Solar inputSolar input

Slope and aspectSlope and aspect

Temperature- big scale Temperature- big scale variationvariation

The Gulf StreamThe Gulf Stream

Cold air drainageCold air drainage

Global precipitationGlobal precipitation

Why are the deserts Why are the deserts there?there?

Rain shadowsRain shadows

Wind breaksWind breaks

Salt spray and wind Salt spray and wind sculptingsculpting

Soil weatheringSoil weathering

Farm abandonmentFarm abandonment

Early successionalEarly successional

Transition to hardwoodsTransition to hardwoods

A hardwood forestA hardwood forest

NicheNiche

“ “niche” = the conditions (abiotic niche” = the conditions (abiotic and biotic) in which a species and biotic) in which a species survivessurvives

Hemlock forestsHemlock forests

DispersalDispersal

the movement of individuals away the movement of individuals away from where they were “born” from where they were “born”

Limited dispersal leads to Limited dispersal leads to aggregationaggregation

DisturbanceDisturbance

any relatively discrete event in time any relatively discrete event in time that removes organisms or that removes organisms or otherwise affects an ecosystem otherwise affects an ecosystem

Fire regimesFire regimes

Windthrow damageWindthrow damage

Invasive speciesInvasive species

Landscape mosaic or Landscape mosaic or “palimpsest”“palimpsest”