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What is Climate?

What is Climate?

Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.

The Carbon Cycle

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

Global Climate Change

Global Climate Change

Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.

Ecological Disturbance

Ecological Disturbance

An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.

The Soil Ecosystem

The Soil Ecosystem

Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2025

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Published on: October 25, 2024

Vegetation-climate feedbacks across scales.

Diego G Miralles¹, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano², Tim R McVicar^3,4

¹Hydro-Climate Extremes Lab (H-CEL), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

|January 24, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Vegetation significantly influences Earth's climate by regulating energy, water, and carbon cycles. Understanding these vegetation-atmosphere feedbacks is vital for climate modeling and predicting climate change impacts.

Keywords:

climate extremes droughts and heatwaves land–atmosphere interactions vegetation–climate feedbacks

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Area of Science:

Earth System Science
Climate Science
Ecology

Background:

Vegetation is traditionally seen as a climate consequence.
Vegetation actively shapes climate by influencing energy, water, and biogeochemical cycles.

Purpose of the Study:

Review biophysical and biogeochemical mechanisms of vegetation-climate interactions.
Evaluate vegetation's impact on circulation, precipitation, and temperature.
Highlight advancements in understanding vegetation feedbacks in climate.

Main Methods:

Literature review of biophysical and biogeochemical mechanisms.
Analysis of vegetation's influence on atmospheric processes across scales.
Evaluation of impacts on climate patterns and extreme events.

Main Results:

Vegetation alters atmospheric CO2, surface roughness, and energy fluxes.
Vegetation's influence propagates from microclimates to global circulation.
Feedbacks are critical for land use change predictions and climate models.

Conclusions:

Vegetation is a key driver of climate, not just a passive responder.
Accurate climate models require robust representation of vegetation-atmosphere interactions.
Further research on vegetation feedbacks is essential for climate science advancement.