"Andrew J. Miller" <miller@umbc.edu>

Newsgroups: umbc.course.geog110h

Subject: Assignment #7, Friday, April 4

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 20:43:58 -0500

As we discussed before Spring Break, we're going to work on biogeography and biomes this week.

I have included a relatively long list of web sites on biogeography and ecology in the bookmark list attached to the class home page. From this list you should be able to find some interesting locations that relate to an area that interests you.

I would like you to select some location that is representative of a particular biome, and to come to class prepared to discuss the major features of the ecosystem; the climatic class to which it belongs; the relationship between the vegetation and the climate (or, if you pick a marine ecosystem, the relationship between significant aspects of that ecosystem and the climate); and any other aspects of that location that play an important role in controlling important aspects of the ecosystem. Try to relate what you learn from your explorations to the relevant material in the chapter on global climates and in the chapters on ecosystems and biomes. Some web pages will take you on a virtual field trip (check out the Suriname Rainforest, for example); others will provide more technical information.

Some of these sites (such as the Long-Term Ecological Research Sites operated with funding from the National Science Foundation) will have particular research projects in progress, and you are welcome to select a research topic for discussion in addition to the basic information requested above.

Come to class prepared to make an oral presentation of 5-10 minutes' duration, with the option of actually displaying one or more web sites in order to illustrate what you have to say. If you need to consult library resources in support of your presentation, feel free to do so.