3. Write a detailed note on penguins. How are they
suited for living in the polar regions.
o Short, very densely
packed feathers for streamlining in water and insulation on land.
o Plump bodies with a
fat layer for insulation, preventing heat loss.
o Black above and
white underneath (countershading) for camouflage in the water.
o Short wings reduced
to flippers for "flying" underwater.
o Short, stiff tail
for balance, forming a tripod with their heels on ice and snow to prevent heat
loss.
4. What are some survival mechanisms for animals in
tropical rainforests?
o Living on trees and
having adaptations for it, such as monkeys using their hands, feet, and tails
to swing from branch to branch.
o Specializing in
eating things that few other animals do, like the toucan with its large beak
for nuts and berries.
o Using camouflage to
hide or warn off predators, like the jaguar's spotted skin.
5. What is climate? Explain in detail at least three
factors that determine it. Climate is the general pattern of weather
conditions recorded in a region over a long period.
o Latitude (distance from the equator): Locations closer
to the equator tend to be warmer due to more direct sunlight.
o Altitude (elevation): Places with higher
elevation have cooler climates.
o Nearness to ocean currents and other bodies of
water: Locations near oceans and large lakes have more moderate temperatures
(cooler summers, warmer winters) than inland areas.
o Type of landform: Landforms like deserts can affect
weather patterns, as seen with Rajasthan's hot summers due to its desert
landscape.
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