Grand Canyon Microclimatology_ Biomes_ GPH 112_ Intro to Phys Geography Lab (2024 Spring - A)

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112

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Apr 3, 2024

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2/27/24, 3:57 PM Grand Canyon Microclimatology: Biomes: GPH 112: Intro to Phys Geography Lab (2024 Spring - A) https://canvas.asu.edu/courses/177445/quizzes/1332448 1/10 Grand Canyon Microclimatology: Biomes Due No due date Points 8 Questions 2 Time Limit None Instructions Mixed Conifer Forest (above 2400m): Located only on the North Rim, this community is the highest and coolest in the park. Life here adapts to an extreme winter climate. Summer temperatures: 75°F (24°C)–44°F (7°C) Winter temperatures: 39°F (4°C)–17°F (-8°C) Precipitation: Averages 25 inches (64 cm) per year, including 11 feet (3.5 m) of snow Ponderosa Pine Forest (2100-2400m): These forests thrive on the North Rim and South Rim, acting as a transition zone between the mixed conifer forest and pinyon-juniper woodland. Air temperatures are slightly cooler and precipitation is slightly greater than the pinyon-juniper woodland. Pinyon-Juniper Woodland (1500-2100m): Thin soils here hold little water, and with less precipitation (between 10 and 15 inches annually) and warmer temperatures than along the canyon rim, the pinyon and juniper trees here grow short and gnarled. Summer temperatures: 82°F (28°C)–50°F (10°C) Winter temperatures: 44°F (7°C)–20°F (-7°C) Precipitation: Averages 15 inches (38 cm) per year, including 5 feet (1.5 m) of snow Desert Scrub (700-1500m): Found down inside Grand Canyon, this is the hottest and driest community. Life here adapts to extreme heat and a very dry climate. Summer temperatures: 103°F (39°C)–74°F (23°C) Winter temperatures: 58°F (14°C)–32°F (-0°C) Precipitation: Averages 9 inches (23 cm) per year, including 2 inches (5 cm) of snow
2/27/24, 3:57 PM Grand Canyon Microclimatology: Biomes: GPH 112: Intro to Phys Geography Lab (2024 Spring - A) https://canvas.asu.edu/courses/177445/quizzes/1332448 2/10 Remember, it's a bit more complicated than that though. These habitat zones cover a wide elevation gradient, a result of the north/south facing slopes of the canyon walls. Locations on the south facing walls receive more direct sunlight and encounter higher temperatures and greater evaporation than north facing locations. This allows for cooler habitat zones to exist lower in elevation on north facing walls of the canyon, while habitat zones on the south face exist at a higher elevation. For example, on the south facing side of the canyon, the pinyon-juniper woodland’s range is between roughly 1800 – 2100 meters (6800-6000 feet), while on the north face, this habitat zone extends from roughly 1500 – 1900 meters (6200-5000 feet). For this quiz, we will look at hypothetical meteorological stations in and just above the Grand Canyon used in this lab. Some of the information will come from the geovisualization. Some will come from information supplied to you in a question. You will be tasked with analyzing the data at these locations, as well as determining the biomes and their major bioclimatic attributes and stresses. EXAMPLE QUESTION: What is the basic climate-vegetation relationship that you can observe at the Cedar Ridge station from the geovisualization and information supplied in the question? Select answer that best matches the available information.
2/27/24, 3:57 PM Grand Canyon Microclimatology: Biomes: GPH 112: Intro to Phys Geography Lab (2024 Spring - A) https://canvas.asu.edu/courses/177445/quizzes/1332448 3/10 CEDAR RIDGE Location: 36.0646° -112.0738° Elevation as determined in the geovisualization: 1620m NDVI: The biomass scale (NDVI) in the game screenshot below matches the vegetation survey information. The color is not a dark green of a dense forest. Neither is it a brown of no trees. The site is near the lower elevation where you would find trees on the south rim, in the pinyon-juniper NDVI category.
2/27/24, 3:57 PM Grand Canyon Microclimatology: Biomes: GPH 112: Intro to Phys Geography Lab (2024 Spring - A) https://canvas.asu.edu/courses/177445/quizzes/1332448 4/10 Attempt History Attempt Time Score LATEST Attempt 1 12 minutes 8 out of 8 Score for this quiz: 8 out of 8 Submitted Feb 27 at 3:57pm This attempt took 12 minutes. Question 1 4 / 4 pts Surface Temperature as determined in the geovisualization: 104.3F SUMMER / 43.2F WINTER Cedar Ridge Climate variables: The graphic below from Professor Karen Lemke indicates that the freezing temperatures experienced in December through February can limit many plants, but that the maximum temperatures typically do not exceed damaging temperatures However, surface temperatures might be different, and damaging temperatures might occur near the surface depending on the time of year. EXAMPLE ANSWER: The site had an elevation of 1620 m has an NDVI biomass biome signal of pinyon-juniper. The mean annual precipitation is 14.0 inches with a little over 1/3 (35%) coming during the monsoon months of July through September. During winter, snow falls occasionally. The seasonal air temperature (from the climate table) extreme stresses endured by plants here are found during winter due to sub-freezing minimum temperatures. The seasonal surface temperature extreme stresses (from the geovisualization) are found during summer due to values exceeding damaging temperature thresholds. Fast travel to 3 6.2047° -112.0245° . The image on the right is a representation of what you might see in-person at this location.
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