Introduction to ArtificiaI Intelligence in Higher Education
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Final people and environment
1.
2. ENVIRONMENT AND ITS
TYPES
Environment โ Sum total of conditions surrounding man at a
given place
Types of environment
Physical (basic suitability / habitability of an area for human
occupancy)
Ecumen areas - area sustainable to human life
eg. Plain areas, utilization of natural resources
Non-ecumen areas - area that are not sustainable to human life
eg. Hot and cold deserts
Biotic (areas with congenial physical conditions that displays the
maximum variety of plants and animals)
Physical + Biotic environment = Natural environment
Cultural (interactions of humans with natural environment)
anthropogenic / human environment โ environment affected or
modified by human activities
3. COMPONENTS OF
ENVIRONMENT
Abiotic or physical component (Non-living)
Eg. Land, temperature, water, air and solar energy
Lithosphere โ solid crust of earth
Hydrosphere โ large bodies of water (Oceans and seas)
Atmosphere โ envelope of air surrounding the earth upto
several kilometers
Biotic or organic component (living)
Plant kingdom
Animal kingdom
Energy (capacity to work)
Solar โ perennial source of energy
Geothermal
Kinetic (water and winds)
111. Importance of climate
Prevailing climate is most important
factor in determining what kind of biome
will develop
Precipitation, temperature are most
important
116. Climatograph
Temperature, precipitation not sole
determiners
Overlap among different biomes on plot
suggests that other factors also are
important
Seasonality of precipitation
Temperature fluctuations around mean
Soil composition (based on geology)
118. Deserts
Occur in 2 distinct belts between 15-35ยฐ
N & S latitude
Result primarily from worldwide
circulation of air masses (dry over
deserts)
~25% of worldโs land mass
119.
120. True deserts
<10 inches of rain per year
Semi-deserts may have 2-3X that, but
have high evaporation rates
Low humidity results in very hot days,
but cool or cold nights
Life is keyed to rainfall events
Infrequent, but usually heavy when they
occur
125. Savannas
3 distinct seasons
Cool-dry, hot-dry, warm-wet
Frequent fires suppress trees, maintain
grasses and forbs
Herbaceous, low-growing annuals &
perennials (dicots)
Regrow from roots or seeds every year
126. Temperate grasslands
Similar to tropical savanna, but occur in
cooler regions
N. Amer. prairie (French for plains)
Russian steppe
Hungarian pusztas
S. Amer. pampas
African veldt
127. Temperate grasslands
At one time covered 42% of world land
surface
Much under cultivation today
Excellent soils
Rich topsoil layer
128. Temperate grassland climate
High rates of evaporation
Periodic severe drought
Rainfall ~25-75 cm/year
Too light to support forest, but too
heavy to encourage desert
137. Tropical rain forest
>250 cm of rain per
year
Perpetual
midsummer
conditions
Uninterrupted plant
growth
Types of tropical forests
138. Tropical rain forests
Contain as many species of plants and
animals as all other types of
ecosystems combined
4 mi2
area - 750 species of trees, 1500
species of flowering plants
139. Tropical rain forests
Typically stratified into 5 layers
Each layer has characteristic plants,
animals
May reach height of 80 m
140. Tropical rain forest soil
Very poor - little or no topsoil
Easily weathered
Subsoil with iron-based clay - laterite
Major problems with slash-and-burn
agriculture
142. Deforestation
Loss of forests at present rate will
mean disappearance within next 15-25
years
Major problems will result from climate
change, loss of species of medicinal,
economic importance
144. Temperate deciduous forest
Dominated by broad-leaved deciduous
trees
Relatively nutrient-rich soil provides for
good growth
Typically have 4 layers present
Ground, shrub, sapling, canopy
Rich diversity of plant, animal life
146. Taiga
Dominated by conifers - spruce, pine, fir, hemlock
Best suited for short growing season because they
are not deciduous
Can carry out photosynthesis whenever temps. rise above
freezing
Needle shape, waxy cuticle conserve moisture
147. Thin, acidic, develop slowly
Pine needles break down slowly in cool
climate
Taiga soils
148. Taiga animals
Primarily seed, insect eaters, or those
that feed on plants in or near water
Squirrels, birds, elk, moose, deer,
beaver, porcupine, grizzlies, wolves