annual

Examples of annual in the following topics:

• Temperate Grasslands

  • Temperate grasslands are areas with low annual precipitation, fluctuating seasonal temperatures, and few trees.
  • Temperate grasslands have pronounced annual fluctuations in temperature, with hot summers and cold winters.
  • The annual temperature variation produces specific growing seasons for plants.
  • Annual precipitation ranges from 25 cm to 75 cm (9.8–29.5 in).
  • Because of relatively-lower annual precipitation in temperate grasslands, there are few trees, except for those found growing along rivers or streams.

• Primary and Secondary Growth in Stems

  • The activity of the vascular cambium gives rise to annual growth rings.
  • It results in the formation of an annual ring, which can be seen as a circular ring in the cross section of the stem .
  • An examination of the number of annual rings and their nature (such as their size and cell wall thickness) can reveal the age of the tree and the prevailing climatic conditions during each season.

• Tropical Wet Forest and Savannas

  • The annual rainfall in tropical wet forests ranges from 125-660 cm (50–200 in), with some monthly variation.
  • While sunlight and temperature remain fairly consistent, annual rainfall is highly variable.
  • However, the driest month of a tropical wet forest still exceeds the annual rainfall of some other biomes, such as deserts.
  • Tropical wet forests have high net primary productivity because the annual temperatures and precipitation values in these areas are ideal for plant growth.
  • Savannas are hot, tropical areas with temperatures averaging from 24°C - 29°C (75°F - 84°F) and an annual rainfall of 10–40 cm (3.9–15.7 in).

• Subtropical Deserts and Chaparral

  • Subtropical deserts are characterized by low annual precipitation of fewer than 30 cm (12 in), with little monthly variation and lack of predictability in rainfall.
  • In some cases, the annual rainfall can be as low as 2 cm (0.8 in), such as in central Australia ("the Outback") and northern Africa.
  • Instead, many plants are annuals that grow quickly, reproduce when rainfall does occur, and then die.
  • The annual rainfall in this biome ranges from 65 cm to 75 cm (25.6–29.5 in), with the majority of rain falling in the winter.

• Temperate Forests

  • Temperatures ranging between -30°C - 30°C (-22°F - 86°F) drop below freezing on an annual basis, resulting in defined growing seasons during the spring, summer, and early fall.
  • Because of the moderate, annual rainfall and temperatures, deciduous trees are the dominant plant in this biome .

• Abiotic Factors Influencing Plant Growth

  • Annual biomass production is directly related to the abiotic components of the environment.
  • However, warm and wet climates have the greatest amount of annual biomass production.

• Plant Life Spans

  • Some plants, such as annuals, only need a few weeks to grow, produce seeds, and die.
  • Plant species that complete their life cycle in one season are known as annuals, an example of which is Arabidopsis, or mouse-ear cress.

• Boreal Forests and Arctic Tundra

  • In much of the taiga, -20°C (-4°F) would be a typical winter day temperature, while 18°C (64°F) would be an average summer day.The annual precipitation, from 40 cm -100 cm (15.7–39 in), usually takes the form of snow.
  • The annual precipitation of the Arctic tundra is very low (about 15-25 cm), with little annual variation in precipitation.

• Human Population Growth

  • Global human population growth is around 75 million annually, or 1.1% per year.
  • In 2009, the estimated annual growth rate was 1.1%.
  • The CIA World Factbook gives the world annual birthrate, mortality rate, and growth rate as 1.89%, 0.79%, and 1.096% respectively.

• What constitutes a biome?

  • Comparing the annual totals of precipitation and fluctuations in precipitation from one biome to another provides clues as to the importance of abiotic factors in the distribution of biomes.